Iain Dowie Talks About Tonight

Last updated : 31 August 2007 By Thetashkentterror

Iain Dowie
City manager Iain Dowie spoke to the Coventry Telegraph about the big Carling Cup clash at Brunton Park tonight, Dowie talking about some injury problems for the Ricoh Arena outfit ahead of the match :


"It is one defeat in ten since Burnley last year and little mini runs are important, but we have got a long, long way to go and we are not going to kid ourselves. We have won two games away from home and that is very pleasing, and it is good that we have gone to two away games and controlled the second half. That is testimony to our fitness and everything we are trying to achieve at the club.

"Elliott Ward had sickness and diarrhoea and flu all day on Saturday and was struggling, Stephen Hughes cramped up at half time, Julian Gray's back went into spasm at half time but I told them they had to get on with it and they did. There will be a few knocks and bruises and I would have thought the main concerns are Leon Best, Julian (Gray) and Michael Hughes, and maybe Stephen Hughes. I don't think Besty will make it, which is a blow really because I would have liked to have played him.

"So we can't quite make the changes we made for the last round because of the knocks and niggles. We had to make changes on Saturday and Dele (Adebola) came in and did tremendously well, set up the goal and was very unlucky not to score and got 90 minutes under his belt, and no doubt feels better about himself.

"We are going to have some changes but not massive because it is a very important game for us and we want to go there and win. But we are well aware that it is a tough ask. They have started well. We know a good deal about them. We have had them watched so we know how they play. They mix their systems from a 4-4-2 to 4-3-3 to a diamond, and have got some good players, particularly in the midfield areas.

"So it is going to be a tough game and there is no question of us taking it lightly. I will be looking to start bright with a high tempo. We want to take the game to them, pass the ball about and make sure we play with natural width and be adventurous. But at the same time we want to get a clean sheet and if we do that it will be two games out of two because we want the goals against tally to stay low."


The referee for tonight's match is Jonathan Moss from Leeds, and he will be assisted down the lines by Garry Wallace from Tyne and Wear and Paul Graham from the Greater Manchester area. Meanwhile the fourth official will be Jeremy Simpson from Lancaster.