'Anti-football accusation was unfair'- Chris Hughton responds to Tim Sherwood's jibe

Albion had to defend for long periods of the Premier League game and were only beaten by Christian Eriksen's long-range strike two minutes from time.

Former Tottenham player and manager Sherwood called Brighton's performance 'anti-football' on Optus Sport after the game but Hughton responded by saying: "I don’t think there’s such a thing. I don’t see it.

“For any way of playing, the game is made up of so many different components.

“What we would all love to do is have the best players, the biggest finances, to be able to play in a way that is expansive and open with strikers who can score at will. We’d all like that.

“But the game is made up of favourites and underdogs. Big, big favourites and big, big underdogs.

“When you are a team in a particular type of game that the bookie will have you so far behind in trying to win it, you tactically have figure out a way of getting results.

“That means you sometimes have to make sure you are solid, not conceding, and play on the break.

"However football changes over the next 20 years, even if the rules change, the one think I can guarantee you is that in 20 years time this will be no different. The team that is struggling to score goals, that is nowhere near the level of the other team, will have to find a way of staying in the game to get results.

“That’s the beauty of our game. It’s not always the best teams with the best players that win football matches.

"The beauty is in all the different aspect. For any manager who plays in a particular way there’s a reason why he plays that way."

When asked about pundits making anti-football remarks about managers, Hughton said: "I think it’s unfair. When a manager gets a job he has to determine the best way of getting results.

And probably the way he sets up his team will reflect the group of players he’s got and how he deems is the best way to win games.

"Any derogatory remarks are very, very unfair to those very good managers who have to get results in a different way.

"In 20 years time it will not have changed.

"Pundits on the television are asked questions and give answers. That doesn't mean it's right, it's an opinion."

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