Webster: We're Taking Each Game as It Comes
Thursday, 1st Mar 2018 16:21

Boss Mick McCarthy may have virtually dismissed Town’s chances of gatecrashing the play-offs but with seven points separating them from sixth-placed Sheffield United — and 12 games of the season remaining — the possibility still remains.

It may be a long shot but the Blues welcome the Blades to Portman Road on Saturday week and another five of their fixtures will be against teams currently ahead of them in the table, so defender Adam Webster can be excused his ‘one game at the time’ approach to the closing months of the campaign.

Webster made no apologies when he said: “We are just taking every game as it comes. There’s another big week coming up with three games and that’s all we can do.

“Hopefully we can get the game on against Hull and we’ll keep ticking away. They are winnable games but we’re not expecting easy games. Having won at Preston we want to take that form forward and get the next win as soon as we can.

“We don’t look at the fixtures and think ‘We should beat them’ or ‘We can get a point there’ or anything like that. You really can’t think afford to look too far ahead in football. You’ve literally just got to worry about the next game and that’s what we are doing.”

Webster & Co will probably learn tomorrow whether Saturday’s match against Hull will be going ahead but he revealed the current adverse weather has not interrupted the players’ preparations.

He said: “Clearly, it’s not ideal but it hasn’t disrupted things too much. Everyone enjoys it for the first day or so but then we all want to see the back of it.

“It hasn’t stopped our preparations for the Hull game — it has been exactly the same as usual — but it would be good if it settled down a bit.

“We had three games in seven days last week so we needed a few days to recover from that.

“I can’t remember ever playing in snow but we’re all up for it if that’s the case.

“We all want it to be on so we’re preparing the same as we do for every other game. Cold or snowy, it’s just another game and there’s no need to change anything.

“Mind you, there might be a few more long-sleeved shirts required. Once the game gets going you’re fine but when you come out again after half-time you don’t want to be hanging around too long. I’ve noticed some teams take their time coming out for the second half and that can be frustrating.”

If Saturday’s game does beat the weather it will be midfielder Cole Skuse’s 200th appearance for Town since joining in the summer of 2013 on a free transfer after rejecting the offer of a new deal at hometown club Bristol City, where he clocked up 307 games.

Webster added: “I think Cole does a brilliant job for the team. He’s a senior pro, someone we look up to and as a defender he’s great to have in front of you because you know you can depend on him. He’s always there as cover and will always mop up in front of you.

“He does the dirty side of the game but he also has the ability to unlock a door. There was a great example in the Cardiff game when he released an unbelievable pass to Bersant in the first half and was unlucky not to get an assist from it.

“He’s definitely under-rated in that area of his game, although not by the other lads because we all appreciate what he does for the team.”

Webster also commented on skipper Luke Chambers’s views, expressed earlier this week, when he called for the players’ union to spend more money researching the dangers of heading the ball after evidence increasingly pointed to a link between that aspect of the game and dementia.

He said: “It’s part and parcel of the game, heading the ball, and especially if you are a central defender. I watched the Alan Shearer documentary, probably a couple of months ago now, and the ball is now heavier than it was back in the day.

“They got heavier back then if they were wet but today’s balls are actually heavier so it is worrying, although you can’t think too much about it when it’s your job to head it. If you don’t head it you don’t play, so it’s just part and parcel of your job as a footballer.”

Webster was also taken aback by the impact of VAR — video assistant referee — during the first half of last night’s FA Cup fifth round replay between Tottenham Hotspur and Rochdale at Wembley, he and several Town teammates contacting each other via Twitter to express their surprise.

He smiled: “To be honest I couldn’t believe my eyes at some of the decisions. Take Tottenham’s disallowed goal — as a defender you never get them and he’d never get that normally. Everyone has a little bit of contact and it’s not a foul in my eyes.

“For the penalty, it would normally be a free-kick outside the area because the referee would be scared to give that decision.

“The system can work but it takes time and slows the game right down. If you score a goal and celebrate then it gets disallowed — that’s not a good part of it. There is definitely work to be done on it but I do feel it can help the game.

“The goal-line technology has been brilliant and I can think of three or four times this season where it has helped us out. We wouldn’t have got the decisions without it but the VAR needs a bit of work on it still, so much so that I don’t think anyone knows what’s really going on.

“They’re going to have it at the World Cup in the summer and as things stand that’s worrying.

“I wouldn’t say they should bin it. If you look at the other sports, like rugby, NFL and cricket, it obviously does help but for some reason it’s not having the same effect in football.

“I think we need some clarification about when it is going to be used. If you’re in the stadium as a fan you don’t know what is going on. If you’ve gone to watch a game and you don’t know what’s going on you’re only going to lose interest, aren’t you?

“In my view it’s worth continuing with the experiment, as long as they can get it right in the end. It helps the other sports so I don’t see why it can’t be the same for us.

“Its aim is to make sure you get the right decision but both the players and the spectators must be involved so I think they need a big screen for everyone to see why certain decisions have been given. We can’t afford to slow the game down like last night, though.”

Photo: TWTD

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dirtydingusmagee added 16:31 - Mar 1 it may be possible with a good winning run ,but as usual it would need those clubs up there to have a bad run to match , I really don't see us getting close, but while theres life there's hope I suppose. Would be good to see us at least give it a go. I think the season is dead though .
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Mark added 17:07 - Mar 1

We shouldn't kid ourselves about finishing in the top six, but instead concentrate on playing some decent football to entertain the fans and get a few wins to finish ahead of Norwich (which would be a very good achievement given their parachute money). Hopefully we can see Carayol earn a new contract (not sure about Geeson). It would also be nice to see some young players involved.

fransthyssen added 17:35 - Mar 1

A win on Saturday if it goes ahead and we are building very nicely in all sorts of ways and I believe Town will go close come game 46 I honestly do believe in the boys and don't really care much for all of the "supporters" who have such negativity it just drags the team down and makes YOU look like the losers! For god's sake get behind the team if you really are supporters.