Town boss on Hyde test
Bottom of the league and without a win, 10 straight defeats and without a goal in six games everyone is expected the Hatters to beat Hyde at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.
John Still always tells is as it is, and he did so at his Thursday press conference.
“We’re playing 11 people Saturday. And you know what? We’ve only got 11 as well.”
Football is a simple game. Score more goals than the opposition and you win. If anyone thinks the Town just have to turn up on Saturday to win – think again. Remember when Wigan won the Cup?
“It’s really funny, because my pal I know won quite a lot of money last year when Wigan won the FA Cup against Manchester City and it just goes to show what happens doesn’t it?” continued Still, sat at his desk, fending off questions from the media about how many goals his team would put past “beleaguered” and “rock-bottom” Hyde.
“When you play 11 against 11 anything can happen. It’s amazing what can happen if you don’t respect the other team, or the other person and we have to make sure that we respect them, because you know what they’re going to win a game soon.”
With his side unbeaten in six and having scored 17 times during that period, Still knows he has to guard against complacency against a Hyde team that were written off before their last visit to Kenilworth Road. The Tigers had lost their previous six matches - but stunned the Town 2-1.
“Before the season ends they’re going to win a game and they’re going to get some more points – and we have to make sure that we’re right on it and it’s not us,” said the boss.
“Because you know what I’ve learnt over the years? The moment that you think that you’ve cracked it, you haven’t.
“I’ve seen so many teams in so many different sports, believe they’re going to win and not win.
“I’ve seen so many teams in so many different sports, have flying starts and struggle.
“I’ve seen so many teams in so many different sports, be at the back of the queue and gradually make the ground up.
“Because you know what cream does? It rises to the top. Always the cream rises to the top.
“It never sinks, it only ever rises to the top, but it doesn’t rise to the top straight away.
“So maybe Hyde are going to put a great run together and start rising up the league, I don’t know.
“All I do know is we’re playing 11 people on Saturday and we’ve got to be ready and prepared because it’s a great opportunity for us to keep progressing.
“We’ve shown we can keep clean sheets and we’ve shown that we can score. We have the recipe and we’ve got to keep working on that recipe and keep improving it.”