Edmundo
27th February 2005, 00:03
It’s a special day. We have got the point that means we are staying up in this division. Those who were here at the end of last season know the tension when we went into that game against Bournemouth, to stay up. The fact that we got that point today, when 3-1 down and looking pretty doomed, at the end of February is a great achievement.
It’s been a tough week – with the FA Cup game last Saturday, going up to Hartlepool on Monday and not being able to train because of the snow, people pulling out through injury and illness, getting back from Hartlepool at 4 or 5 in the morning, getting back to training on Thursday. We lost Ben May yesterday afternoon at half past 4, after he was recalled by Millwall, which was nice of them. You could say all our plans through the week have gone wrong. It hasn’t been a small week. And when you are faced up with the game on Tuesday night, let’s not kid ourselves, who isn’t looking forward to it?
Sodje was struggling before the game with a back injury. Kevin O’Connor has come back without playing a reserve game. He has been out for 6 weeks and he was short. He is a great lad and he will get better. We couldn’t play Nelson as we couldn’t risk him from being suspended on Tuesday. There were a lot of negatives before the game, but the players kept going. When you go down 3-1, there is a good chance the players will let their heads go down. God bless the substitutions – they changed the game!
Darren Pratley was fantastic when he went on, Ryan Peters did great, Michael Dobson did great when he went to centre back. We were a bit makeshift with the bloke making his debut and Ryan scoring his first league goal for Brentford today. Everyone must have seen the relief on my face to stay up at the end of February, it really does feel a special day and a special performance. They played that well, and lots of little bits have gone against us during the week. To get that point to come out relatively unscathed is a big relief to me. I will give them all a day off tomorrow, and on Monday I will plot and plan. I will contact the Football Association to see if we are allowed to have 2 goalkeepers playing on Tuesday night. I am not joking.
We play at a high tempo – I haven’t really gone on about it. That game last Saturday was emotionally and mentally very, very tiring. It was a massive day out for most of these players – probably all of them. They were drained and to get on that bus on Monday morning and not being able to train. All I could do was kick them out of the hotel. All we could do was have a snowball fight in the car park. Hartlepool are a good team. Getting back at 4 or 5 in the morning is emotionally and mentally draining. Physically it effects their bodies as they are athletes. They have used up an extreme amount of energy. But they have learned from these experiences, we are all new together and over a period of time as it all evolves in the future, these experiences that they are going through, we have to accept some of these performances won’t be as good as there is a lot to cope with. In time they will be able to cope with it better.
Wednesday are above us in the league, so they must be good. But not as good as us.
They have been told in no uncertain terms that if they don’t go home to their house, eat good food and be in bed by 10pm that I will go around their house and give them a good clip around the ear. I have given them tomorrow off and they need to spend some good valuable time with their family. On Monday and Tuesday I am going to need them fully focussed on preparation for this football match. They must spend some good time with their families and eat properly and sleep well. On Monday morning we will get together and from then on in, we will plan together and families go by the wayside. They will have to tell their wives and girlfriends that if they are asked to go shopping, they will have to say no – I am preparing for the match!
No, I didn’t see the Southampton match. I wouldn’t say I wasn’t bothered. I had a job to do here. I don’t even know how they got on, or how they played. I have said it before, I have no fear about playing or working against a Premiership club. No fear. These players will have no fear. When we played away, we only played well for 45 minutes. This time we are going to have to play well for 94 minutes if we are to even challenge them. I can’t do anything about Southampton. All I can do is influence what these players here at Brentford do. That’s all I can do is on Monday and Tuesday morning. I must focus on the influence I can give the players on Monday. All today was a good result, it wasn’t a good performance. It shows the character and drive amongst them all – I am not clever enough to watch other football matches and concentrate on my group. I have to have all my focus on the players. I am not that clever yet.
It’s been a tough week – with the FA Cup game last Saturday, going up to Hartlepool on Monday and not being able to train because of the snow, people pulling out through injury and illness, getting back from Hartlepool at 4 or 5 in the morning, getting back to training on Thursday. We lost Ben May yesterday afternoon at half past 4, after he was recalled by Millwall, which was nice of them. You could say all our plans through the week have gone wrong. It hasn’t been a small week. And when you are faced up with the game on Tuesday night, let’s not kid ourselves, who isn’t looking forward to it?
Sodje was struggling before the game with a back injury. Kevin O’Connor has come back without playing a reserve game. He has been out for 6 weeks and he was short. He is a great lad and he will get better. We couldn’t play Nelson as we couldn’t risk him from being suspended on Tuesday. There were a lot of negatives before the game, but the players kept going. When you go down 3-1, there is a good chance the players will let their heads go down. God bless the substitutions – they changed the game!
Darren Pratley was fantastic when he went on, Ryan Peters did great, Michael Dobson did great when he went to centre back. We were a bit makeshift with the bloke making his debut and Ryan scoring his first league goal for Brentford today. Everyone must have seen the relief on my face to stay up at the end of February, it really does feel a special day and a special performance. They played that well, and lots of little bits have gone against us during the week. To get that point to come out relatively unscathed is a big relief to me. I will give them all a day off tomorrow, and on Monday I will plot and plan. I will contact the Football Association to see if we are allowed to have 2 goalkeepers playing on Tuesday night. I am not joking.
We play at a high tempo – I haven’t really gone on about it. That game last Saturday was emotionally and mentally very, very tiring. It was a massive day out for most of these players – probably all of them. They were drained and to get on that bus on Monday morning and not being able to train. All I could do was kick them out of the hotel. All we could do was have a snowball fight in the car park. Hartlepool are a good team. Getting back at 4 or 5 in the morning is emotionally and mentally draining. Physically it effects their bodies as they are athletes. They have used up an extreme amount of energy. But they have learned from these experiences, we are all new together and over a period of time as it all evolves in the future, these experiences that they are going through, we have to accept some of these performances won’t be as good as there is a lot to cope with. In time they will be able to cope with it better.
Wednesday are above us in the league, so they must be good. But not as good as us.
They have been told in no uncertain terms that if they don’t go home to their house, eat good food and be in bed by 10pm that I will go around their house and give them a good clip around the ear. I have given them tomorrow off and they need to spend some good valuable time with their family. On Monday and Tuesday I am going to need them fully focussed on preparation for this football match. They must spend some good time with their families and eat properly and sleep well. On Monday morning we will get together and from then on in, we will plan together and families go by the wayside. They will have to tell their wives and girlfriends that if they are asked to go shopping, they will have to say no – I am preparing for the match!
No, I didn’t see the Southampton match. I wouldn’t say I wasn’t bothered. I had a job to do here. I don’t even know how they got on, or how they played. I have said it before, I have no fear about playing or working against a Premiership club. No fear. These players will have no fear. When we played away, we only played well for 45 minutes. This time we are going to have to play well for 94 minutes if we are to even challenge them. I can’t do anything about Southampton. All I can do is influence what these players here at Brentford do. That’s all I can do is on Monday and Tuesday morning. I must focus on the influence I can give the players on Monday. All today was a good result, it wasn’t a good performance. It shows the character and drive amongst them all – I am not clever enough to watch other football matches and concentrate on my group. I have to have all my focus on the players. I am not that clever yet.