It's a mystery

What on earth has happened to Alex Frutos? Why has the French winger gone from Championship regular to League One also-ran?

Even Frutos - an unused substitute at Millwall on Saturday and in contention for Dean Wilkins' first home match in charge against Bournemouth tonight - is at something of a loss to explain the dramatic downturn in his fortunes. The man from Metz had an encouraging first season in English football on the left flank with the Seagulls.

He missed only three Championship outings after hopping across the Channel on a free transfer a year ago.

He contributed three goals too, each of them at Withdean, where his direct and industrious style of play made him popular with supporters. Frutos seemed poised to play an influential part in League One, especially after agreeing a new contract.

It was a case of once bitten twice shy when Albion ripped up his original deal, which still had a year left, and replaced it with another two-year agreement.

The first contract included a clause allowing Frutos to leave for nothing following relegation.

Fellow countryman Seb Carole had already exploited the same get-out to move to Leeds and Albion's rapid response indicated how keen they were to prevent the same thing happening with Frutos.

But interest in him from other clubs must, for the time being at least, have subsided following a disappointing start to the season.

Upstaged during the pre-season programme by the diminutive Dean Cox, the slightly built and softly spoken 24-year-old has also found himself beneath Jake Robinson and Doug Loft in the first team pecking order.

"I re-signed here for two years and I was very happy about that," he said.

"But during pre-season my level wasn't very high.

"Maybe I was a bit tired, I don't know why. I don't have the answer. Maybe in my mind I was not at 100 per cent, because I thought that when I re-signed here I would play in every game.

"Maybe I was a bit down about that. Now I know I have to work hard at training to get back to the level I reached last year."

Frutos did not make the most of his chance on his first start of the campaign at Bristol City.

A frustrated Mark McGhee, in what proved to be his last match as manager, replaced him with Robinson early in the second half.

Perhaps playing on the opposite wing was partially to blame, although Frutos refused to use his revised role as an excuse.

"It's a bit new for me but I played on the right with Metz sometimes," he said.

"I think it is a good position for me, because I can go inside and have a shot with my left foot.

"It is very difficult for my defender to defend, because he is left-footed as well so when I go inside I can cause problems for him."

Frutos is not using as an excuse either a feeling of isolation following the departures of Carole and on-loan keeper Flo Chaigneau.

A French connection has been restored now by the arrival of Marseille-born Georges Santos.

Frutos said: "It's nice because I can speak more and I can speak with Georges about his experiences in English football.

"My English is not good enough to see the other players away from the pitch, so it was a bit difficult but it wasn't the problem."

Perhaps Frutos has been drained by becoming a dad for the first time - he has a tenmonth old son, Valentine.

Perhaps he will be reinvigorated by Wilkins but until then the mystery goes on. Where's Clouseau when you need him?