[h=3]Poyet: We're the outsiders in play-offs[/h]9:00am Friday 3rd May 2013 in Albion By Andy Naylor
Gus Poyet says it will be tough to enjoy the play-offs
GUS Poyet has labelled Albion outsiders for the Championship play-offs.
And he says it will be tough to enjoy the experience, because the games will be close and nervy.
Poyet has the second leg home advantage he wanted after steering the Seagulls to fourth. He has also avoided a clash in the semi-finals against Watford, managed by former Chelsea team-mate Gianfranco Zola.
Albion host relegation-threatened Wolves in their final league fixture at The Amex tomorrow, while results elsewhere will determine whether arch-rivals Crystal Palace, Bolton Wanderers or Nottingham Forest face them in the play-offs.
Poyet said: “They are all different. If you think about Palace it will bring something extra to the game. It could be good or bad. It’s not going to be a normal semi-final.
“I am sure the police and the Football League, everybody apart from Palace and ourselves, are thinking ‘Please, no!’.
“The only team I really didn’t want to play in the semi-final was Watford and only because of Gianfranco and the way they play.
“The rest are all strong and in a great position, teams that have Premiership players or that have played in the Premiership. They have got good squads, they have spent plenty of money and they are where everybody was expecting them to be, so we are the outsiders.
“We are going to try to enjoy it. I don’t think we will but we will try.”
Albion have improved six places to fourth this season, their highest finish for 30 years.
Poyet said: “It’s a great season. I think we should be proud of the players, because of what they have done for all of us.
“The problem is now, in an ideal world, you should go and enjoy it. No chance. I don’t think anyone can go and enjoy a play-off, except if they win both games 4-0 or 5-0, because I know it’s going to be tight, it’s going to be difficult, too many nerves in there.
“For a few players it’s going to be the first time they have been in this position, to play to go to the highest level, and we’ll see how we manage that.
“It’s a new experience for us as well. I don’t know about next week but what I can say right now is everything is normal. You cannot see anything different, over-confidence or thinking that it is going to be too difficult or too easy.
“Right now everyone is concentrating on Saturday to make sure we don’t do anything bad for the rest of the teams involved in the relegation battle.”
Original article
GUS Poyet has labelled Albion outsiders for the Championship play-offs.
And he says it will be tough to enjoy the experience, because the games will be close and nervy.
Poyet has the second leg home advantage he wanted after steering the Seagulls to fourth. He has also avoided a clash in the semi-finals against Watford, managed by former Chelsea team-mate Gianfranco Zola.
Albion host relegation-threatened Wolves in their final league fixture at The Amex tomorrow, while results elsewhere will determine whether arch-rivals Crystal Palace, Bolton Wanderers or Nottingham Forest face them in the play-offs.
Poyet said: “They are all different. If you think about Palace it will bring something extra to the game. It could be good or bad. It’s not going to be a normal semi-final.
“I am sure the police and the Football League, everybody apart from Palace and ourselves, are thinking ‘Please, no!’.
“The only team I really didn’t want to play in the semi-final was Watford and only because of Gianfranco and the way they play.
“The rest are all strong and in a great position, teams that have Premiership players or that have played in the Premiership. They have got good squads, they have spent plenty of money and they are where everybody was expecting them to be, so we are the outsiders.
“We are going to try to enjoy it. I don’t think we will but we will try.”
Albion have improved six places to fourth this season, their highest finish for 30 years.
Poyet said: “It’s a great season. I think we should be proud of the players, because of what they have done for all of us.
“The problem is now, in an ideal world, you should go and enjoy it. No chance. I don’t think anyone can go and enjoy a play-off, except if they win both games 4-0 or 5-0, because I know it’s going to be tight, it’s going to be difficult, too many nerves in there.
“For a few players it’s going to be the first time they have been in this position, to play to go to the highest level, and we’ll see how we manage that.
“It’s a new experience for us as well. I don’t know about next week but what I can say right now is everything is normal. You cannot see anything different, over-confidence or thinking that it is going to be too difficult or too easy.
“Right now everyone is concentrating on Saturday to make sure we don’t do anything bad for the rest of the teams involved in the relegation battle.”
Original article