Archived News from April 2002
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STUART WATKISS REACTION
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STUART WATKISS REACTION
Transcribed from BBC Radio Nottingham It's nice to get back on track. We've had a poor run of late, there's no getting away from that. Decent performance, well it's more than a decent performance, it's a good performance. We tried to get the ball down and pass it again. We've had more of a cutting edge than we have of late, creating many chances. We could have been 4 or 5 up. But it's not to be. I said to the lads, just keep believing, doing the right things, stay focussed, keep concentrating at the back. The law of percentages says something's got to break for you. It did and we're all delighted - it is a good result. But it can be a better result if we can go on from here. It's a big game Tuesday, it will be an excellent result if we can get the three points against Cheltenham. At half time, it would be wrong if you say you don't begin to wonder if it's not going to be your day and all you can do is carry on doing the things that served us so well in the 1st half. We couldn't get that finishing touch, the keeper's made a couple of great saves. Adam Murray's popped up again with a valuable goal and Andy White's goal at the end was a just reward for an awesome performance. He's just confirmed what we all know he's capable of. At the moment he hasn't got that consistency. but those people who've been here today have seen immense performance from a lad who, whether he played good or bad, an absolute handful for any defender. Adam Murray's got a good eye for goal. He's come and he's done very well. His goals have been invaluable to us. He's popped up again today but he's a good player, he's an England under 20 international, but we know he's got a pedigree. He's fitted in brilliantly, he's come from Derby County where they play in a magnificent stadium with magnificent training facilities. We haven't, we train anywhere we can get, we do a bit here and a bit there, he's just mucked in with everybody else. He's not once moaned, he's fitted in brilliantly in the dressing room, and he's been a major, major acquisition for us. Obviously his loan's up at the end of the year and then it's up to Derby County where we go after that. Of could we would love to keep him, you've only got to see the lad to see the quality he possesses. We need players of his ability to improve the squad. He mixes in with the rest of the squad - the age and the stamina, he's the right type of player we want at this football club. The last few games have shown, if you say you've got 3 central midfield players, you're better off playing three 30 games in the season than two for 40 and one for 10 because some of the younger ones are looking tired and they should have come out a while ago but we didn't have anybody to replace them. It's such a big ask on these youngsters to play the volume of games we're asking of them. We know they have to be took out now and again, given a breather and then put back in again. Leroy Williamson's played 47 games on the bounce this season - for someone in his first season in the game, that is unbelievable. Sellars has played a great ball for the second goal. He came in and from day 1, he had that Premiership quality. He was a little short of matches but, at the time, we'd had a couple of heavy defeats away, things were not quite going our way. And I just thought that Scotty, with his experience and knowledge of the game, would just really nurture the youngsters along, help them and encourage them and talk to them which he has done on the pitch. David Kelly hasn't played today, he's played 10 minutes at the death, but the way he is in the dressing room and the way he is on the bench makes him invaluable. It's a massive game Tuesday. It was important to get the win today, it more or less secures a play-off place, unless something really strange happens. So now we can push on from that. We said that, after our poor run, all the pressure would be transferred to Cheltenham, so it'll be interesting to see how they handle it. It's a good result today, but it could be made even better if we back it up with a victory on Tuesday. ------------ Meanwhile on Mansfield 103.2, Watkiss unleashed a verbal volley at James Bradley. To be transcribed later. ------------- Thanks to Debbie for transcribing the interview. If you can spare the time to transcribe interviews please email martin-shaw@thestags.freeserve.co.uk |
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