Brighton & Hove Albion boss Sami Hyypia has told his team to forget long-term targets, simplify their aims and concentrate on one game at a time.Albion face Wolves this afternoon, and Hyypia wants his players to focus solely on the 90 minutes ahead and put their league position to one side while they're out on the pitch.
Hyypia said, "There are many points to play for, but in my last job people were asking where are you going to finish, what is the target?
"That [setting targets publicly] only creates extra pressure if you say that. Of course in your mind you have targets, but it's not about that.
"It's about what you do today to achieve that target, that’s more important. What we do today is more important that what I say in terms of a target."
Hyypia has also told his players to expect a frenetic contest at Molineux today - but not to be afraid to mix things up if it means being positive on the field.
"It will be high tempo, with a lot of balls in the box, maybe a high-pressing game. They are the kind of things we need to be prepared for and if we deal with those kind of things well then I think we can win.
"In these bad times the real character comes out in people. In good times it's great, everyone is happy and you just go with the flow, but when it's getting tough you need absolutely everyone to pull together and be strong. That is not only in football, that's in life generally.
"When I think of myself whether it's going well or bad I'm still the same. We have spoken before about me not jumping up and down on the touchline. I'm just me. I have a big passion for the game. It has been my life for a long time.
"I don't say that you shouldn't play direct at all. I'm not the type of guy who thinks you always want to play short. You have to vary things in the game, and you need to have the capacity to do that as well.
"Sometimes you need to play quickly, sometimes keep possession, but have a purpose with it. I would rather have my player play a pass 30 metres forward to a free man than always sideways or backwards.
"It's part of the game to vary things. We don't have one plan. I would like the players to make the right decisions on the field.”
LATEST NEWS FROM SEAGULLS.CO.UK
- FULHAM TICKETS ON GENERAL SALE
- FERRET'S WOLVES TIPS
- HEAD-TO-HEAD:WOLVES
- RETRO ROUND-UP: WOLVES
- NO PAY-ON-THE-DAY AT WOLVES
The Finn also wants his team to produce a strong defensive display on the road, after they conceded three goals in each of the games at Bournemouth, Norwich and Derby."We go into every game to keep a clean sheet. For me that is very important. Unfortunately we are leaking goals in every game.
"But that doesn't mean the idea is you park the bus around the box, only defend and kick the ball away and hope the front men win the ball and then score.
"That's not football, that's something else. I wouldn't want to change things so much that we would do that."
[h=3]ALBION V REading
[/h]FRIDAY 26TH DECember, KICK-OFF 3PM
[h=3]ALBION V brentford
[/h]saturday 17th january, KICK-OFF 3PM
[h=3]Albion v ipswich
[/h]SATURDAY 24TH JANUARY, kick-off 3pm
Original article