Keith Curle ahead of the trip to Northampton
Manager Keith Curle gave us more reaction to the weekend victory over Exeter City as the squad prepares for the midweek trip to Northampton.
“Team selection has been a talking point this season but that’s because of the options and quality we have available in the squad,” he said. “The fact is, as we sit here now, I don’t know my formation for Northampton and I don’t know which players we are going to play.
“I’ve got good memories of Northampton. We went there last season and there were a few raised eyebrows because people were asking what I was doing with my team selection. We were accused of being negative with the way we set things up, but we won the game 2-0.
“We’ll prepare in the same way we always do and we’ll look at the strengths they have, because they’re a good team. We will then pick the players and shape we feel will do the job for us.”
“If you look at Saturday, we were able to cause a different kind of problem because there was a physical presence and focus up front,” he added. “That was down to Charlie [Wyke] being available.
“Credit has to go to Alan Moore and Vince Overson because they put up a very competitive youth team to go 11v11 against us this week. They gave Charlie a real test in the two or three games we played against them and that was exactly what he needed.
“He went into the Exeter game knowing he’d been through the mill already and there was no fear about his game at all. The work he did while he was injured meant he was fit and ready to face a very tough opposition.”
“Dave Atkinson is another who came back and he’s been chomping at the bit,” he explained. “He’s done very well in training and his agent has asked whether or not he has a future here. The easy answer to that is yes, but he knows he has to take the opportunities when they come.
“That’s the same with Troy Archibald-Henville. He’s determined to be involved and I’ve never known a man train as much as he has with the type of injury he’s had. He’s managed himself excellently and he’s only missed three days of training since the start of the season. That’s because he knows he’s fighting for his place.
“Whoever plays, I want the players to be making decisions for the betterment of themselves and the team, and I’m no different. I’ve got to make decisions that will help us to get points, so we’re all in the same position. Everything we do is with the club in mind.”
“I don’t think Jabo [Ibehre] will be ready for Northampton,” he revealed. “We’ve got to be mindful of the fact that we want a key player like that to be completely ready. One of the elements of my job is risk assessment and we need him back for the long haul. We won’t be rushing it just for the sake of it.
“We go to Northampton in confident mood. Hopefully we’ll put on another good performance and cement our place in the top half of the table.”
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