HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Tuesday evening's game by delving into their forums.
Brighton supporters have been on a rollercoaster ride this season. A lack of signings and defeats to Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham in the opening two games set alarm bells ringing. Calm was restored with a number of decent mid-to-late August arrivals, coupled with the team taking seven points out of a possible nine.
However, the manner of Saturday's 3-2 defeat at Brentford saw the rollercoaster hit a downward spiral. Their hosts never allowed the Seagulls to get into their stride and they exposed Brighton's shortcomings down the flanks.
"Passing seemed to be sacrificed for something, but I'm not sure what. Brentford ran us ragged in a lot of positions. They got crosses in and played balls to attackers' feet, while defending against us comfortably."
"There are chinks in our armour." The warning signs had been apparent in Albion's 2-2 draw with Charlton before the international break. "We were caught by Charlton's smart counter-attacking tactics", "We dominated the game and got sucker-punched twice."
"The fear seems to have disappeared. When we went behind in the last few years, there was a real feeling that we had lost. There appears to be more freedom to attack", "I cannot remember the last time I actually felt entertained at the Amex. Exciting times lie ahead."
Seagulls have greatly welcomed the entertaining and attacking brand of football encouraged by the former Bayer Leverkusen boss. "Last season we were too defensive and negative and this season so far we have been too attacking and cavalier. If Sami can find the right medium he will have nailed it."
"I'm impressed with the ambition. It's the execution I'm worried about." Fans were scathing in their assessment of the set-up for Saturday's defeat. "I thought the players did their best and didn't play too badly. Unfortunately the tactics left them helplessly exposed."
"The blame lies at the feet of the manager and nowhere else", "There is no defending our tactics. The way Sami set the team up is nothing short of inept. The full-backs play as wingers, the centre-midfielders play as full-backs and are constantly exposed. It's an embarrassment."
"There is a slight flaw. We appear to have a system in which our full-backs need to be in two places at the same time", "We are over-complicating the game. We have the quality to succeed, but not playing this way."
Hyypia has used a 4-3-2-1 formation, which sees two full-backs push forward and provide width. One holding midfielder protects the centre-backs, while two midfielders either side of him link with the full-backs in attack, covering for them when possession is lost. Two attacking midfielders support a lone striker.
It has had teething problems. "When we're running back towards our goal, everyone bar the keeper is out of position. With the full-backs stranded up field, the centre-backs are supposed to cover out wide with the central defensive midfielder dropping into the vacant centre-back holes.
"The central-midfielders (if they don't cover for the full-back) drop back to provide a shell in front of the defence. Everybody is out of position. It is and has been a shambles. Every time there is finger pointing and you can hear the arguing. Even a good League One side made us look defensively ridiculous.
"By playing full-backs 70 yards up the pitch, it is a given that just about everyone else on the pitch has to switch jobs and cover another role every single time. It's a recipe for disaster."
"For some reason, we haven't had any defensive training sessions yet", "We need quicker defenders. It makes all the difference in this formation", "Pacey wingers will kill us this season. I can see no way our tactics can stop them. Our full-backs, centre-backs and midfielders are too slow."
Many Gulls accept that the 28-year-old former Fulham keeper cannot be blamed for most of the goals conceded. "I cannot remember any save he has made, ie a good shot where he has stepped up and shown the shot stopping qualities a keeper at this level should have."
There has been some praise for the former Ipswich loan signing. "His distribution has been very good. This makes the whole team play more effectively when he plays out from the back", "Coming up for a late corner helped unsettle the Charlton defence for our equaliser."
"Gordon Greer was the only defender who could hold his head up high on Saturday." The 33-year-old ex-Swindon centre-back "saved us more than once and chipped in with a good goal", "He did the work of four", "It would have been an avalanche of goals without him."
"Greer couldn't cope with Vetokele at all in the Charlton game", "He seemed to dive in on him when standing his ground would have been a better option", "He helped restrict them to just two dangerous shots, but he was turned too easily by Vetokele for the Addicks' second."
"Aaron Hughes did a better job than Dunk (who he replaced) in the second half against the Bees", "Their winger ran past him like he wasn't there more than once." The 34-year-old ex-QPR defender "is not as comfortable as Greer with the ball at his feet, but will come in handy this season."
"I haven't checked this out, but I think our leading scorer is a defender", "I'm so pleased Sami has given Dunk this opportunity. He really looks the finished article — great defending and two excellent goals", "Hopefully we'll score from a few more corners this season than we have in the past."
"That was just about the best centre-back performance I have ever seen." The 22-year-old youth product has shone this season, playing a starring role in the draw against Charlton. "Two goals scored and countless interceptions and tackles. His distribution was fantastic."
"Has anyone realised that in the last few games, Lewis has played in exactly the same way Sami did at Liverpool, massive and towering in defence, popping up in the box to score important goals and always putting in 100%?" "He has been a Titan in the last few games."
