Out-of-favour Town keeper Matteo Sereni has threatened to quit the Blues if he doesn't win back his place in the side. Sereni held down the number one shirt until Christmas when he asked to be rested for the Dagenham game. Andy Marshall came in and has kept his place ever since.
Sereni said: "It is a very difficult time for me. It is the first time in five years I have not been the first choice. This is no good for me at my age. Hopefully I will win my place back but if I have not done so then at the end of the season I will have to look elsewhere. I do not have a problem with the manager, he picks the side but this is a difficult time for me. I hate being on the bench and I have spoken to the staff about that."
Last week Sereni seemed to claim that there was favouritism on the part of Town keeper coach Malcolm Webster, however Sereni now sees Webster spending more time with Andy Marshall as normal in the English game: "I understand this is the English way of coaching. In Italy if there are four coaches all get equal time. But now Marsh is the first team keeper he gets extra coaching, I don't have a problem with Marsh, we get on fine."
Marshall says he has often stayed behind for extra training during the five years that Malcolm Webster has worked with him and says that Sereni needs to bide his time: "I have always done extra training. That is what I do to get me right for matches. Everyone does what they need to do. Mike Salmon for example is an older more experienced keeper and he knows what he has to do and that works for him. I was disappointed to hear what Matteo is supposed to have said but that is Matteo's prerogative, all I want to do is learn and get better. I thought we got on fine. I bided my time for six months and waited for my chance and got in. It is the same for Matteo, he has to wait and I know if I slip up he will come back in, it is as simple as that."