Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton met the media on Thursday afternoon ahead of this weekend’s trip to face Everton in the Premier League.
The Seagulls boss discussed the form of his side, the opposition at Goodison Park, Sam Allardyce, the form of Glenn Murray and international recognition for his players.
IN GOOD FORM
“We should be as confident as we have been this season, every campaign has highs and lows, and at the moment we’re in our best form.
“But this division means the next game is always tough, but we’re in a good place at the moment.
“We’re in a position in the league where the changes from one game to another can mean a big difference in league places. We’ve seen teams get out of trouble and also seen sides who’ve gone the other way and that can only be a consequence of a few results.
“So we always make sure we deal with the next game because change can happen dramatically – we have to be guarded against that and our approach going into every game has been correct, that must continue this weekend.”
EVERTON
“There are two things I always look at, performance and results. The game against Burnley was one they could have easily won, both because of the chances that they had and the players which they’ve got.
“I’m never surprised by anybody’s position in the league because it’s very competitive. There will always be a team who surprise people and there will always be sides who perhaps don’t meet expectations.
“But Everton are a team that have a lot of quality and know-how and they’re capable of picking up very good results.”
SAM ALLARDYCE
“With Sam it’s always about his experience and his record and I can only take into account his words.
“He’s somewhere that he would like to build at and he wants to make sure they’re a club who are functioning in the top areas of the league - that takes time.
“Sam has a wonderful track record and he’s not someone they would have employed without knowing that.”
GLENN MURRAY
“It’s not my position to talk about the merits of an England cap but what I can talk about is what he’s given us.
“He’s always known how to score goals – in a competitive division where chances can be hard to come by that means you need a work ethic and someone who can lead the line.
“His form for us has seen him work hard for the team and that allows him to score goals – he’s been excellent for us and we have good competition in those positions at the moment.
“Any further international recognition is down to other people and what they see, I can only talk about what he’s done for us and he’s been excellent in a division that he’s always wanted to play in, we’re very grateful for what he’s given us at the moment.”
INTERNATIONALS
“Players will always be spoken about – and for us to have those individuals being discussed means they’ve been noticed because of their performances this season.
“We have a team who has coped with this division and performed well in games – any recognition is because they have deserved it, but it’s never easy.
“At every international level there are good players and clubs, for any player to get that opportunity is because they’ve deserved it.”
Albion supporters can watch Chris Hughton's full look ahead to the game on Seagulls TV above - fans can subscribe to the service here.