It is the area occupying Steve Coppell's thoughts more than any other.

Albion must strengthen their strike force to make an immediate return to the First Division next season.

Whether Coppell requires one new front man or two revolves around the future of Bobby Zamora.

Either way the search is on for the Seagulls' first potential 40-goal partnership for a quarter of a century.

Coppell referred to the need for two front men with "the intention of scoring 40 goals between them" when he revealed his priorities to The Argus last week.

That is a target which has not been achieved since the halcyon days of Peter Ward (32) and Ian Mellor (12) in 1976-77.

Prolific Albion partnerships have been in short supply in modern times.

There have been only four occasions in the last 17 years when the front pair have each reached double figures.

Gary Hart (12) and Richard Barker (10) were the last in 1998-99.

Craig Maskell (14) and Ian Baird (13) rescued the club's League status two seasons earlier.

In 1988-89, Garry Nelson and Kevin Bremner bagged 15 goals apiece for Barry Lloyd's side, while Chris Cattlin had Dean Saunders (15) and Terry Connor (14) in 1985-86.

Ask younger fans about Albion's most recent free-scoring twin threat and they would probably refer to Mike Small and John Byrne in the 1990-91 play-off campaign.

Small scored 16 but it was, in fact, Robert Codner who came next with ten from midfield, one ahead of Byrne.

Zamora was way out in front in the Seagulls' successive title triumphs.

He plundered 28 goals when they were last in the Second Division, the same number in Division Three.

Lee Steele and Hart provided modest support, with nine and seven respectively.

Even if Zamora stays it would be unrealistic and unfair to expect quite such a formidable total from him again now that he is much more of a known quantity.

He still managed an unlucky 13 in the First Division last season, when he was hit by injury. Replacing his goals if he goes will be virtually impossible.

It would also place even more of an emphasis on the necessity of not just one but two forwards finding the net on a regular basis.

In the Second Division two seasons ago, Coppell had Lloyd Owusu (20) and Ben Burgess (17) when he steered Brentford to the play-off final against the financial odds.

Last season's champions Wigan had Andy Liddell (16) and Zamora's former Bristol Rovers team-mate Nathan Ellington (15). Cardiff, promoted via the play-offs, excelled with Robert Earnshaw (31) and Peter Thorne (13).

The exceptions were runners-up Crewe. Their scoring pattern was, to a degree, Albion-like.

Their Zamora, Rob Hulse, hit 22, but he was backed up by three players with nine, Dean Ashton, Rodney Jack and Steve Jones.

The supporting role to Zamora last season was played by Paul Brooker with six and he is now, of course, Leicester-bound.

Hart has been turned into more of a right winger than a central striker and never reaching double figures in a season throughout his career is a negative for re-signing Anthony Rougier.

Coppell has identified the glaring weakness in Albion's squad, in terms of both quantity and quality, following the departures of Paul Kitson and Graham Barrett.

Chris McPhee, the play-anywhere Shaun Wilkinson and Dan Beck have potential, but David Lee has always been a peripheral figure.

In other areas, the squad already looks pretty strong. Albion have at least one top goalkeeper in Michel Kuipers and they are well served at fullback by Paul Watson and Kerry Mayo, with Robbie Pethick, Nathan Jones, Adam Hinshelwood and Daniel Harding offering competition.

In the centre of defence, captain Danny Cullip could be rejoined by Dean Blackwell.

Guy Butters and Adam Virgo both have points to prove and Mayo, Pethick and Hinshelwood have all demonstrated they can play in the middle.

In the centre of midfield, Richard Carpenter and, hopefully, Simon Rodger will be pressed by Charlie Oatway, Dean Hammond, Geoff Pitcher and the versatile Harding.

Down the flanks, John Robinson could replace Brooker and Coppell also has Hart, Jones, John Piercy and the promising Daniel Marney.

But it's goals which win games and leagues.

Coppell knows Albion will need plenty of them, with or without Zamora.

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