More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Last Saturday was nowhere near good enough and all we can do now is put it right.
We definitely need to react after that.
I don’t think we got the balance right at Oxford, we were playing as individuals and pressing as individuals and that caught us out a bit. We didn’t stay compact as a team and that opened up spaces for them, allowing Oxford to play through us.
Obviously as a player it is not nice to go 3-0 down. It was embarrassing for us and we want to apologise to those fans who travelled to the game as well. It wasn’t good enough.
The fans will expect a reaction and Saturday’s game against Southend is massive. It is one we need to win – it’s a must- win, really. We want to go into it and do things right and get the three points.
The frustrating thing is that we’ve been doing things right in stages. Hopefully we can build on those stages and put it together for 90 minutes. We need to do it soon.
We have dealt with the Oxford game now, we’ve sat and analysed the performance individually and as a team and we did that with it fresh in the memory.
Nobody in this game likes losing, we all want to be a winner. I have to analyse my own performance and look at myself and see what I can do to help the team and train hard in the build-up to Saturday.
Southend might have a new manager in by then, and that is going to pick them up.
If they do, he is going to want to get a first win straight away and will try and motivate their players but we’ll be looking at ourselves this week.
We need to be professional, get the job done and get the three points.
I missed the recent game against Ipswich after picking up a knock in training on the Friday, just a bit of concussion. The doctor wanted to be careful with me so I sat it out.
I took a close-range shot on the wrong part of the head. It was from Olly Lee, he caught a sweet volley. I kept it out and did my job, but looking back perhaps I should have moved out of the way.
Olly did apologise but he was annoyed that I got in the way as it was going top corner!
We have a top bunch of lads, we’re gelling well and trying to keep that morale high because that benefits us on the pitch. We know we have a job to do Saturday and we want to go and do it.
I am looking after fellow Southampton loanee Tom O’Connor a bit, just trying to show him the ropes. I obviously came in before him and I knew a few of the lads.
He was in talks for a few days and contacted me to see how it was here and I couldn’t speak highly enough of the
club. He was buzzing to come, he’s settled in well and he’s a good lad. He gets on with the lads and is a good player to have around.
The manager said some positive things about me when I got injured the week before and that’s always nice to hear. I just want to do well for the team every week and be the best I can be to help. I thought I was a bit poor on Saturday, as we all were to be fair. We want to put things right.
I am enjoying the midfield role that I’ve been asked to play, there’s more action than in defence. I used to play that position when I was younger so I have a bit of experience there.
I also played there recently with Southampton in the Checkatrade Trophy. I enjoy it there and it is just nice to put the shirt on and play games.
Coming from an academy you want to get that first-team football and the Football League Trophy competition is a good way to do it. If you progress through in that tournament there are lots of bonuses and you can go to Wembley as well. It’s everyone’s dream to play there in finals.
It is not a tournament we look down on, we obviously want to do well in it and win games and keep that spirit up if you can progress through.
I got my first goal in English football recently against Tranmere. It was a good feeling and an absolute screamer! I was buzzing to get my first goal in front of our travelling fans and it was nice to celebrate with them.
It‘s a shame we didn’t go on and get the win that day, but it’s always nice to get off the mark.
