Gus tinkers in search of home comforts (From The Argus)

Gus tinkers in search of home comforts

3:30pm Tuesday 9th February 2010 in

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Gus Poyet has followed the lead of his former Chelsea chief Claudio Ranieri and turned into Tinkerman to cure Albion's "embarrassing" home form.

The Uruguayan has pledged to change both the team and tactics tonight against play-off contenders Huddersfield in search of an end to the relegation-haunted Seagulls' Withdean woes.

Albion have taken just eight points out of 39 at home, the second-worst record in the country.

Only Stockport have struggled more in front of their own fans and Poyet is still searching for his first home league win since taking charge in November.

All of his defeats have been against teams at the top of the table, a pattern Poyet is desperate to rectify against Huddersfield.

He revealed: "You are going to see a few changes, because at the moment it hasn't worked at home, so we need to change things to make it work.

"It's very important, probably one of the key situations right now, because we are still doing very well away from home.

"We haven't added any points to our tally at home, apart from one against Leyton Orient. It is getting to the point where it is a little bit embarrassing.

"Everyone will be thinking one day this has to change but it is one thing thinking about it, another to do it. We need to make sure we do it against Huddersfield."

Tommy Elphick and Gary Dicker are expected to shrug off knocks sustained in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Leyton Orient.

Michel Kuipers will also be fit for selection, despite a black eye suffered in a collision with Orient's Jason Demetriou when Orient equalised from an indirect free-kick inside the box.

Poyet said: "It looks like everyone is going to be available. That shows they want to be there and to stay in the team. They don't want to take the risk of being out.

"Sometimes you talk to the players or the group altogether and explain this is a 24-seven job.

"I am not saying you need to be thinking about football all the time but living football, which means being a professional, eating and resting well, not doing anything silly outside the club and training every day, because you never know what is going to happen.

"People thought it was really bad of me to leave the captain Adam Virgo out at the beginning but they are decisions I need to make.

"Afterwards he proved he should be playing and now James Tunnicliffe has to wait and, if he gets a chance, take it. That's football every day.

"Of course there are special players in every single team. In a normal important game if Rooney is fit he is going to play for Man United and Drogba is going to play for Chelsea.

"I don't think we have got too many of them, so there are more chances for everyone at any time."