FUTURE LOOKING BRIGHT

Moyes: Potter magic could land Seagulls a Euro spot

DAVID MOYES expected Brighton to compete for Europe this season and has tipped them to rival his West Ham side next term.

The Hammers made a push for the Champions League but face the Seagulls tomorrow desperate just to qualify for the Europa League.

Brighton are 10th, eight points behind them, after falling out of contention. But Moyes believes they will be back competing for Europe next year.

He said: “I thought they would be challenging this time. If you asked me who would be looking for that seventh spot, then I thought it would be Brighton.

“They are a very good team. They have got an up-and-coming manager, who is doing really well. They have a chance next year too.

“But what happens every year in football is, when you miss your opportunity, someone else comes to the party. And we are all looking at Newcastle and what they might do, and the likes of Tottenham with a new manager has made a big difference.

“There are things like that in football that change very quickly, and when you get your chance, you have to take it.

“That’s why we need to keep growing and building, trying to find more solutions to what we need.” West Ham got a taste for

Europe this season after going all the way to the Europa League semi-finals and Moyes is already planning how to strengthen for next season’s campaign.

He added: “I believe if we finish sixth it would show progress. We’d have maintained our League position and gone further in cup competitions than we have in a long time here.

“We got far down the line in our

European games. The Premier League has the two best teams in world football right now.

“Trying to break into the big six, as we did last year, is difficult. But we’re on the verge of maybe doing it again.

“We’ll be trying to add to the squad in the summer to give us an even better group of players, to try and give us more competition for places.”