Albion boss Gus Poyet has blasted his players for abandoning the passing game he has implemented.

He branded last night’s 1-0 defeat at Watford as their worst performance for 18 months and has demanded a return to the style he preaches against Barnsley at The Amex on Sunday.

Poyet said: “It was probably the worst we have played in the last year and a half. If you play the same system and you play the same way, then you come to Watford and you don’t pass the ball, there are no angles and no bravery, then you cannot play.

“If we are going to play like we did in the last 20 minutes I’ll go home. If the players are going to kick it I’ll go home, I don’t care. So we’ll see if they are brave enough to pass the ball on Sunday.

“Me? I’m going to sit down on Sunday against Barnsley and watch my team pass the ball. If not I’ll go home. It’s not a matter of running and fighting, it’s a matter of playing football and being brave.”

Liam Bridcutt and Gonzalo Jara Reyes have joined a mounting injury crisis. Bridcutt felt dizzy after a knock to the head and was taken to hospital as a precaution, while Jara Reyes dropped out in the warm-up with the knee injury he suffered at Birmingham on Saturday.

Poyet refused to use the long casualty list as an excuse. He said: “I cannot start crying that we are missing Buckley or Gary Dicker, it doesn't matter. Brighton players are used to training and playing one way. If they think they are going to train one way and then play another it's not going to work.

"It's been coming. We had a few spells against Hull and a little bit against Millwall but the rest we've been poor on the ball."

Poyet has also played down the possibility of further signings to halt Albion's nine-match winless run in the Championship. "At the moment it doesn't look possible," he added.

"We are on the budget, which I think we have confirmed is 17th, so my job is to get the team between 17th and tenth. I don't do miracles."