Ally McCoist: Why 'terrific' Brighton can win the Uefa Conference League
Brighton and Hove Albion start their Uefa Conference League campaign on October 15
Former Scotland striker Ally McCoist believes Brighton are one of the favourites to win the Uefa Conference League this term.
The Seagulls finished eighth in the Premier League last season and qualified for Europe's third tier competition.
Fabian Hurzeler's men successfully negotiated their two-leg play-off with a 4-0 aggregate win over Norwegian club Tromso earlier this month and start the league stage of the competition on October 15.
McCoist is a huge admirer of Brighton, who are third in the Premier League after the first five fixtures.
"They have to be considered among the favorites," said McCoist to Sports betting site.
Hurzeler is a terrific coach
"Fabian Hürzeler is a terrific coach, and Brighton's recruitment and structure are fantastic, similar to Bournemouth and Brentford.
"If you run the club well financially, you can achieve brilliant things.
"While they might not match United or Liverpool in raw budget of course not, they maximize their potential. It's a great club to visit, they’ve kept a wonderful family atmosphere.
"They've started brilliantly and are scoring goals for fun, which speaks volumes about their quality. It's a great story.
"Coaches like Andoni Iraola when he was at Bournemouth and Keith Andrews at Brentford deserve massive credit for maximizing their squads' potential."
‘100 per cent possible’
Premier League clubs have a good record in the Conference League with West Ham, Chelsea and Crystal Palace all taking the trophy in recent years.
McCoist added: "It's 100 per cent possible. The Premier League is the most competitive in the world by a distance.
"The main hurdle for English teams is the relentless domestic schedule compared to continental clubs who can sometimes rotate more comfortably.
"In England, whether you're playing Brighton, Leeds, or Newcastle, there are no easy Saturdays. If you're slightly off it, you get punished in the Premier League."
Brighton’s Conference league fixtures
Brighton start the league phase of the Conference League at the Amex Stadium to Lithuanian side Kauno Zalgiris on October 15 and their first away night is at Czech Republic outfit Jablonec on October 22.
La Liga side Getafe (away) is November 5 and they have further home matches against Universitatea Craiova from Romania on November 26 and Monaco on December 10. The final league stage match is in Athens at Panathinaikos on December 17.