Pre-Match Quotes From The Pirates

Last updated : 13 November 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Chris Dickson
Striker Chris Dickson, on loan at the Memorial Stadium from Charlton, spoke to This is Bristol ahead of his new side's game against Carlisle tomorrow, Dickson slightly disappointed with his own form :


"I'm my own biggest critic and in my estimation I think I've under-achieved so far - although there's still plenty of time to put that right. Four goals in eight games is okay, but I've actually set my sights higher. I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist, so my aim is to get a goal a game. It's good so far I suppose, but could be better.

"Everyone keeps saying that we've lost six games in a row - but we're not at the bottom of the table, we're not even mid-table, we're still near the top. Three points against Carlisle could put us back in the play-off places, but we've got to get that winning feeling back as a team.

"We have been down a bit because we didn't expect to go on this sort of losing streak, but we know we can turn things around. I played against Carlisle when I was on loan at Gillingham a couple of years ago. They have a good work ethic and some experienced professionals, but there's no reason we can't turn them over.

"We had a great result in the league at Southampton, so they wanted to come here and turn us over. I was watching from the sidelines wishing I was out there playing because I felt we could have exploited them. For both Bristol Rovers and Charlton to go out in the first round was a surprise - but that's how the FA Cup is, anything can happen. My dad called me after the Charlton game and said: 'Do you realise you're not cup-tied at either club any more?'

"I'm still a Bristol Rovers player until December 19 and, after that, I'll learn a bit more. It might be that I have to go back to Charlton and see what happens from there. I've liked it here, I've got to know a lot of the players, so, at the moment, staying here is probably my preference. But I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket and then find I might not be wanted here - you never know. There are a number of different options."

 


Meanwhile former Stockport midfielder Dominic Blizzard commented to This is Bristol about Rovers losing six games in a row :

"I've been on bad runs before and more often than not, they can make a team stronger. You learn things when you lose and when you come out of it, you can then look to go on another run yourselves. I think we've learned things about ourselves during the losing run that we didn't when we were winning. Now it's about making changes to the things we've been doing wrong and putting them right.

"We have to be brave and can't go into it with any negative thoughts or any fear. What happened in the FA Cup last weekend showed that teams from our division can lose to a non-league side unless they go out there really believing they can win and playing for each other. Unless you work hard and do the basics right, then you are going to struggle. But there is a positive feeling in the dressing room and a determination to go out there on Saturday and get some points on the board.

"I didn't know quite how far behind I was in terms of fitness until the MK Dons game a fortnight ago. I'm the type of person who wants things to happen straight away and maybe I have to be a bit more realistic because that was only my fourth or fifth start in about five months. I just need games to get my match sharpness so I can start using my brain more during matches.

"At the moment I sometimes feel as though I'm going through the motions, but the positive thing is that every minute I get out on the pitch will help me to get nearer the level I know I can play at. Playing 4-4-2 is something I hadn't done for about three years so it felt really alien to me. Three in midfield is much more what I'm used to. But formations are all about getting the best out of each individual player and I'm intelligent enough to adapt to whatever is needed - hopefully sooner rather than later.

"There wasn't a great deal between the sides when we played Southampton, but when you look at the scoreboard and see you are suddenly 3-0 down you know you have a mountain to climb. They defended and attacked well from their set pieces, which is something we didn't do.

"We've been switching off at vital moments in the last few matches and have not been able to take our opportunities when they have come along. We have to tune in a bit more when we haven't got the ball. With a bit more discipline, we can sort this out."

 


And fellow midfielder Chris Lines told This is Bristol :

"Saturday's game against Carlisle is a massive one. We'll go into it as favourites to win and sometimes last season we struggled in that sort of game. But if we are going to be in or around the play-offs, these next two home games are ones we definitely have to be winning.

"We have played some of the best teams in the league in the last few weeks in Norwich, Leeds, MK Dons and Southampton, and didn't get the results we wanted. But with the next two games we have coming up at home, we have to be looking to get six points.

"Obviously, losing six games in a row is going to have an effect, but we just have to try and put it out of our minds and remember that we are still ninth in the league. We have to be happy with the fact the next two games are both at home and if we can put a couple of wins together, it could push us back into the top six.

"The manner in which we got beaten was probably the most disappointing thing, because we conceded three times in less than 10 minutes and let in some sloppy goals. That's something that has crept into our game recently and we need to cut it out.

"The reason we were doing so well earlier in the season is that we weren't conceding those sort of goals. All 11 players have to be involved in defending and we will be working on it as a team in training this week. We are capable of getting goals at the other end and when you score twice at home, the least you should end up with is a draw.

"I think the 4-5-1 system is working well because we get a lot of joy out wide on both the left and right and get some good crosses in. It means I can get forward a bit more, which is something I've been trying to do anyway. It means I can push on and try and support Jo Kuffour. We have Andy Williams and Mark Wright pushing on down the wings and we need one of the central midfielders getting up there as well."