Poyet targets six more wins to reach play-offs

9:35pm Monday 11th March 2013 in Sport By Andy Naylor

Gus Poyet says draws are no good to the Seagulls Gus Poyet says draws are no good to the Seagulls

Albion boss Gus Poyet has set his side a target of six wins to reach the Championship play-offs.

The seventh-placed Seagulls have ten matches left, beginning with their game in hand on most of their promotion rivals at rock-bottom Barnsley on Tuesday. They are sandwiched between Nottingham Forest and Saturday’s conquerors Bolton, both of whom have reeled off five straight victories.

Poyet is desperate for Albion to shake off their reputation as the draw specialists of the division during the run-in.

He told The Argus: “We’ve had a look at plenty of things and draws are not good enough for us, so if we win six and lose four I won’t be too worried. We’ve lost eight out of 36 games, which is nothing.

“I am willing to lose another four, if we win the other six, so I am willing to lose in ten games half the games we have lost in 36. It’s about taking risks and winning games. I don’t want ten draws.”

Comments(25)

Clean Sheet says...
9:42pm Mon 11 Mar 13

2 points a game should do us Gus. Doesn't matter how we get them.

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mark by the sea says...
9:43pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Better get another forward in ASAP. Gus stated he wanted another centre back at the start of season, we finally got upson who is a class act .
Time for us to win tomo and stuff palace, I believe our season will defined over next two games.

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SecondReserve says...
9:46pm Mon 11 Mar 13

We need more than 18 points from the next 10 games so we can't afford 4 defeats Gus.

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the taffster says...
9:54pm Mon 11 Mar 13

new manager please

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South West Seagull says...
9:56pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Just heard that Reading have been refused permission to speak to Poyet about manager's job.

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South West Seagull says...
9:56pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Just heard that Reading have been refused permission to speak to Poyet about manager's job.

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mark by the sea says...
9:59pm Mon 11 Mar 13

the taffster wrote:
new manager please
Yeah good idea, half the clubs have changed the manager, lets turn the club upside down.. With 10 games to go! 18 points will get us not the play offs in my opinion.
What we need is another striker, Nile ranger?

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mikeygit says...
10:10pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Too many clubs have got rid of their manager this season and I am sure Albion are not about to lose theirs any time soon. Get behind the manager not on his back!!!

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Clean Sheet says...
10:12pm Mon 11 Mar 13

mikeygit wrote:
Too many clubs have got rid of their manager this season and I am sure Albion are not about to lose theirs any time soon. Get behind the manager not on his back!!!
+1

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VegasSeagull says...
10:58pm Mon 11 Mar 13

South West Seagull wrote:
Just heard that Reading have been refused permission to speak to Poyet about manager's job.
and you heard that where?

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fratsomrover says...
11:03pm Mon 11 Mar 13

The first of those six wins has to be tomorrow. Having failed at Sheff Wed, and Bristol City, a win is essential against another team at the bottom of the league.Somehow I cant see us beating Forest or Leeds away and I'm not overly optimistic about Palace on Sunday. We struggled last season against Murray & Zaha and they are arguably stronger this season than last. Hope I'm wrong, their away form isn't too brilliant but I do know I would not want to face them having lost at Barnsley. That would be psychologically very difficult. Let's hope lady luck is with us tomorrow.

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pte says...
11:34pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Dont know what the weather report is for Barnsley. An evening match up north in this weather- can it really go ahead? If so I feel sorry for the players.

Surely they'll catch cold and that cant be good for the run in

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championshipgull says...
12:48am Tue 12 Mar 13

Over the last 7 years only once was 75 points (the generally accepted target) needed for 6th place, the other 6 years 74 points would have been enough, so feasibly someone at the club has looked at the remaining fixtures of the top clubs, done some number crunching and come to the conclusion that 74 points this year will be sufficient. Hence the quote from Gus “I am willing to lose another four, if we win the other six,”

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pte says...
1:23am Tue 12 Mar 13

So he's throwing caution to the wind

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bruce beckett says...
1:30am Tue 12 Mar 13

Fratsomrover

The first of those six wins has to be tomorrow.

Spot on. That's the only target I'm interested in right now.

This was the time we began to falter last season and worryingly, this season is so far following a similar pattern. Defeat at Barnsley would pile the pressure on us to win the derby game on Sunday.

Are we going to look back at the end of the season and be saying the loss of CMS, Hoskins and Barnes (for four games, possibly more) proved an insurmountable hurdle?

