Danny Cullip has revealed the reason behind Albion's amazing tranformation.

The players got together for a frank discussion after the home defeat by Kidderminster which prompted a gloomy Micky Adams to speculate about his future.

Since that low point the Seagulls have trounced Torquay, drawn at Millwall and Cardiff and recorded their first away win of the season at Blackpool on Tuesday.

Cullip said: "We just got together to get things off our minds and raise confidence.

"We knew we were letting ourselves down. We shouldn't have lost at Lincoln and I think Kidderminster was a one-off. We have got our act together since then."

Albion's revival has coincided with a return to top form by Cullip. He missed the first two matches because of a red card at Shrewsbury at the end of last season.

"It was very difficult all over the summer, knowing I wasn't going to be starting the season and, because of that, a lot of the pre-season games as well," he said.

"You work through pre-season for that first game. It was especially disappointing because of the way I was sent off in the Shrewsbury game. One of the bookings was a debacle.

"I felt allright in my first match against Millwall, then we started letting goals in.

"We were limiting teams to two shots, but it seemed they were scoring every time.

"That gets you down a little bit, but now a bit of belief has come back into the team all over the park and things are looking up."

Adams has always believed in Cullip. He has signed the Bracknell-born stopper three times, for Fulham, Brentford and from Brentford to Albion for £50,000 almost a year ago following a successful loan spell.

He hailed Cullip a future captain of the club when the determined centre half dominated the player of the season awards.

Those leadership qualities have been much in evidence in the way Cullip has been nursing young loan signing Matthew Wicks.

They are promising to forge a formidable partnership at the heart of the defence.

Cullip never doubted he would come back from cruciate knee ligament damage which kept him out at Brentford for 13 months.

"You can't let that sort of thing enter your mind, otherwise you are fighting against yourself," he said.

"Last year I set myself a target of playing 30 games in my first season back.

"I played more than that, so now this season I want to go on and get stronger."

Adams is not the only manager with admiration for Cullip's ability and strength of character.

Cheltenham's former Albion forward Steve Cotterill wanted to sign him for Saturday's visitors to Withdean.

"I never got to the stage of speaking to Cheltenham," Cullip revealed. "I was at Brighton already on loan and I was happy here.

"I was told they wanted to buy me, but it didn't make any difference."

Cullip helped Albion keep two clean sheets against Cheltenham last season.

His main task on Saturday will be to shut out Julian Alsop, the second-placed visitors' giant striker.

Alsop was ironically a summer target for Adams after scoring for promoted Swansea in a 1-1 draw at Withdean towards the end of last season.

Cullip, 24 on Sunday, scored at Withdean too on his Albion debut a year ago in a shock 3-2 home defeat by Chester.

He will be hoping for a better birthday present this time.

l MICKY Adams is "waiting for the catch" with his new foreign recruit Cherif Diallo.

The Senegal striker was on the bench at Blackpool on Tuesday.

Adams said: "For once in an agent's life I was promised he wasn't going to cost us any money in terms of wages or transfer fee. I'm just waiting for the catch."

Diallo, 24, does not speak any English. Adams added: "He understands the meaning of well done. He's a big lad with good technique, but I haven't seen him in an 11 v 11 game yet."