Manager keeping feet firmly on the floor
John Still said it. He said the p-word. Other managers dare not. But then, it seems, John has no choice. Well, even his mum is talking about it.
“I can’t be oblivious to it and if people talk about it that’s what they do,” said the boss at Thursday’s press call.
His team are 14 points clear at the top with 14 games to go and in the midst of a 25-match unbeaten run.
On this occasion Still didn’t have to utter his “control the controllables” line because here it was obvious. The Town must just focus on the job in hand, and if that means Still has to ignore his mum for a little while longer then so be it.
“There’s two sides to people,” explained the manager. “For instance there’s John Still the football person and John Still the professional and I have to be these times John Still the professional, of course I do.
“I try as hard as I can not to listen too much to what people say, but I can’t stop what people say.
“I try as hard as I can not to be influenced by what people say and try as hard as I can to concentrate on what’s important, and that’s all I can do.
“I’ve been very fortunate that over the years it’s one of the things that keeps my feet on the ground.
“Having won this league on a couple of occasions before, I’ve taken Dagenham up, when those times come they’re exciting and important.
“What I do know is if you don’t concentrate fully you can trip up and I don’t want to trip up, there’s no reason why we should trip up.
“I know that if I can keep things as they are, we give ourselves the best opportunity and that’s what I want to do.”