WOULD-BE match-winner Andrew Crofts is relishing the challenge of carrying out his manager’s various midfield masterplans.

After the 4-3-3 of the opening game, Russell Slade went 4-4-1-1 this time with Dean Cox ahead of the midfield quartet.

The consensus from within the Seagulls camp seemed to be it had worked. Slade certainly has a few tricks up his sleeve.

And that made a nice contrast with energetic Brentford who were direct and lively but had no Plan B to which they could adapt in the hunt for a winner.

Adapt. That is the big word for the Seagulls midfielders right now.

Crofts, who felt his first-half ‘goal’ should not have been disallowed, said: “We looked a proper solid team.

“It’s always good to experience different formations. You’ve got to adapt your game so teams don’t know what you're going to do.

“I think the manager has got that in his locker, to change things, and the boys happily adapt to that.”

But why do it? After all, the Great Escape last season happened after Albion at last stopped chopping and changing and instead stuck to the same plan.

“Every team plays differently,” said Crofts.

“Most of all you have got to worry about your own game but you also know you have got to work out their strengths and weaknesses and you can adapt your formation for that.

“Brentford are pretty direct. They play the ball up to Carl Cort and I think the lads dealt with that well.”

But what about creatively? Did the plan work?

The message coming from the away changing room seemed to be that it did to a point.

Crofts said: “I thought we got the ball out to the wide men quick and they were causing problems.

“We were unlucky maybe not to get a goal but it's all positive.

“If you can get Coxy on the ball, he’s always going to cause problems. He was picking up a lot of balls and turning and getting at them.

“I thought we looked good as a team.”

And the disallowed goal, following a superb Kevin McLeod cross?

“I think I might have been a bit unlucky. I’ll have a look back at that.”