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"We are still in what I would call a good position," Laws said ahead of the game. "It's so tight and I have stressed to many people that at the start of the season, if anybody had said with twelve games to go there would be only one point between six or seven clubs would you take it?
"Damn right they would have taken it so we are in a good position because everything is in our hands and we are not relying on anyone else. We are more than capable of doing it on our own without relying on anyone else."
Portsmouth are a club in crisis and were rock bottom before this week's move into administration, and it is a game the Clarets have surely targeted as one to that can be won. "Is it a must win game? No, we haven't got to that point," Laws continued.
"Must win games mean you are desperate and we are not at a desperate point. But we want to win it. It's something we are attempting to do and something I believe we will do. Winning the game would give us a huge lift and would move us significantly out of the bottom three.
"It will be a huge one because we know that we will move forward if we get the right result. There's a lot at stake, but we've known that for a long time. Our home games are going to be key for our success in the Premier League.
"The fact that we've got a few games at home coming up against teams around us we know how important these games are."
Laws added: "We have to play with no pressure on us. What I would call the established team, who have been in the Premier League a while, they are panicking. They are worried. They are nervous and they are under pressure.
"Are we in that same boat? I don't think so. We have got to be relaxed about it and enjoy the games and enjoy the moment.
"The established teams know that if they go out of this Premier League financially they are going to be in trouble and have serious financial issues to sort out. We won't. Therefore we're not panicking about that and feeling that kind of pressure.
"We have got the fans right behind us. There's many a club down there who haven't got the fans behind them. We are the ones that have because we are enjoying it and that's why there's no pressure on us. We can go and enjoy it and let the other teams panic.
"Maybe that will help us because if you are composed and not showing your nerve you have a great chance of winning games and that's where we can do a bit of catching up."