However, he was anything but a Titan on Saturday and was substituted at half-time. "He had a bit of a nightmare, reminding me of El Abd at Charlton last year. He was a red card waiting to happen", "He's my favourite player but had a shocker. His mind seemed elsewhere."
"Do the full-backs need to stop bombing forward every time we have the ball? There's a line between attacking and going gung-ho at times", "We are much too narrow and get turned over down the flanks", "Can we just go back to orthodox wingers?"
"Joe Bennett was repeatedly outstripped by Brentford's winger for pace to the point that he will have nightmares", "He pulled up with cramp with 10 minutes to go and with no substitutes left", "Maybe Sami will look at that and realise that it's an impossible job he's asking him to do."
Joe Bennett on loan from Aston Villa
The 24-year-old left-back is on loan from Villa. "Bennett needs to take on people when he's in advanced positions", "He gave the ball away (against Charlton) quite often and his final pass was often misplaced or ineffective", "He was ball watching badly for the first Bees goal."
"Having younger legs at right-back would help." Former Alaves right-back Inigo Calderon "was very weak and slow, and was caught out of position too often", "I just think he is too slow and that is enough to make him not good enough at this level."
The 32-year-old was "out of position constantly, but apparently likely to be because he was under instruction", "What is he — a defender or a winger?" "Calderon's touch and control are excellent, but he's not going to hit the by-line repeatedly to whip crosses in like a guy 10 years younger."
Former Valencia right-back Bruno missed Saturday's game, but criticisms of the 33-year-old Spaniard in the Charlton match echoed those made of his colleagues on Saturday. "Everyone around me was astounded at how far Bruno was up the pitch. We had no right-back for the first 10 minutes."
"For Charlton's first goal Bruno was 40 yards from our goal just strolling back", "He slowed the game down so that nothing went down his flank", "He's too unreliable to play the right-back role", "He should be a midfielder", "His first touch and approach play is much better than most of our midfield."
"Our midfielders who were supposed to cover for our full-backs on the counter-attack simply didn't", "They are not filling the holes when either full-back bombs forward", "We looked even more vulnerable when the midfielders didn't get across and cover", "A decent side will rip us to pieces."
"We saw today (against Brentford) what happens when you have a central midfielder up against a winger. It's not pretty", "Our system also limits the midfielders in a big way. How many times did Crofts and Gardner get into the Brentford box in open play?"
"Andrew Crofts does not fit in this system." The 30-year-old former Canary "keeps running down blind alleys. He breaks up play well, and he does well to get out and support the right-back, but as soon as he's there he seems to realise he's not a winger and plays like he's out of this depth".
Andrew Crofts
"Crofts offers nothing in this formation. He'll run all day and put in a shift, but the midfield three are too negative and there's not enough balance", "He is a hard-working midfielder whose strength is to burst late into the penalty area, and yet he was covering for the advancing full-backs."
"Gary Gardner played some beautiful long passes and gave us that spark in the middle (in a Capital One Cup win at Swindon)", "He looked very comfortable on the ball", "He's not as involved as I would like, but he has showed flashed of why he is so highly thought of at Villa."
The 22-year-old loan signing struggled on Saturday. "He appeared happy to watch as his own team struggled to defend", "He didn't make it over the half-way line and ambled about the pitch as if he couldn't be bothered", "He seemed to spend more time at left-back than Joe Bennett."
"'Why attempt to be creative when you can pass the buck?' seems to be Jake Forster-Caskey's philosophy", "He's neat and tidy and passes the ball without ever changing the game in our favour", "He has no pace, cannot defend or head and is very poor going forward."
The 20-year-old youth product - the stepson of former Blue and Seagull Nicky Forster - "was very good against Swindon because that's his level. He needs to up his game", "People get frustrated because JFC sits back and slows the pace of the game, but that's exactly what he's asked to do and he's doing it very well", "He comes in for unfair criticism."
"Rohan Ince showed good promise last season under Oscar Garcia, but really looks like he's gone backwards." The 21-year-old ex-Chelsea youth player "looks short of confidence. His passing is not accurate and he's not winning the ball with those long legs or rampaging forward like a bulldozer."
"Holla seems like an excellent addition and showed again (against Charlton) why he's a decent player in the holding role." The arrival of the 26-year-old Dutch player from ADO Den Haag in August did much to calm the fears of supporters. "He looks completely assured in the role", "I like this guy."
"Holla is classy and skilful. He's brave in the tackle and can pick a pass with either foot. He's a top class played and a very good find, but needs better players around him to get the most out of his talent", "I have been impressed with his sliding-tackle determination to break up attacks."
Brentford was a tough game for him. "Holla was peed off with everyone", "He was classy on the ball but wasn't able to offer much protection", "He looked good but there was not that much defensive work going on", "He scored a lovely goal but there was too much hoofing."
