Archived News from March 2003
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IYSEDEN CHRISTIE INTERVIEW
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Iyseden Christie - Mansfield Town
PFA website, http://www.givemefootball.com Iyseden Christie has scored 19 goals which is a remarkable achievement for a striker in a side that has been in the bottom four of the Second Division for most of the season. This is Christie's second spell with the club and he has obviously ignored the omens that you don't go back to your former club. Givemefootball's Lawrie Madden caught up with the striker as the relegation battle hots up. Q: YOUR GOALSCORING RECORD IS QUITE REMARKABLE FOR A STRUGGLING SIDE? A: Yes, I have got 19 so far and it is the best season for goals that I have ever had. My previous best was 14 and that was five years ago when I was with Mansfield the first time, so it's nice to be getting near that 20-goal mark with a few games to go. Q: HAVE YOU SET YOURSELF AN ULTIMATE TARGET? A: No, I think that if you set yourself targets then you get disappointed if you don't reach them. I know some people say a striker should aim for 20 goals a season and that I am on 19 but this is the first time I have scored so many in a season so I am not going to set targets. Q: HOW COME THIS SEASON HAS BEEN SUCH A GOOD ONE IN FRONT OF GOAL? A: I honestly don't know. I wish I did. All I can say is that I was injured at my previous club Orient and was out with a cruciate ligament problem for 18 months. I was then verbally offered a new contract but after the ITV digital collapse I was let go. I suppose that after being out for so long with an injury I was pleased to be back and to be playing regularly. I think that the next injury may finish my career so make the most of it while I can. Q: WHAT WAS IT LIKE COMING BACK TO MANSFIELD FOR THE SECOND TIME? A: Well there were a lot of young lads who were here the first time as YTS and the manager, Stuart Watkiss was a player here when I was here so I felt comfortable with coming back and it was nearer to my home. Q: BUT THE SEASON HAS BEEN A BIT OF A STRUGGLE, FOR THE TEAM, DESPITE YOUR GOALS? A: We started of the season with a win and I thought that this is going to be a good season but then we have conceded a load of silly goals and lost games 4-3 or 5-4 and then the manager got the sack and we then went bottom so the only place we could go was up. Q: HOW DO YOU SEE THE SITUATION AT THE BOTTOM BECAUSE IT IS PROBABLY THE TIGHTEST OF ALL THE LEAGUES? A: It has been a bit demoralising winning football matches and then teams around you win at the same time and so you don't change positions but we feel we are finally getting somewhere at last. We also have to play a lot of the teams at the bottom at home so it is in our hands. Q: HAVE YOU SET A POINTS TARGET YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO SURVIVE? A: I think when we had 14 games to go we thought we needed five wins to survive. Now, I think we need another ten points to reach 50 points and that should be enough and we have seven games to go. So three wins and a draw should be enough. Q: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY A TEAM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LEAGUE WITH GAMES RUNNING OUT NEEDS MOST TO SURVIVE? A: None of the lads have been in this situation before and we have a lot of young players in the side so no-one knows what to expect although he manager and the coach have both been relegated. They know what you go through so they will help us and we are a stronger team when the manager plays because he has been there and done it. We are an attacking side, good going forward and I hope that will keep us up. |
Latest | March 2003