Source: FOOTYMAD
Sturrock: 'Like to make some alterations'; Hessenthaler: 'We do need to improve'
Both managers had their say before Tuesday evening's League Two clash beween Southend United and Gillingham; and both are concerned about where the goals will come from. Sturrock: 'The discussion wasn’t all one way' Blues boss Paul Sturrock maybe made a threat too far after the disappointment of the 2-0 defeat at Swindon, blimey Luggs we all were, with the now infamous 'some players will have played their last game for a very long time' quote. The fact is with the injury problems and Dickinson's suspension, he hasn't got that many cards to play, and I think he realises he probably spoke in haste. Sturrock told www.echo-news.co.uk: “I would like to make some alterations but I’m not sure if I will have the personnel to be able to do that. We have Neil Harris and Bilel Mohsni having late fitness tests, Lee Sawyer is definitely still out, Liam Dickinson is suspended and Jean-Paul Kalala hasn’t played many matches lately so it’s a difficult team to pick. I will have to wait and see what forwards we have fit before deciding the rest of the side but we certainly need a reaction to the weekend because it was a very disappointing performance." Fair enough, and he does have left-bak Peter Gilbert and loanee midfielder Michael Timlin hanging around the fringes, but there's no doubt there will have to be a big improvement in attitude whatever the starting eleven is. Sturrock said: “Gillingham are a good side and they will make it tough for us. You would expect them to be up there this season but these are the type of games you like to be a part of. We were in on Sunday to work on our shape and hopefully that can make us harder to break down.” Luggy and the lads locked themselves in a closed room for a chat before a special training session called on the Sunday after the Robins loss, and it seems nobody held back from giving their views. Sturrock said: “I went through a few things but the discussion wasn’t all one way which I was pleased about. It’s sometimes good to have these kinds of talks and hopefully it will help us to produce a much better performance (Tuesday).” We all hope Luggs mate. Hessenthaler: 'Now we have got to win the next three games' Gillis boss Andy Hessenthaler wants the next three league games to bring three successive wins after a couple of defeats and a draw have messed up the points he expected at this early part of the season. And that sequence starts with the Shrimpers under the lights of Roots Hall Tuesday evening! Hessenthaler told www.kentonline.co.uk: "We have a good squad but at the moment they are not firing and the best teams in the world have spells like that. We got off to a good start in the first month and now we have got to win the next three games. Those are the simple facts; if we are going to reach the targets we set each month." Fair enough, easier said than done though, see Luggy above, events dear boy, events! Hess continued: "There is no reason we can’t do that but we do need to improve. People say we can’t do that, even our own people, but we believe we can if we get it right. We have a dressing room of togetherness and I just think at times in certain areas, in the final third, we haven’t shown enough quality or belief or made the right decisions with the football. That’s something we need to start doing." Team spirit, I think we've heard enough of that recently, anyway, let's get back to those 'targets', all a bit new Labour. Hess said: "We are seven games in and there is a long way to go but we do need to improve. We are just outside the play-offs and come Christmas, we need to be in a position where we can achieve something. In the first month we picked up our target, 10 points, and I still didn’t think we had played (as well as we could). Even the players agreed with that. When we do get to where we should be, we are going to be a decent side but at the moment there is something missing. We have to find that. We have to keep working hard and, if you are a good team with good players, the harder you work, you will find it in the end." Let's hope that's after this evening!
