Albion boss Steve Coppell has told his players they must get set to achieve a vital first victory in eight games at promotion-chasing Norwich today.

The next-to-bottom Seagulls were beaten by a set piece against Micky Adams' Leicester in their last outing and Norwich have been experts at scoring from dead ball situations.

Each of the Canaries' three goals in their last five fixtures have come from corners and free-kicks, so captain Danny Cullip and his co-defenders are on yellow alert.

Coppell said: "I've been stressing the importance of set pieces since I've been at the club. I always maintain if you can do well at attacking set pieces and defend those against you then you are going to be allright.

"I think in my time we've scored one from a set piece and conceded a helluva lot of goals, so that is one thing we have really got to improve on."

Albion have not won since beating Derby at Withdean in mid-November. The margin between them and their previous ten opponents has never been more than one goal, but Coppell knows victories are needed for the Seagulls to escape the drop.

"We've been playing against some difficult sides and we haven't really got into any tempo or rhythmn, so I am looking for an improvement over the all-important Christmas period," he said.

"Everyone is judged on results in football. I've got ten points from 12 games. That is not very significant. I feel we are competitive, but I feel we are lacking at either end.

"It's the hardest thing in the world for a footballer and coaches and managers to exist week to week without wins.

"They are the very lifeblood of all football people and to not have them is depressing for me and it gets to the players and supporters, but what can we do about it?

"It would be easy for me to say let's go out and spend to get a better squad of players. That is not reaslistic. All we can do is work, the players go flat out and we try to compete.

"I just hope we can sustain an attitude and commitment for the remainder of the season so that we're in contention to get out of our situation."

Albion are expected to be unchanged, which means Simon Rodger makes the 300th League appearance of his career on the left side of midfield.

Norwich, seeking a fifth triumph on the trot at fortress Carrow Road, are also likely to name an unaltered line-up.

Elsewhere today fifth-bottom Bradford entertain third-bottom Stoke in a 1pm kick-off, fourth-bottom Grimsby go to Derby and rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday host Nottingham Forest.

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