THE manager who likened Saints to Dagenham & Redbridge just a few months ago has now hailed them as a shining example for his club to follow.

Brighton & Hove Albion boss Gus Poyet is certain to be jeered when he brings his Seagulls side to a packed St Mary’s this weekend for Saints’ first south coast derby of the 2011/12 season.

Poyet angered Saints fans towards the end of last season with a triple outburst:

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• He said he wasn’t fussed if Saints beat his League 1 champions 10-0 at Withdean last April because Brighton had already showed they were the best team in the division.

• After Saints’ 2-1 win had ended Brighton’s unbeaten home league run, Poyet took a dig at Saints by likening their tactics to that of strugglers Dagenham.

• The Uruguyan then complained that the Football League had given Saints an unfair advantage in the runin by allowing them to play a re-arranged match, at Plymouth, in the final week of the campaign.

But now, ahead of Saturday’s mouth-watering clash, Poyet has praised Saints for continuing their momentum following promotion.

While Albion sit 10th after only recently ending a ninegame run without a win, Nigel Adkins’ men are five points clear at the top with a third of the Championship campaign already gone.

Poyet admits Saints are where he wants Brighton to be – this time in 2013.

“In two years from now we should be a strong candidate for promotion to the Premiership, if we are not already,” he said.

“We need to be like a West H a m , Leicester or Southampton.

“If we are not then we’ve done something wrong. Being realistic, in two years time we need to be one of the strongest candidates that everybody knows has an absolutely great chance to be in the Premiership.”

Poyet’s Saints praise was in contrast to his aftermatch comments back in April.

“I said a few weeks ago, with all respect to both teams, they (Saints) play the same kind of football as Dagenham & Redbridge,”

Poyet had remarked. “They only defend, they go Lambert."

Full story in today's Daily Echo