Crewe Boss Steve Holland On Tonight

Last updated : 26 February 2008 By Thetashkentterror
Steve Holland
Alex' first team coach Steve Holland spoke to the official Crewe website about the match against Carlisle at Gresty Road tonight, Holland suggesting that his side need to start turning draws into wins in order to pull away from the relegation zone :


"I'm the most confident I have been about the team since August. We have added two quality players from the Championship in Gary Roberts and Kenny Lunt and Nicky Maynard is getting back to some real form. My confidence is there purely because of what the players have shown me recently out on the pitch and at training.

"If we can continue to play as we have been doing and continue not to make as many mistakes then those draws should turn in victories sooner rather than later. I am feeling much better about the team and its balance at the moment. When we looked at the fixtures in February and saw that we were facing the top teams again, then it looked formidable but the players have risen to the challenge and have come out unscathed from three difficult games.

"The camp is very positive at the moment. Carlisle are up there and have a chance to go second in the table, but our home form has been fairly decent and there is no reason why we cannot get another victory. We know there is a lot of work to do and we can still improve but we can go into the Carlisle game with renewed confidence after what we have achieved recently.

"I would like to go with the same team because I think they deserve to keep their places following the performance at Leeds. Naming an unchanged team and having that continuity has been a problem for us all season. We have constantly been filling in for injured players and it has been difficult.

"I have been satisfied with our performances of late, especially the last three matches where we have picked up some decent points against some of the better teams. If we can continue to play to that level of consistency then we should be alright. We have possibly drawn too many and perhaps we should have had at least another extra two points from our last three games. It was frustrating not to win at Leeds on Saturday.

"We will be looking for three points against Carlisle and if we can get them then we will be out of the bottom four again and dragging those teams ahead of us back into it. I think there are a quite a few teams still in danger of being dragged into it. Maybe they don't think they are yet, but some are in a downward spiral while ourselves and others at the bottom have been picking up one or two results."



Meanwhile Alex' striker Nicky Maynard commented :

"I'm feeling more confident in my game right now. The manager has stuck with me when things were going so well and now it is up to me to repay that faith with some more goals and some good performances. I am now partnering Byron (Moore) up front and having the two quick ones up there has made us more of a threat recently. I thought we have played well at Leyton Orient and that continued against Leeds.

"If we can continue to play like that then I think we will be okay. We are now looking for three points against Carlisle United. We are unbeaten in our last three and have played those sides looking for promotion or a play-off spot so we can be happy with what we have achieved. The aim now is for that run to continue for as long as possible and hopefully we can pick up another three points against Carlisle and really push on from that."