Potter: It would be a fantastic achievement to stay up

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Head coach urges his side to get the point they need to ensure a fourth successive season in the Premier League

Bruce Talbot

2020-07-20T07:00:00Z

Graham Potter watching training ahead of Liverpool fixture.

Albion can secure a fourth successive season of Premier League football with a positive result against Newcastle United tonight, and head coach Graham Potter believes it would represent a ‘fantastic achievement’ if they did.

The Seagulls were just two points above the relegation zone when the season resumed a month ago and their remaining nine games included matches against Liverpool, both Manchester clubs, Leicester City and Arsenal.

But despite that difficult schedule, Albion have picked up eight points and have a six-point cushion above the relegation places and the added security of a better goal difference with tonight’s game and the finale at Burnley next Sunday to come.

He said, “At the start of lockdown, we were two points above [the relegation zone] and I'm sure the experts out there would have said we’d find it hard to pick up points.

“But we've done quite well - not perfectly of course - but we are at a point where one more result gets us over the line which would be a fantastic achievement.

“I want to try and get as close to 43 as we can and with six points to play for that's going be the aim.”

Potter acknowledges that it won’t be easy against a Newcastle side who, despite distractions off the field surrounding a proposed takeover of the club, have established themselves in mid-table and enjoyed some eye-catching results under Steve Bruce, whose achievements Potter feels have been underestimated.

“He’s done an amazing job when you consider the bit of negativity that surrounded it [his appointment] to start with, and then a lot of off the pitch noise shall we say that doesn't help,” added Potter.

“But he has assembled a team with some real attacking threats and they are defensively organised. I think he's done a great job. Steve is a really experienced guy and a top football person, and I respect his teams a lot.”