Swansea's Tom Williams On Tomorrow

Last updated : 15 May 2007 By Thetashkentterror
Swansea defender Tom Williams
City left-back Tom Williams, who was speaking to the Western Mail, talked about the big do or die game against Carlisle at Brunton Park tomorrow. Williams talking about the huge slip in form from Oldham that has seen the Latics win only two of their last thirteen League One games :


"Oldham are in absolute free-fall, they've been falling for a long time and they're panicking. They'll be looking over their shoulders on Saturday and waiting anxiously to see our result at Carlisle.

"I know their captain (Will Haining) well because our girlfriends are good friends. That's how we met and we've known each other for years. After they beat us at our place he said they felt brilliant and thought they would go up. But when I spoke to him three weeks ago he told me, 'I can't see us winning another game this season.'

"They've absolutely gone, the manager's given them stick and they're getting abused by their own fans. That's just not the way it should be when you're going for the play-offs, but he said they're just waiting to be beaten at the moment. We've got nothing to fear because we're playing so well and everyone's raring to go.

"It's cup final after cup final now. But we're looking forward to it. The boys are in a great mood and the games are becoming fun. I don't think there's any pressure on us because we're outside the top six. Last year we sat at the top for a while and everyone wanted to beat us and play their best football against us. But we've sat outside for a few weeks now and put a nice little run together.

"We're in great form and playing good football, I think we know how to keep the ball and beat teams. We're going up to Carlisle to enjoy ourselves and when we do that we play our best football. There's a lot of rewards at stake because there's not one player here who doesn't want to play in the Championship. But it's different to last season.

"We still needed a win on the last day to absolutely guarantee a play-off spot but I think everybody knew we were going to be in there. But this season we're coming in from the other end in good form. The feeling is that once we do get there we could make some impact because teams are going to be frightened of us with the squad we've got here."


Meanwhile Swans boss Roberto Martinez talked to the South Wales Evening Post, Martinez commenting :

"When you have big occasions like this you have to make sure you play the game and not the occasion. Everyone has their own job on the pitch and they must concentrate on that even harder than usual. If you do your job you can enjoy your football, and if you do that under pressure that shows the calibre of player you are.

"Time after time my players have done that in the past, they have enjoyed the pressure, so whether they will this time is not a worry in my head. It's not really any different for me. All I do is try to get the best out of my players so we can win games. That's not pressure. We have to focus on the massive job we have to do against a Carlisle side who start as favourites."



City top scorer Lee Trundle also spoke about the game tomorrow, Trundle saying to the BBC :

We've scored seven goals against them in the last two games and I think that will play on their minds. But they are at home and everything is going right for them at the minute, although they lost at Bristol last week. They'll want to put that right and get back to winning ways. I think it'll be an end-to-end game and hopefully we can come away with the points. It's a massive prize to play and the lads are all confident."


Under recently appointed boss Roberto Martinez the Swans have picked up 21 points from his first ten games in charge. Spaniard Martinez having achieved that despite being without Darren Pratley (shoulder), Darren Way (shin), Garry Monk (knee), Owain Tudur-Jones (knee), Shaun MacDonald (thigh) and Steve Watt (shoulder) who are all sidelined with those long-term injuries.

Tom Williams and Kevin Austin are in a two-way fight to win the chance to replace Marcos Painter, who injured his knee in the 2-1 win at Brighton last weekend, at left-back, while Tom Butler faces a late fitness test before the game as he recovers from a foot problem. Influential midfielder Andy Robinson had no adverse reaction to a hamstring strain after returning to action in that comeback victory for the Welshmen at the Withdean Stadium.


The referee for tomorrow's match, who will oversee a pre-match one minute silence in memory of the late Alan Ball, is Phil Joslin from Newark in Nottinghamshire, and he will be assisted down the lines by Alf Greenwood from York and Kevin Mattocks from Chorley in Lancashire. Meanwhile the fourth official will be Garry Wallace from the Tyne and Wear area.