Gus Poyet played down the pressure on Brighton and Hove Albion to make it into the play-offs this season.
The Albion boss said: “For the first time we’re coming under pressure because of the position we are in.
“If we don’t make the play-offs, it’s not a failure. It’s been an unbelievable season.
“When we are in the bottom ten or eight for budgets in the division and we get to the most important games in the season, maybe we’ll pay the price.”
But, he said: “Everything’s possible. We must perform. We must impose our game then we’ve got a great chance.”
Poyet looked on the bright side of Liam Bridcutt’s suspension as the players prepare to travel to Burnley for the Good Friday fixture.
He said: “There are two or three players – Gordon, Liam, Ash – they’ve been playing all season. I always want to rest them but I never seem to.
“Now he’s going to have a rest. Maybe it’s at the wrong time but we’ll have him fresh for the last games.
“We’ve got plenty of options. We’ve got plenty of players available.”
Poyet said that he did not have points target for the run-in. He said that the challenge for the final six games was to do at least as well as the teams around Albion in the table.
He said: “Then we’ll finish sixth. We haven’t got the sixth highest budget!”
Naturally he hoped to exact revenge on Burnley who nicked a 1-0 win at the Amex just before Christmas against a nine-man Albion side after two early sendings off.
The crowd were phenomenal, inspiring the remaining nine men to a fantastic performance.
Poyet said that they were a tricky team but said that his side would be looking for a win despite some disappointing dropped points on the road.
He said: “We need to find our form away from home, try different options, shapes, personnel. We’ve got to get the results.”
