THE CATFLAP CHINWAG WITH...

DAVE SPIKEY

 

What's the verdict on Gary Megson?

The jury is still out. He wouldn't have been anybody's first choice to be honest with you. Even looking at his past pedigree. At the time, even though people were getting very disillusioned with Sammy Lee, he should've been given a bit longer because, certainly against Chelsea, we were playing the sort of football that he wanted us to play. But Megson seems to have got some confidence back in the team and he's got Nolan playing again. So he's got something going there but he's got a long way to go with the players he's got. I think we'll stay up but it'll be tough. Only because there are three or four worse teams than us in the Premier League.

 

So was Sammy Lee not as clueless as he appeared on TV?

I don't think he was no. But when you take over from your boss in any job, you don't try and change everything straight away do you? Play with your winning formula and gradually bring your changes into whatever it is. And the lads were playing out of position and they couldn't play there. Though that's another argument, if you're a professional footballer you should be able to play all over the park. But they couldn't get used to the system, and they were just getting used to it and he went. I think he just tried to run before he could walk. Look at his credentials at Liverpool, then in the England setup. But it's that thing; does a good coach make a good manager?

 

So has Megson reverted back to Big Sam's style of play?

A little bit yeah, I think you play with the players you've got. I really get annoyed about the people who just think we play the long ball game. And if you see the highlights you probably think that's true. But we've got some really good ball players, we've played some good football at times. Against Chelsea, where they beat us 1-0 down here, there were some stats in the paper, and they played the long ball more than we did. You play to your strengths.

 

Is Kevin Davies the most unlikely footballer ever?

Kevin Davies should be in the England squad, he doesn't score enough goals, but he's just all round a fantastic player. He's worked really hard and he's lost some weight and bulked up a bit, and he's brave, he'll go for any challenge. He chases back, he's great on the ball, he can take men on and beat them, he doesn't look as though he's got any pace at all but he has.