Graham Coughlan: Newport County boss sets 'safety' points target
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Graham Coughlan's Newport County have taken 14 points out of 18 in an unbeaten League Two run stretching back to 26 December 2023
Newport County boss Graham Coughlan has set his players an initial 'bullseye' safety target in League Two this season.
The club have come through an injury-ravaged autumn and early winter to top the six-game current form table.
Although Newport are only four points from the play-offs, Coughlan is refusing to get carried away.
"You are probably looking at 50 points, that's our initial target," said County's 49-year-old Irish manager.
"Then you can chase down 57 points [which Newport achieved last season] and then after that, if we can get beyond 57. Anything after that will be a remarkable season."
They go to Walsall on Saturday on a six-match unbeaten run in League Two which has taken them to 13th in the table on 40 points. They have an 18-point cushion from the bottom two relegation-threatened clubs, but Coughlan's focus is unwavering.
"First and foremost, particularly us, we need to get to 48, 50 points, get enough points on the board to make sure we are looking ahead and not looking over our shoulders," he said.
"At the moment there is a gap, a very healthy gap, but we still have a job to do on that front. When that job is done we will change the targets, change the goalposts and we will move on and we will try to achieve 57 points.
"That's the only targets our lads will have at this moment in time."
Nevertheless Coughlan is also looking ahead and already laying down plans for next season, with discussions on current players' contracts under way along with scheduling the build-up to the 2024-25 campaign.
"I was putting some pre-season stuff together yesterday," said Coughlan.
"That is not me putting the cart before the horse, that is me trying to plan and organise. I will always do that, I will try to make progress in every department of the football club.
"Player-wise I am well down the line with where we want to go and what we want to do. I have sat down with one or two players already, another couple will be sitting down in the next few weeks. They won't all be done in one day or one week but we are well down the road.
"The lads have a fair idea as to what we want to do. I don't think there is any uncertainty or grey areas on that side of the club."
The fitness of a couple of players will be assessed ahead of the trip to Walsall.
However, Newport are still without Omar Bogle, Declan Drysdale and Josh Seberry.