[h=3]Poyet points to tally for play-offs[/h]9:00am Friday 28th December 2012 in Albion By Andy Naylor
Gus Poyet has a points tally in mind to reach the play-offs
GUS POYET has posted 75 as Albion’s magic number for the play-offs.
That is the points tally targeted by the Seagulls boss to guarantee a top six spot in the Championship at the end of the season.
Tenth-placed Albion head into tomorrow’s home clash with sixth-placed Watford on 34 points from 23 games.
Cardiff finished sixth last season on 75 and Nottingham Forest had the same total the year before.
Blackpool squeezed into the play-offs three seasons ago with 70 but Newcastle ran away with the League that year.
Poyet said: “In the play-offs I think you need to be over 74 or 75 normally to have a real chance.
“This year it is so competitive, with everybody close together, that maybe you need less, but the idea is to aim for that and then, if other teams are better than you, you have done your job.
“When we won League One we aimed for two points per game. We maintained that and won the League. The idea now is to make sure we make a little bit over 40 points.”
Poyet has also refused to rule out a second half surge for an automatic spot, even though Albion are now 16 points adrift of leaders Cardiff and 11 behind second-placed Hull with a game in hand.
Reading were sixth, 11 points adrift of top spot, at halfway last season but ended up as champions after signing centre forward Jason Roberts in January.
Poyet said: “Nothing is out of my equation, because we play to win everything. If you want to check and prove situations the easiest one is Reading last year.
“Of course, they changed a few things in January, especially with Mister Roberts arriving. That completely changed the season for them but that’s an option, so we’ll see. I am quite happy at the moment with the way we have been looking for players and the approaches we have made so far.
“The last part is the most difficult. Until they have signed you don’t know what is going to happen, so I am still waiting.”
Original article
GUS POYET has posted 75 as Albion’s magic number for the play-offs.
That is the points tally targeted by the Seagulls boss to guarantee a top six spot in the Championship at the end of the season.
Tenth-placed Albion head into tomorrow’s home clash with sixth-placed Watford on 34 points from 23 games.
Cardiff finished sixth last season on 75 and Nottingham Forest had the same total the year before.
Blackpool squeezed into the play-offs three seasons ago with 70 but Newcastle ran away with the League that year.
Poyet said: “In the play-offs I think you need to be over 74 or 75 normally to have a real chance.
“This year it is so competitive, with everybody close together, that maybe you need less, but the idea is to aim for that and then, if other teams are better than you, you have done your job.
“When we won League One we aimed for two points per game. We maintained that and won the League. The idea now is to make sure we make a little bit over 40 points.”
Poyet has also refused to rule out a second half surge for an automatic spot, even though Albion are now 16 points adrift of leaders Cardiff and 11 behind second-placed Hull with a game in hand.
Reading were sixth, 11 points adrift of top spot, at halfway last season but ended up as champions after signing centre forward Jason Roberts in January.
Poyet said: “Nothing is out of my equation, because we play to win everything. If you want to check and prove situations the easiest one is Reading last year.
“Of course, they changed a few things in January, especially with Mister Roberts arriving. That completely changed the season for them but that’s an option, so we’ll see. I am quite happy at the moment with the way we have been looking for players and the approaches we have made so far.
“The last part is the most difficult. Until they have signed you don’t know what is going to happen, so I am still waiting.”
Original article