Albion have got themselves into a right old pickle with players' contracts.

Eleven had deals which expired at the end of last season.

If you think that is a lot, what about the number who will be out of contract by the end of the 2007-2008 campaign?

The answer is 23, yes that's right, 23.

This extraordinary figure includes Charlie Oatway, who has until August to prove his fitness, and Bas Savage. His deal runs out in December.

The other 21 expire next June, leaving just seven players whose futures are secure until at least 2008-2009.

There are some exceptional cases among the list of 21 names. The four new pros - Chris Winterton, Sonny Cobbs, Sam Gargan and Lloyd Skinner - are being loaned out for the season to non-League Sussex clubs, a shrewd move which gives them experience of men's football and gets them off the wage bill.

I assume discussions are already under way about a new deal for the Seagulls' increasingly influential skipper Dean Hammond (if they are not they should be).

Manager Dean Wilkins had his hands tied with regard to Kerry Mayo and Gary Hart by appearance-related clauses which guaranteed them offers, while Albion have a sensible option to keep Adam Hinshelwood for another year if the unfortunate young defender recovers from cruciate knee ligament damage for the second time.

Giving Michel Kuipers the option of staying for an extra year if he so wishes is much harder to understand and is bound to lead to more ribbing from his team-mates about being a favourite of chairman Dick Knight.

The Dutchman, as under previous managers, has been second choice so far for Wilkins and he is likely to find himself in the same situation again as the search for another goalkeeper continues. Taking into account the club's precarious finances, a first team squad of 30-plus players is an awful lot, particularly in the absence of regular reserve team football.

The mushrooming began 18 months ago, when no fewer than ten youngsters were taken on, the majority for more than a year. Of those, only Joel Lynch and Dean Cox have established themselves as first team regulars.

An overdue shift from quantity to quality has been launched with the arrivals of Nicky Forster and Andrew Whing and more players are liable to be loaned out this season than ever before.

Some tough decisions will have to be made over the next ten months to make the squad more manageable in size.

Is the Albion squad too big? Tell us what you think below.