The defence which kept Albion in the Championship last season has been continually disrupted but some things never change.

Adam Virgo and Dan Harding have left, injuries have hampered Adam Hinshelwood and Kerry Mayo.

Even two of the newcomers, Jason Dodd and Wayne Henderson, have not been ever-present like Guy Butters.

Along with on-loan Manchester United youngster Paul McShane, Butters will be holding the back four together again against Norwich at Withdean tomorrow.

The former Spurs, Portsmouth and Gillingham stopper, now in his 18th season as a professional with well over 450 League appearances to his name, shows no signs of wilting.

"I don't know what it looks like from the sides but I feel okay," he said modestly.

"I'll be 36 next month. As long as the old legs are still doing it I feel okay in myself.

"I listen to my family. They are my biggest critics and they say I'm not looking too bad, so I'll just carry on as long as I can. If I have a zimmer frame next year then I'll be allright!"

Butters was a rock in Tuesday's 0-0 draw at Leicester. Albion won at the Walkers Stadium last season with a goal from Virgo and later at West Ham with one from him.

This season Butters has already noticed a difference. The Seagulls now believe they belong in the Championship.

"I think points wise we are not too far off what we were last year," he said. "It was a learning curve for us then.

"We were going into games thinking 'we've got Leicester away, they are a strong team, if we get a draw here it will be a right result'.

"We went there and won but we didn't have that belief that we could go to teams and actually turn them over, even though a lot of times we did.

"This year we are going into games confident we can beat them. We are not the whipping boys of the League. We don't go into any game expecting to be beaten.

"I spoke to a few people after the Leeds game (3-3 away). Their fans were having a go at their players saying they should beat teams like Brighton but there is no God-given right for any team in this division to beat anyone else.

"We've played some decent stuff this year and I think we've surprised a few people. We are going into games with confidence high, thinking we can win."

Albion's extra belief is not the only difference. Matches like the goal-feast at Leeds have enhanced the Championship's growing reputation at a time when Premiership managers are under fire for negative tactics and boring spectacles.

"Living in Southampton, I had people going on about how bad it was going to be for the club that they've gone down," said Butters.

"Actually talking to a few of the fans who have gone to the games this year they've said they have enjoyed them far more.

"They've enjoyed the style of football. They say it's quicker, it's more competitive and more even.

"A lot of them are surprised how good the Championship is."

Norwich, relegated with the Saints, have surprised Butters by labouring in the bottom half of the table.

Darren Huckerby and the rest of the Canaries' nippy forward line will test his legs tomorrow but at Leicester and at Burnley last Saturday the defence, with Mayo restored at leftback, had last season's dogged look about it.

"We want to tighten things up a little bit," Butters said. "We've gone with a mentality this season that if teams score against us we are going to make sure we score more goals than them. Sometimes it has worked, sometimes it hasn't.

"Reidy (Paul Reid) was playing rightback last year. He even admits he prefers to play midfield. He had been playing leftback, which is not his natural position, and he has done very well.

"Likewise with Harty (Gary Hart). He is the first to admit he has not been a rightback but he has played there and done ever so well.

"Throughout the team people are having to fill in and do different jobs but it seems to have worked.

"We are disappointed we haven't turned a lot of draws into wins, although the way I look at it is we have only lost one in seven."