Tommy Fraser today highlighted why December and early January could be more important than ever for Albion this season.

The rapidly maturing midfielder is being tipped for a first-team recall as the Seagulls kick-off a few busy weeks of matches, travelling and training by going to Torquay United in the FA Cup.

Fraser, who also has his 20th birthday next Wednesday to look forward to, remembers all too well how a Seagulls squad packed with young players lost their way over Christmas last year.

Which is why his confidence they can do better this time around is tempered by just a bit of anxiety as to where they will be in the table when they are heading back from Oldham on January 12 with time to catch their breath, assuming they do not have an FA Cup third round replay of course.

Last year, the Oldham trip came in the run-up to Christmas and the spirited 1-1 draw they got there turned out to be beginning of the end. The end of Albion as play-off hopefuls that is.

Fraser scored his first professional goal at Port Vale a week later in ther first of six successive defeats which sent Albion from tenth, and in touch with the top six, to a worrying 18th.

It might seem early to talk about Christmas fixtures but the busy period really starts when Albion head to the south west today, especially if Saturday' s tie ends in a draw.

While Fraser reckons Albion will be better prepared this time, he is not taking anything for granted.

He admitted: "Christmas was a hard spell for us last year. We were doing well until then.

"Everyone is a bit anxious about that. We've got to keep doing what we're doing and stay unbeaten and after that you never know.

"We had a lot of young players who had never played that many games over the Christmas period.

"We didn't realise how important that time was for picking up points.

"One minute we were fighting for the play-offs, next minute it was touch and go for getting relegated, so it was hard.

"It's just down to experience. Hopefully we do better this time around."

There are plenty of differences for Albion this season. Rather than trying to catch up with the play-off race, they are now right in the thick of it. Fraser also highlights the extra experience provided by four relatively recent additions.

He said: "Nicky Forster has scored goals everywhere he has ever been and has great experience.

"We've got Whingy (Andrew Whing) here full-time now and he has got over 100 games in the Championship, and Matty Richards the same.

"And George (O'Callaghan), of course. So we have brought in four Championship players.

"Michel Kuipers has played there, so have Dean Hammond and Adam El-Abd, and even Joel Lynch.

"And then there's Guy Butters, the daddy of the lot if you like.

"Look at the players who didn't start last Saturday. You can pick a reserve team now and it's a strong XI.

"Everyone wants to be up there. Everyone wants to get straight promotion rather than be in the play-offs. Of course we do. There's no point being in this league unless we thought that. I believe we can get there."

Dean Wilkins has given his players a couple of days off and changed the weekly routine a little this week to keep things fresh.

The manager's week also included some preparation for the next home game, as he went to see Nottingham Forest win their FA Cup replay against Lincoln on Tuesday.

Forest come to Withdean a week today for a game which should attract a 7,000-plus gate.

It is one of the more eagerly-awaited fixtures of the season, especially for home-only fans.

But it will seem a long way away as Wilkins and his men arrive on the English Riviera tomorrow.

Can Albion do better than last season over Christmas?