ALBION boss Chris Hughton has hit out at managers being labelled anti-football.

It follows scrutiny and criticism of the Seagulls' defensive tactics in their 0-0 draw at Wolves and 1-0 defeat at Spurs as they battle to beat the drop.

Former Tottenham chief Tim Sherwood was said to be disgusted by Hughton and Albion's "negative football" on Tuesday.

He told Australia-based Optus Sport: "If they want to give me a season ticket, I don't want it."

Hughton said: "I don't think there’s such a thing (as anti-football). I don't see it. For any way of playing, the game is made up of so many different components.

"What we would all love to do is have the best players, the biggest finances, to be able to play in a way that is expansive and open with strikers who can score at will.

"We'd all like that but the game is made up of favourites and underdogs. Big, big favourites and big, big underdogs.

"When you are a team in a particular type of game that the bookie will have you so far behind in trying to win it, you tactically have to figure out a way of getting results.

"That means you sometimes have to make sure you are solid, not conceding, and play on the break.

"However football changes over the next 20 years, even if the rules change, the one thing I can guarantee you is that in 20 years time this will be no different.

"The team that is struggling to score goals, that is nowhere near the level of the other team, will have to find a way of staying in the game to get results."

Burnley under Sean Dyche also came under fire for the manner in which they achieved a draw at Chelsea.

"I think it's unfair (anti-football label)," Hughton said. "When a manager gets a job he has to determine the best way of getting results. And probably the way he sets up his team will reflect the group of players he’s got and how he deems is the best way to win games.

"Any derogatory remarks are very, very unfair to those very good managers who have to get results in a different way."

Last week Hughton defended his players against an accusation by Martin Keown on Match of the Day that they had downed tools.

Hughton, preparing for Saturday's crucial visit by former club Newcastle, told The Argus: "We are a team that are going to have difficult times in this division – it's only our second season.

"We are below teams that have spent far more than us, have bigger squads than us and have spent more seasons in this division, so we have to work the way that we can and if we are having a tough time then the most important thing is within the group we are focused and pushing in the right direction.

"Any outside influences or comments from pundits we can't affect. That's what they are paid to do. They make their decisions but it doesn't mean they are right."