Tis calls for players to forget elation of last weekend and concentrate on next three points
Paul Tisdale will be asking his players to put aside the elation of last Saturday’s victory over Colchester United when City travel to Crewe Alexandra this weekend.The Grecians recorded their second win of the season at the Colchester United Community Stadium, despite being ravaged by injuries in the first team squad and 2-1 down at half-time.
Tis said the win represented more than just three points in that it gave everybody a lift around the club. However, in football you move on to the next match very quickly.
“In many ways we deserved our win (at Colchester) and in terms of our morale, where we sit in the league, the pressure and how it made people feel it was a big day for us,” said Tis.
“However, in football terms it is on to the next very quickly. We move on to Crewe. We are pleased we won last week, but it is gone and it is about the next three points that is at stake.”
Tis does not go into the match any better off than he was last week in terms of injuries. Lee Holmes, Tom McCready, Troy Archibald-Henville, Craig Woodman, David Wheeler and Jordan Tillson are all still missing and Troy Brown – who came on for the last 15 minutes of the game – has aggravated a hip-flexor injury and is set to be missing for the next two or three months.
However, with every cloud, there is a silver lining and Tis is remaining upbeat.
“It has been a challenging,” he said. “I have never known a month like it, but hopefully we will come through it and be stronger for it.
“One or two players have had to really step into the team; someone like Pierce Sweeney, who has just arrived at the club, has played every game. He has come in and been a focal point within the defence, so well done him.
“It has happened before, players drop in. I remember a particular season nine years ago when we signed Matt Taylor and Matt wasn’t in my plans to play in the first team straight away and then Danny Seaborne got injured in a pre-season friendly at Bodmin and Matt was straight in and never came out of the side. That is how it works sometimes. There is always a silver lining somewhere.
“I think we just have to try and get through the next two or three weeks. We have got enough players to put a good XI out.
“We haven’t got a lot of depth, we have got lot of opportunity to change things and the biggest problem have had is fatigue. It is one thing getting through a game, but it is difficult when you have got the regularity of another game. The Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday scenario.”
However, City have not had a Tuesday game this week which Tis admits it is a blessing going into a match with Crewe. He is expecting a tough challenge from Steve Davis’ side, but he says it is too early to start predicting who might or might not be at the top of League Two come May.
“They are at home and they haven’t lost at home this season and have picked up five results out of six,” said Tis. “They have continuity at the club, a manager who has been in situ now for a while, a style of play and they have got an identity.
“It is early season for me to start picking on teams with certain strength. Whatever league it is, it will take me 10 or 15 games to get a certain feel for it.
“We have to be good ourselves and be strong with what we do and we will take them on with however the game presents itself.”