JUSSI Jaaskelainen believes Wanderers must win eight of their remaining 10 games to qualify for the play-offs. Wanderers have kept their league season alive with an improved run of five wins, four draws and just two defeats in their last 11 First Division outings.

But the big Finn knows that recent record will have to be eclipsed if they are going to emulate last season's achievement of making it into the four team end-of-season shootout.

"We don't look too far ahead at this time," he said. "We just take every game as it comes and if we win eight or nine of our remaining games we will have a great chance."

It is a tall order but one which the Reebok camp will approach with relish while they are not battling it out at Wembley in search of FA Cup glory.

And if Jaaskelainen can continue his run of impressive form Wanderers will certainly have a foundation to build on as they go for a glory run. The man who started as third choice Reebok keeper has earned both the No 1 shirt and the admiration of his manager with a string of big performances.

Boss Sam Allardyce has been impressed both with Jaaskelainen's spectacularly shot stopping and the way he has improved the weaker aspects of his play.

"Jussi's form has improved immensely," Allardyce said. "He has worked on one of his weaker aspects, his kicking, and that has got better and another area he had to work on, his throwing, has also improved.

"His distribution is now much better which helps the team. At 6ft 3in he is also the right size for a goalkeeper.

"He has been excellent since I came to the club. He is one of the reasons we have kept as many clean sheets as we have. f-bl=10o

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.