Players can still fight for a place

Last updated : 01 August 2010 By Tony Scholes
It wasn't too far from the line up I'd thought might get the nod when the league season gets underway and was fairly sure that those eleven who did start yesterday would be the ones getting the nod a week later.

Not so, according to manager Brian Laws, who has claimed all the positions are still up for grabs. Making reference to the likes of me and many others, the manager said after the game: "People will read into this last game and I can't stop speculation, even among the players, as to who will start.

"They will know next week, but what we have done is try to make sure everyone has had equal time by spreading it around. It's still all to play for and one or two have to brush up on their act a wee bit while others are making sure they are ready for that first game of the season.

"It's a long season and nobody is going to make judgement calls on pre-season games and no team that I have seen in pre-season are anywhere near where you would expect. They are about fitness and coming through unscathed and now we have a free week in preparation.

"But we have certainly not given Forest anything to work on and today our objective was not to show our hand in any way."

Speaking about the game and the performance he added: "Overall I am just a little disappointed we couldn't get a foothold in the game. There are factors involved in that, but the main aim was to get through for when the real business starts.

"The pitch was very long and it wasn't conducive to getting the ball down and playing it. The way the game started, Stoke were taking knocks and dropping like flies. The game was getting flatter and flatter and there was no tempo to the game.

"When that happens, it gets like a testimonial game, so we tried to up the tempo in the second half and I was pleased not to get too many knocks out of it."