On The Spot

26th August 1999

I have not been that disappointed with the performances, but obviously disappointed with the results. I think, without doubt, there are certain areas in which we can play better. We are not functioning as well as a team as we did in the early part of the season. I know that we are only in the first stages of the season but we have become a bit dysfunctional in terms of the way we've played. Our midfield against Bristol wasn't supportive of the back four, nor supportive of the front three. The circumstances of our defeat at Chesterfield were beyond my control, we don't need to go into those details, but we still know that we need to improve certain aspects of our game.

Q. You have hinted at the refereeing decisions that turned the game at Chesterfield, were you disappointed that we couldn't take the setbacks in our stride?

Yeah, we have to accept that things do happen that are out of our control. All the things that were thrown at us last season, we dealt with quite comfortably. Without doubt last Saturday was maybe a little bit unusual but I would have liked us, including myself, to have handled it a bit better than we did.

Q. Clive Wilson (right) has continued to impress, would you agree his play also appears to be bringing the best out of Trevor Benjamin?

Yes he has done, and I think Trevor, without doubt, has been our most effective forward. It is no coincidence that the service he has been getting from Clive Wilson is good and has really helped him. Trevor has really started the season very, very well and I can only compliment him for the way he has played in every game so far…he has been excellent.

Q. We have conceded 11 goals in 5 games, are you confident that the defence will gel, or will you be looking to make changes?

I think it's all too easy to blame the back four and the goalkeeper and put the entire onus on them. They know their jobs, and their job, without doubt, is to defend. Maybe at times they haven't done that too well, but overall it has got to be a team effort. We need to look at the goals we have conceded and say 'hang on,…could Martin Butler, could Michael Kyd or could Trevor Benjamin have helped us out a little bit at times?' When you analyse it, without being too critical of them, I think you could say they could…it has to be a team effort.

Q. In four out of the five games we have played this season we have taken the lead. How frustrating is it for you to see us only able to turn one of these into a victory?

That, in a sense, has been more disappointing than anything else. We have not lost the games to teams who have torn us to shreds, if anyone has torn us apart at times it has been Bristol. They are a very good team and, without doubt, on Tuesday night they moved the ball about very well. In the other games I can honestly say that I don't think the opposition have been any better than we have, even though they have won the games.

It's a lesson that we need to look at, and ask ourselves where we need to improve. Why have we been in control of games, and let it slip? There have been lapses of concentration when we haven't worked hard enough, or haven't been positive enough in the opponent's 18-yard box. We have let ourselves down quite a few times on that.

Q. You mention the lapses of concentration. In the third Division you will get away with it more often than not, but the Second Division teams certainly seem to be punishing us more for them.

The standards are, without doubt, higher and as you quite rightly say, when we are having these lapses of concentration, we are being punished for it. This is the standard we are playing in at the moment, so therefore we can't afford to do that.

Q. Looking forward, we have two tough games over the bank holiday weekend, at home to Notts. County and away to Wigan. How important do you think it is that we get something out of these games?

We need to. The most important game is on Saturday, as it is the next game. I can't contemplate or even think about Wigan at the moment, even though I know it is there in the background. What I am planning for is the result on Saturday, and we will take it from there. In front of our own supporters we beat Reading 3-1 and played very well, and this is the positive side we will be looking at as we try to get some more points on board. Hopefully we can entertain our supporters when they come here to watch us.

Q. We missed Alex Russell on Tuesday through injury, have you got a full squad to chose from on Saturday?

Yes, Alex is back in training and I am pleased to say he had a full day. He will train tomorrow, and hopefully he will be back for Saturday.

Q. Ian Ashbee and Paul Wanless have been putting in great performances in the middle of the park, but we seem to lack a midfielder who can really run with the ball. The Neil Mackenzie transfer appears dormant, have you been looking elsewhere?

Going back to Ian Ashbee, I think he has possibly been our most consistent midfield player in the five games. He has been strong, and has used the ball very well. If there is a criticism that I can label to him, when he has been in front of goal he hasn't hit the target. If he had, he could be sitting here our top goal scorer.

The Neil Mackenzie deal is on ice. It is on ice through Stoke's part and not mine, and this is something which I have tried to resolve, but can't. He is their player, so they do have the option to do what they like as he is under contract. Therefore there have been inroads to bring a different midfield player here in the ilk of Alex Russell.

Q. You have given Tom Youngs a few substitute performances in the last two games. He has impressed in the reserves, but would it be fair to say he has yet to show the fans the best his game has to offer?

Yeah, I would possibly say that. He came on at Bristol the other night and slipped over a couple of times, the pitch was hard and his studs were a little bit too long. It is a learning curve for Tom, he has never been far away from the first team and I feel the experience, in time, will do him the world of good. Sadly, at the moment, he is still not as strong as I would like him to be. He is never going to be a six footer, but the ability he has football-wise is something which at times the team lacks. Therefore any experience I can give him at this level will be better for him and better for the team. He has had niggling injuries which have set him back, which is perhaps why he hasn't really been in contention this year.

Will Jones

Yes I do, I do feel we have a realistic chance of staying up. We need to win our home matches, we have to learn to be strong at home if we are to survive in this division.

Q. Do you think that Cambridge can lift themselves up?

I do think we can lift ourselves up, and I think there were several occasions last year where we had setbacks with the first team in the league and cup, but we bounced back. That experience would have done them the world of good, and I think at the end of the season we were hard and strong, and eventually got automatic promotion. I think that resilience is still there and we will see it through.

Q. It appears the England selectors only choose players from the Premier and First Divisions. Do you think that Trevor Benjamin should be given a chance to prove himself in the England under 21s bearing in mind the success of Emile Heskey, a similar type of player?

I think it was disappointing when Danny Granville was called into the Under 21 side within two weeks of us selling him to Chelsea. It is understandable though, as the quality and understanding is better the higher you go up, so one can understand how the better young players will be playing in the top divisions. The way Trevor is going is excellent, it won't be for the want of trying or recommending from this football club if he continues in this vein, and we will ask the England selectors to come and look at him.

Q. In your whole managerial career who has been the most problematic player you have had to deal with, and why?

Errr…... I can't really look back and say there is one player, or one situation to be honest. What you have to do as a manager is understand that each player has different needs, and each player has different problems. You have to look at that and be very open to what their problems are. If players have a problem, I try and help them with it. In general you fall out with players when they are dropped from the team, that is when they get upset and want to leave the football club. At times things do become a little bit nasty, but I have had that at nearly all the clubs I have been at. It is a natural reaction when somebody is dropped, they feel disappointed and perhaps even a little let down at times. I have had many occasions, even at Cambridge United, when I have experienced that. It has always been my policy to sit down with a player if I have dropped him, and try to explain to him the reason's why it happened.

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