"Our attacking midfield looks exciting, our defence less so." Despite their defensive weakness, the arrival of Joao Carlos Teixeira and Adrian Colunga has given the Seagulls a serious attacking threat. "This is entertainment, absolute chalk and cheese from the last few seasons."
"Their vision and movement look a bit ahead of the rest of the team. It will come and we are going to seriously batter some teams when it starts to click", "Their interplay is a joy to watch. When we talk about entertaining football under Sami, this is what we mean right here."
"What a player we've got here, and what marvellous technical ability", "He just looks like a natural footballer", "We looked a different team (against Charlton) when he came on", "He has great touches and turns, but there were moments where his youth and inexperience showed through."
The 21-year-old Portuguese is on a season-long loan from Liverpool. "He's skilful, but you can't beat everyone all of the time", "He can be very untidy at times", "He was marked out of the game by Charlton in the second half", "He was a nuisance but they coped with him fairly easily."
"He had his poorest game so far (against Brentford), but did some great work for Holla's goal", "He had nice touches but was outmuscled off the ball too easily", "He often failed to release the ball early enough", "He had flashes of brilliance but struggled to get his game flowing."
"Colunga is an excellent reader of the game whose movement makes him dangerous. A few more balls played in behind Charlton's defence and he might have scored", "He's fast, skilful hard working and he moves intelligently", "He certainly looks like he can read the game well."
The 29-year-old Spaniard arrived at the Amex in August. "He's bright and decent on the ball", "He's one of the few who play with their head up", "He makes loads of runs off the shoulder but they were never picked out." A few Seagulls would like to see him play as a striker.
Like many of his team-mates, the former Getafe man "did not convince at all. He was far too easily dealt with by the more assertive Brentford defence", "They were a bit too physical for him", "It was more of a work horse performance", "I still felt he would always make something happen."
Sami Hyypia has been using wingers mostly as impact substitutes. Former Newcastle left-winger, "Kazenga LuaLua doesn't have the pace to breeze past defenders when running. However, he's like a bullet from a standing start so he gets defenders flat-footed before he hits the button."
Kazenga LuaLua
The 27-year-old "had Brentford worried, but there was no end product as usual", "When playing in his only position, LuaLua only offers a smashed cross after running past someone, or cutting inside to shoot", "It rarely happens for him when he starts and he cannot play in a more central role."
"Paddy McCourt came on for a bit against Swindon. He can't run, but looks very comfortable on the ball and can pick a good pass." The 30-year-old former Barnsley man "has the dribbling skills of a new-born baby. He lacks pace, but makes up for it with dazzling feet".
"We're going to let in more goals, but we're going to score a lot more as well", "It's great too see an Albion team with real attacking intent. Baldock, Tex and Colunga have to be a potent trio."
"Wasn't O'Grady supposed to be the big bloke up front?", "I cannot see Chris O'Grady getting any game time for the foreseeable future." The 28-year-old former Barnsley striker "looked like a right cart-horse against Swindon. He has poor touch, no pace and can't even seem to get off the ground".
"CMS tries hard, but I'm not sure he can deliver the goals we need this year", "His poor ball control lets him down time and again and he seems to have lost some speed. We need better", "He is outmuscled too easily and still has that dodgy first touch."
The 30-year-old former Peterborough frontman "is not a bad player, but he needs to play in a side which get the ball forward early and into the channels and that is just not us", "I admire his workrate and professionalism, but I don't think he's good enough to help us achieve promotion."
"The technical players we now have make him look ordinary", "There were times (against Charlton) when Tex did not want to pass the ball to him because he was fed up of giving him the ball and then losing it. He was the weak link in a very positive team", "The runs he was making weren't good enough."
With Baldock waiting to take his place, I think CMS could be spending more time on the bench." The 25-year-old former Bristol City striker made his first start from the bench against the Addicks and his full debut against Brentford on Saturday. "He seems more alert to support the attacks than CMS."
"I liked the way Baldock came on from the bench and took authority up front", "He was making some excellent off the ball runs." He was isolated against Brentford. "He had nothing to feed from", "He looked a threat despite getting little service", "He needed more support."
"'Because Fulham's full-backs like to rampage forward, we thought there was a chance to catch them on the break.' That was Mick McCarthy after they started the season with a win over Fulham. When he said that, I immediately started dreading the upcoming match against Ipswich."
"They beat Millwall on Saturday and it worries me that Mick has shown the ability to beat more than one team playing with the style that Sami likes to play", "A big strong physical Mick McCarthy side will batter us."
"It will be a big test against Ipswich. They bullied us twice last season. I do think our movement will trouble their big defenders. It's the sort of game where we can go in unfancied and end up picking up a good win."
Brighton score prediction threads are evenly split, with just over a third of Seagulls going for either a home or away win. I will update the forum on Tuesday afternoon is there is any additional comment in the immediate run-up to the game.
The busiest and most informed Brighton website is the polite and knowledgeable North Stand Chat.