Source: FOOTYMAD
Accrington Stanley's Jimmy Ryan before Shrimpers clash: 'We're a different side from last year'
Southend United will face a Stanley side Tuesday evening who know a win would take them into the play-off positions in League Two, no problems then! Ryan: 'We can't let a loss or a win determine our season'Accrington Stanley know three points against the Shrimpers this evening will see them leapfrog into the play-off positions, while a further victory away to Macclesfield Friday night might even see them into the top three (though they would have to score eight over the two games!)While Reds boss John Coleman might have overeacted by describing this as the most important week of his career, he told the Press Association: "It's going to be a long hard slog now but I've said to the players that from now until Friday these are possibly the biggest six days in my football career. Certainly for most of them it will be as well", midfielder Jimmy Ryan is trying to calm things down while remaining optimistic.Ryan told www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk: "We're a different side from last year. We had about nine games where we went without a win then but we feel that we're getting a bit fitter now than we were last season and we're playing better than we were at this time last year. Hopefully we can keep on winning and keep on playing well."Fair enough, and the Shrimpers faithful would be equally as hopeful if a wretched run of form that saw just one win in the month of March hadn't condemned them to mid-table hell, while the Lancashire side haven't tasted defeat since losing 2-1 at Wycombe on February 19th, a spell that includes SEVEN successive home wins, where they have scored 20 and conceded, er, 4! Ryan, who picked up a dead leg and a knock to the hip in the last match, a 3-1 home win over free-falling Northampton but is still expected to start against the Blues, is well aware of what his team have to do. Ryan continued: "Moving into the top seven is the incentive that we've got for this game. But we just need to go out there and give it our all, and if we don't get the win we've got to kick on for the next game. We can't let a loss or a win determine our season. As much as getting into the top seven will give you belief, you can't let it dishearten you if you don't get in there. There's still plenty of football to be played and if we win enough games then we'll get in there. It's down to us, not other teams around us."It's going to be a tough task for the Shrimpers tonight and bringing back a point would be a very good result indeed.Harry is out:www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/shrimpers_injury_update_i_will_be_ok_to_play_again_664715/index.shtmlBilel plays through the pain:www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/bilel_before_accrington_i_broke_my_nose_as_well_when_shots_striker_elbowed_me_664561/index.shtmlProblems with noses were catching after Aldershot as Harry needed stitches:www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/coleman_be_a_long_hard_slog_now_but_these_are_possibly_the_biggest_six_days_in_my_football_career_664516/index.shtmlThe S24 Preview:www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/roll/ed61/accrington_stanley_v_southend_united_664444/index.shtmlRenewing your season card for 2011/12?www.southendunited-mad.co.uk/interactive/voting_polls.asp
