Peter Urges Focus

Peter Grant says that the players have to be mindful of their defensive duties as much as their attacking ones against Ipswich at Upton Park - despite needing the win on the night.

"You know what the prize is and it comes down to Tuesday evening now; 0-0 is not good enough for us and we have 90 minutes to get the goal back - then we will know if our season continues or if it is over," he says.

"We have to remain focused but we mustn't go in gung-ho, where you can get punished at the back, which would make the job twice as difficult.

"We know it is a game we can win and I always say you can play better, because this team is nowhere near what it is capable of - there are a million ways we could improve.

"The players know what is expected to get to that level and we have to do that and show it consistently.

"There are no easy games, especially against a good side that can pass and move quickly.

"They have got good goal scorers and they can keep the ball; they have great experience as well and they will be feeling comfortable.

"Maybe they will think they have done their bit and the onus is on us.

"Nerves come into it so mentally you have to be right and physically you have to be right - and you need that little bit of luck, as they had on Saturday.

"You can have all the possession in world, but if you don't put the ball in the back of the net it is not good enough and we did not look enough of a threat in the final third on Saturday - that is not just the strikers, we didn't get enough men in the box."

Peter has no complaints about there only being three days between the games and adds:

"We know the rules before we start; if it is three days, so be it, and there are no excuses - if we lose it is because we have not performed well enough and you have to accept that.

"Sometimes the harder you work the luckier you become and hopefully that will be the case."

Peter insists it is up to the players to get the fans going, not vice-versa, and he explains:

"The fans always are important but you can tell them for fun to get behind the team - at the end of the day you can only do that with a performance.

"We would love them to be behind us but we have got to start right to get them on song - and if we have got them behind us we know we are playing well.

"We will all be pushing in the same direction to get that result we are craving for."