CHERRIES boss Eddie Howe has backed opposite number Sami Hyypiä to end Brighton’s poor run of form and guide his team up the Championship table.

The Seagulls are without a win in 10 league games and have slipped to 21st in the standings, just two points clear of the drop zone.

Howe took in Brighton’s 2-0 League Cup defeat at Tottenham on Wednesday in order to glean vital information ahead of the East Sussex side’s visit to Dean Court tomorrow (5.15pm).

And the manager is adamant that former Liverpool defender Hyypiä will preside over positive results sooner rather than later.

Howe told the Daily Echo: “It’s always useful to go to games. I always think you have to educate yourself on the teams you are going to play if you are lucky enough that the fixtures don’t fall at the same time as yours.

“I was only too pleased to go on Wednesday night and pick up what I could. My thoughts on Brighton in pre-season and now are pretty similar.

“I think they are a good side with a philosophy and a way of playing that they have not deviated from over the past few years, and in some senses they have looked to expand on that.

“They have got good players and have been very difficult to beat of late, although they have not got the wins they would have wanted.

“They are very stubborn and I think they will turn it round and have a good season in the end.”

Hyypiä took the reins at the Amex in June on the back of a two-year spell in charge of German side Bayer Leverkusen.

The former Anfield favourite had guided the Bundesliga outfit to third in his first season in charge before being sacked near the end of his second campaign, in which Leverkusen eventually finished fourth.

Howe continued: “He had a very good start to his managerial career if you look at what he did in Germany.

"I think he’s got decent experience in terms of his playing career which was so impressive and I expect Brighton to be very well organised and to play the type of football they have become renowned for.

“I think it will be two teams who will be very open and, hopefully, it will be a really entertaining game for the TV cameras.”