Boss philosophical as he looks ahead to Dartford
Whether you’ve won your last game or lost your last game every one is important.
Just ask John Still.
There was no man more disappointed with last Friday’s defeat at Wrexham than the Hatters boss.
“I gave the game a lot of thought on the way home,” he said at Monday’s press conference, reflecting on the 2-0 loss in North Wales, after which he admitted that he may have picked the wrong team.
So does the game against one of his former employers Dartford take on added importance in the aftermath of the Town’s now customary league defeat at the Racecourse?
It was a question put to the boss at his Monday meeting with the local media.
Remember he’s seen a lot in his career as a manager.
“Name one game that isn’t important!” he responded. “How do you look at it? Glass half empty, glass half full?
“We don’t win Tuesday and then we win the next 10? We win Tuesday and don’t win the next five? They’re all important.
“Tuesday’s important. Is it any more important than last week? No. Is it going to be any more important than next week? No. Because they’re all important.”
The Hatters entertain the Darts, who Still managed for a three-year spell in the early 1980s, looking to arrest a run of two games without a win.
His side lie in 14th place after just eight matches, 10 points off the top of the table and five points away from the top five.
Having overcome a mini sequence of fixtures that pitted the Town against five of the most fancied sides in the Skrill Premier, the manager was honest in his assessment of the Hatters’ form so far.
“I don’t really look at anything until eight, 10 games, and we’re there now,” said Still.
“I had a points total in my head on a group of games, which is what I tend to do. I look at groups of games and we’re behind that –not a million miles behind it, but behind it.
“I’ve analysed all of our performances, I analysed every performance and then I put that away.
“And then when I look at the group of games I look back at it and analyse where we were and where we are.
“And up until Friday I’ve got to say I had been really pleased with how we were playing.
“Were we winning enough games? No. But were we playing well enough, yes. But Friday we didn’t.”
Having disappointed against Wrexham is there a temptation to change personnel?
Remember, John’s seen a lot in his career…
“It’s whether I take the last five games and say ‘well one of them’s not very good, so I need to change’.
“That’s not something that I’m sure I want to do. We didn’t play well on Friday, but we have played well before, and I’m not sure that just changing things is the right thing to do.
“I’m not saying I won’t make a change or two – but not necessarily to do with Friday’s game.
“It’s like if someone’s put in four decent performances, or five decent performances, and has an off day, I’m not sure that’s a reason not to play them.
“I think it’s a reason to remind them of the standards they need to set. So a little bit of food for through really.”