Somehow, some way we have to dig deep and find a way to come back from South Yorkshire with all three points.

Victory would put a completely different complexion on the Palace game and the rest of the season. UTA!

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PressBoxTeaBoy says...
1:31am Tue 12 Mar 13

6 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses, then we might get there Gus. Never say never to a point, you know we'll need it.

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VegasSeagull says...
1:39am Tue 12 Mar 13

Barnsley, Forest, Middlesborough, Peterborough and Leeds, all away games.

Palace, Charlton, Leicester, Blackpool and Wolves, all at home.

Poyet wants 6 wins for the playoffs, or if you prefer, 18 points.

Our league position, and I know that counts for little this year in this division, might suggest that we need to win at;

Barnsley, Charlton, Peterborough, Blackpool and the match with Wolves, 5 wins, Leeds away could be the sixth.

The hardest games to win would seem to be Leicester, Middlesborough and Palace.

Forest looks like a likely draw.

I am not predicting anything, made that mistake before, I am just looking at the table.

What ever way you cut it none of this looks easy. If we make the playoffs it's going to be by the skin of our teeth, unless of course other teams do us some favors, and recently they have been.

A point from the tougher games wouldn't go amiss.

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saraman says...
6:57am Tue 12 Mar 13

Does anyone know if the Albion travelled yesterday? If they are travelling today they could have a real problem. It may be good for all concerned if the match was postponed.

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heathgate says...
8:40am Tue 12 Mar 13

Sorry, without more firepower there is no chance, and I dont see our firepower problem being solved by someone with enough skill and experience to make a difference alongside Ulloa,... tenth again I am afraid.

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heathgate says...
8:41am Tue 12 Mar 13

saraman wrote:
Does anyone know if the Albion travelled yesterday? If they are travelling today they could have a real problem. It may be good for all concerned if the match was postponed.
Yesterday.

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championshipgull says...
9:36am Tue 12 Mar 13

Warning on trolls and wum. In the past when we near a palace game there has been an upsurge in the number of trolls and wum. Together with our own doom and gloom merchants it can become a little irritating reading the threads. There will be some more ups and downs this season but I would like to encourage all genuine Albion fans to be happy and enjoy the run in. UTA

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Willie, Willie Irvine says...
9:42am Tue 12 Mar 13

heathgate wrote:
Sorry, without more firepower there is no chance, and I dont see our firepower problem being solved by someone with enough skill and experience to make a difference alongside Ulloa,... tenth again I am afraid.
Sadly, taking out the emotion factor, I agree, at least that we will probably end up outstide the PO positions. The long-term form from last season through to today has simply not been strong or consistent enough. I'd love to be proved wrong, though, and the team rips into these final ten games!

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pablobrowno says...
10:02am Tue 12 Mar 13

It does amaze and frustrate me that the 'best supported' team in the Championship has only one striker and seems to find it impossible to get one on loan! I know Poyet has his style and criteria but we are still playing the same sport as everyone else! (West Ham aside).

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B rian Tawses left foot says...
10:05am Tue 12 Mar 13

mark by the sea says...
9:43pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Better get another forward in ASAP. Gus stated he wanted another centre back at the start of season, we finally got upson who is a class act .
Time for us to win tomo and stuff palace, I believe our season will defined over next two games.”

Yes - quite so. By Sunday evening I believe our promotion challenge will be over. Palace are simply a better team than us -much as it pains me to say this. One of the main reasons is that they have a 30 goal a season striker. I won't mention that he was given away by our current manager and replaced by one who scored a grand total of eleven.
Over the season albion simply haven't shown anywhere near enough consistency - or scored anywhere enough goals.
The squad is nowhere near enough strong enough. No quality cover for the goalkeeper or left back and a woeful lack of punch at the front. If Poyet stays - or if he doesn't stay- I think there will be a major clear out at the end of this season as those in charge recognise that this squad is simply not up to winning promotion.

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The Big Majority says...
1:55pm Tue 12 Mar 13

Right here we go, this is what will happen:

Barnsley Away - 3 points
Palace Home - 1 point
Forest Away - 0 points
Charlton Home - 3 points
Leicester Home - 1 point
M'Boro Away - 1 point
Peterboro Away - 3 points
Blackpool Home - 3 points
Leeds Away - 0 points
Wolves Home - 3 points

Total +18 points = 74 points, we make the play offs finishing 5th, we get Palace away (draw) then home (win) and beat Forest in the Final.

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