Tiatto Speaks

[davieG]

Source OS-----> ......with Danny Tiatto City skipper Danny Tiatto looks back at an eventful six days on the road and previews Saturday's Championship clash against Southampton at the Walkers Stadium.

One minute I was getting a rollocking off the gaffer and the next I found myself being hauled into the referee's room.

As half-time intervals go it was one of the more eventful breaks I've had during my career and for a minute or two I wasn't sure whether I was coming or going.

I'm referring to events at Home Park in midweek when, for the second successive season, we had a Championship fixture abandoned because of a waterlogged pitch.

Last season it came at Burnley on New Year's Day and this time it came at half-time of our long trip south to Plymouth.

I'm the first to admit I'd had a poor first half and the manager was handing out a few rollockings after we were one down at the break.

All of a sudden I got a message to go into the referee's room with the Plymouth skipper.

Now, as you'll be aware, I've had a few skirmishes with officials over the years and I wondered what I'd done this time.

We went into his room and the ref explained to us that he was abandoning the game.

He said that the pitch was holding too much water and with the rain continuing he was left with no alternative.

Obviously Plymouth weren't too happy. And, still smarting from my own "ticking-off", there was an element of me and indeed the rest of the lads that wanted to get back out there and put things right on the pitch in the second-half.

But equally I can fully understand the official's decision. It carried on pouring down in the second period and though it's frustrating we've got to make the journey again later in the season we've now got 90 minutes to get it right next time.

On behalf of all the lads it's also appropriate to say a big thank you to everyone who made such an arduous trip to Home Park.

Going to Plymouth is the furthest of any game in the Championship but coming on the back of our road trips to Cardiff and Preston, it was a superhuman effort by our fans.

All the lads are grateful for your backing. Indeed, I think we can be reasonably satisfied with our two visits to Ninian Park and Deepdale.

We didn't concede a goal in either fixture and that's been a feature of our game recently.

We've tightened it up a lot and, as the gaffer says; if you don't concede you won't go far wrong.

Undoubtedly it was a test of character for us after we suffered the shock home defeat to Burnley but the lads have bounced back with two wins and a draw and conceded only one goal.

I always fancied us to do well against Coventry but going a goal behind meant we had to do it the hard way.

We kept our nerve and two goals from Mark de Vries either side of half-time ensured we quickly got back in front.

No doubt about it, that was an important win and three points for us. It gave us confidence to go into a tough run of away fixtures.

We're through to the last 16 of the Carling Cup after the 1-0 win at Cardiff and that is no mean feat when you consider they were one of the form teams of the Championship.

It was a solid professional performance and we've now been drawn away to Premiership opposition in the form of Bolton Wanderers.

When it comes to cup draws we don't seem to have too much luck with home ties.

We had three successive away ties en route to the FA Cup quarter-finals last season and so far in this competition we've had three out of four ties away at Bury, Cardiff and now Bolton.

Then there was another short (!!) haul to Preston last Saturday. It wasn't the prettiest of games but if you don't concede you won't lose.

We were guilty of giving away goals earlier in the season and that had to stop. We have tightened it up in recent games and it needs to stay that way.

Putting together an unbeaten run will breed confidence and give us more belief to go out and get results in a positive fashion.

I'd expect Saturday's game with Southampton to be a more open match than has been the case on many occasions at the Walkers this season.

They're one of the teams tipped to do well and they've got some quality players.

I think that will bring out the best in us and we could be in for a very entertaining match.

As always, please get behind the lads, and after all those miles clocked up to Cardiff, Preston and Plymouth it will certainly feel good to be running out again at the Walkers on Saturday afternoon.

[Guest Gist]

Yeh some very interisting points

[Bert]

Yeah i agree Gisty, there is some very good points, but it is very nice to see him reserving special praise for the amount of travelling our fans have done in the past 10 Days!

[cisono]

Some interesting points and made from such a tiattoish perspective

[Thracian]

Much preferred his interview to his football today although he did almost conjure up a goal for Humey near the end. Otherwise Tiatto looked off balance and his close control was abyssmall.