Graham Potter backs Brighton to break points record and repay Seagull supporters

Brighton manager Graham Potter has challenged his young squad to break the club’s record Premier League points total and ensure a positive season ends on a high note for their supporters.

The Seagulls faithful watched their side fire another blank at home on Saturday, but the 0-0 draw with bottom-of-the-table Norwich at least halted a run of six straight defeats.

An excellent first half of the campaign sparked talk of a push for Europe but Brighton have not scored at the Amex Stadium since January 18, not winning there this year.

Potter accepts their fans have suffered of late but knows they are within touching distance of bettering the 41 points they have amassed in each of the last two seasons.

“We are seven points away from another record in terms of a points tally and we have eight games left so we need to try and get as many as we can,” the 46-year-old said.

“We want to do better and we want to make our supporters happy.

“I feel for our supporters because we haven’t given them much in terms of results at home and goals.

“We have suffered a bit and they have suffered but I thought they were fantastic (against Norwich) and they were really with us. That gives me confidence going forward.

“We had lost six in a row before this one, we haven’t scored many so we are having a bad time. We are going through a bit of suffering and a bit of pain but I think this team has done a lot of good things this year.”

Brighton were as high as seventh in November but have nosedived since a strong winter period.

A consistent performer during the bleak last couple of months has been Alexis Mac Allister, who played twice for Argentina last month.

Potter added: “When results aren’t going well, it is not so easy to speak positively but I think Alexis has taken steps this year.

“Playing for the Argentinian national team is not the easiest thing to do so I think he is growing as a player, growing as a guy around the place and he will get better and better for those opportunities.”

With four goals in all competitions this season, Mac Allister is Brighton’s joint-second leading marksman along with Leandro Trossard.

Finding the net has been the Seagulls’ Achilles heel for the majority of Potter’s impressive tenure with the south coast club and he was asked if the arrival of another forward this summer would be welcomed.

“It isn’t as simple as that but I understand the question,” he replied.

“I think we need to sit down generally and have a chat about which direction we are going, how we can help the team and how we can help us improve. I think that is normal and that’s what we’ll do but now is not the time to do that.

“Now is the time to focus on the next game, finish the season as strongly as we can and then go from there.”