Still might tinker for visit of Hyde

Hatters boss John Still may well tinker with his side for the visit of struggling Hyde tomorrow, writes Mike Simmonds.
Hatters boss John StillHatters boss John Still
Hatters boss John Still

The manager made two changes to his team on Saturday for the 1-1 draw with Hereford and when speaking to the press this afternoon, he said: “I might have a little tinker with the team, but very small not wholesale as I want to keep assessing players.”

Defender Wayne Thomas is available after his three match suspension, but Still didn’t think he would change the defensive partnership of Steve McNulty and Jake Goodman, with a reserve team game at Peterborough the following day.

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He continued: “I wouldn’t think that Wayne would be involved tomorrow, I wouldn’t think he’d start.

“We have a game on Wednesday, so he can play in that. I haven’t really seen Wayne yet, I know him as a player, but I haven’t really seen him here.

“So maybe the reserve team game at Peterborough on Wednesday might be a better opportunity for that.”

Scott Rendell is also likely to be on the bench after being replaced on Saturday with a knock to the face.

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Still said: “I don’t think he’ll start tomorrow. I’m not saying he won’t be on the bench, but we’ll have a better look at him tomorrow.”

Neither Janos Kovacs and Jon Shaw are expected to be fit either, as the boss said: “I think Jon needs another week of training, while Jan, if he was fit I might play him in the reserve team game on Wednesday, if not, he won’t.

“There are lots of people who haven’t been playing and not been involved. It (Peterborough) will give me a chance to look at them. There’ll be a slightly different tempo to that game, as I don’t get the opportunity to work with the group.

“It might show me a bit more what people can do as there are a lot of the lads I haven’t seen who aren’t out on loan will play.”

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Striker Stuart Fleetwood missed out at the weekend and Still felt it was a chance to see someone else in action upfront.

He said: “Fleetwood wasn’t injured on Saturday, he does have a little bit of a hernia problem but that wouldn’t stop him, that’s something for the end of the season.

“I’ve seen Stuart in a few games, so lets have a look at another situation.”

Substitutes Alex Wall, JJ O’Donnell and goalscorer Dave Martin all did their chances of a start no harm with impressive displays against the Bulls as Still said: “It was always my intention to bring Alex Wall on and get him into it more gradually. He doesn’t know the lads yet, but he came on and did all right.

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“I thought they all did well and that’s the value of having a strong bench. It gives the players a chance to come in and impose themselves and shows they’re ready to start a game.”

On the challenge Hyde, who occupy the final Blue Square Bet Premier relegation place, will offer, he added: “Hyde will probably say to themselves, if we get something it will be great, but they’re also in a position where getting a point is not always good, they might need to win.

“If you have a way of playing and you keep going, what you do in the end is you grind teams down, wear them out.

“That’s where we’ve got to get to. When teams want to make things difficult for you, you mustn’t give them that opportunity to get settled, you’ve got to keep going and keep going.

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“Lots of games are won on one bit of quality or one mistake. Kyle Walker (Spurs defender) messed about with the ball on Saturday and gave a goal away. He’s an England international so it happens to the best people not doing their job properly.

“With discipline in the team, you hope it doesn’t allow things like that to happen.”

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