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Archived News from July 2006

SHIRTLIFF AND STURROCK REACTION
27th July 2006 14:13


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Audio interview with Peter Shirtliff from Radio Nottingham (file is 0.1 Mb): Interview here
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Evening Post
Shirtliff :
"Sheffield Wednesday have just been to America and are probably a bit leggy from the traveling," he said. "But not taking anything away from our players, I thought we played quite well.

"If you get decent performances and score a few goals then obviously it breeds a bit of confidence. Hopefully we can take that into the season, but we're not sitting back expecting it to be easy."
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swfc.co.uk:
Boss Accepts Responsibility
Wednesday manager Paul Sturrock accepted his share of the blame for a jet-lagged Owls side's 4-0 friendly defeat to Mansfield Town.

Sturrock's men looked off the pace throughout the game, having arrived back in Sheffield on Monday lunchtime after a 22-hour journey home from Rochester, USA, and the boss admitted: "I got it totaly wrong tonight. I've got to put my hand up and apologise to the fan base for that.

"I've never taken a team that distance on tour and I didn't take into consideration how tired I am and how tired they are. They were the leggiest team I've ever seen in my life."

However, Sturrock was also dismayed that not enough of his players showed the character necessary to play through their tiredness, and added:

"That's no excuse for a lack of attitude which some of them showed. I was absolutely amazed with some of the individual performances. I've been here two years and I know my beasts - they weren't there tonight."

Only Chris Adamson, Yoann Folly and Steven MacLean emerged from the night with any praise from Sturrock, who was keen not to detract from the Stags' "excellent" performance.

And, in apologising to supporters, he reminded them that it's the league action, beginning at Preston a week on Saturday, that really counts:

"One season with Dundee United we had eight friendlies and never won one - but won the Championship," he said. "This has been a real slap in the face to everyone at the club. We've got one game to get it right."

 

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