Former Brighton and Hove Albion boss Peter Taylor believes Bobby Zamora holds the key to their survival hopes.

He has pinpointed the Seagulls' strike star as the critical factor in the four-way fight to beat the drop with Stoke, Sheffield Wednesday and Grimsby.

Taylor quit at the end of last season after steering Albion to the Second Division title.

He felt the playing budget for Division One offered by chairman Dick Knight was too low.

The ex-Leicester chief, now in charge at Hull, has a special interest in the outcome of Saturday's showdown between his two old clubs at The Walkers Stadium.

"Brighton need the points the most, but knowing Micky Adams as I do he will be looking to win the championship so it will be a tough match," Taylor said.

"They have given themselves a chance, but they need Zamora to get back to goalscoring form.

"If Bobby starts playing the way we know he can then I fancy them to stay up. The other three teams at the bottom haven't got somebody like him.

"He has been the key man in the last two seasons and he is even more so now."

Taylor has been keeping close tabs on Albion's progress. "I've spoken to Steve Coppell quite a bit," he said. I saw the Reading game on TV and they were outstanding that night. The boys are working so hard."

Taylor predicted in August that Albion would struggle. His forecast for Leicester has also proved correct.

"There has been a lot of talk about Leicester's off-field problems, but the one thing nobody will ever doubt is that they have still got probably the best squad in the First Division.

"I said at the start of the season Leicester would win the League and I won't change that. If Brighton had offered me more of a budget in the first place then I wouldn't have left.

"After a while they spent some money, but if they had done it straight away I still maintain they would have had more of a chance."