CHRIS Hughton has assessed Blues’ performance to roughly the halfway point of the season – and demanded more.

With Europe no longer a commitment, Blues have to step it up, said the manager.

“Yes, we are in the mix, but just short,’’ he said.

“We have played 20 games, there are another 26 to play. What we have done is gone through almost half the season and played probably on average six games more than most in the division.

“But it is perhaps a good time to evaluate where we are and, certainly, it means we have to push on in this second half of the season.

“Without Europe – and that’s now a bonus for us – we have been disappointing on the road of late.

“But the plus signs from the defeats are that we have been in every game.

“If I look at Bristol City away, we played well enough and were always going to win that one.

“At Nottingham Forest it wasn’t one of our better performances, yet we finished strong and ended up winning the game.

“These are the small margins that divide the teams that finish top and those that don’t.