Gus Poyet Looks Ahead To Tomorrow

Last updated : 04 March 2011 By Thetashkentterror
Seagulls boss Gus Poyet

Brighton manager Gus Poyet (pictured) spoke to BBC Radio Sussex and his club's official website ahead of his side's game against Carlisle at the Withdean Stadium tomorrow, Poyet hoping that the Seagulls can keep their unbeaten league home record going :


"It is good to come back home after a very important win (1-0 at Yeovil), and I think the idea is to continue with the home form. It could be the key, it could be that little bit that we need from now until the end. I said a few weeks ago that Sir Alex Ferguson said it for Manchester United, so why are we going to be different?

"That doesn't mean that we need to go away and just play for nothing, but I am saying that if we keep the way that we have been performing at home and winning games then I think that we are going to be very close. The unbeaten home record is there, I think it is impressive, I think it is something that we need to proud of and of course try to keep it.

"The only problem I have got when people talk about this kind of unbeaten record is that sometimes people don't want you to lose, which means that sometimes a draw is good enough, but no it is not. We play the games to win, after the game depending if we win, depending on what happens, if we are having a good day or a bad day or if the opposition is very good, we will see if a draw is enough. But, at the moment we want to go and win the eight games that we have got at home.

"Carlisle have been quite good away from home, I think they have only lost one of their last four or five away. So it is going to be tough, we expect it anyway, because everyone wants to beat you when you are top of the table. They have been difficult to score goals against, but it is another option for us to go and perform.

"I think we are different to the rest of the teams as well, so it is going to be a difficult game. We need to be better in terms of passing, better in terms of being a little bit more clinical when we have chances, but we have been good at home so we are looking forward to the game.

"Tommy Elphick will jump into the side now because of the yellow card to Adam El-Abd, which is something that we were expecting sooner or later, and I'm sure he is going to be ready. Tommy has done it before and he is probably the most powerful at defending the ball in the air and winning headers.

"I'm very pleased that Alan Navarro is almost back because I'm not the kind of person who will sit back and accept a season-long injury when a player gets injured early in the season. When it's a football injury I would like the player to challenge himself to get back in time for games because there is no better time to play football than the last ten or 15 games of the season.

"Alan has done that and he has done a terrific job. I'm very pleased for him because everyone knows he's a player that I really like. He understands football in a very good way and I'm looking forward to start using him slowly."