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Skuse: Derby Win Could Spark Play-Off Push
Wednesday, 14th Feb 2018 17:34

Town midfielder Cole Skuse believes a derby triumph on Sunday over mid-table rivals Norwich could spark a play-off push for the Blues.

Both teams are locked on the 44-point mark and by kick-off time at Carrow Road there could be an 11-point gap between them and the top six with 15 games left to play in the current campaign.

Skuse, 31, said: “This isn’t just a huge game in terms of our rivalry and what it means to the fans. It’s also a huge game in terms of trying to get closer to the top six.

“If we win it will be a huge result. It could provide a real spark to our play-off chances.

“We’re level on points, both in the middle of the table, so if we’re going to make a move towards the play-off places we need to do it pretty soon. We need this win.”

Skuse is well aware of the recent history between the two sides and that Town have failed to register a victory over Norwich in the nine games that have taken place since Jim Magilton’s team won 3-2 at Portman Road in April 2009, coincidentally his last in charge before his dismissal to make way for Roy Keane.

He added: “My team as a boy was Bristol City and if we went that long without a win over Bristol Rovers it would hurt. I feel the fans’ frustration and I was discussing it with a supporter I bumped into when I was shopping the other day.

“He was saying ‘It’s been nine years, we need to beat Norwich’ and I said ‘I completely understand. If I was in your position as a fan I’d be very frustrated, so we’ll be trying our utmost to get the right result on Sunday’.

“I love the derbies. I used to go along and watch the Bristol derbies as a kid. There weren’t many of them because we [City] were always in a higher division.


“As a player these are the games you want to play in. A couple of years ago we played Norwich and there was a tongue in cheek remark that I made — something about it not being nice being jeered and booed — and their manager at the time, Alex Neil, took it the wrong way.

“I’m well aware that if I’m being booed by opposition fans it means we’re doing something right and getting on top of them.

“The Norwich game is one we’re all looking forward to. Personally, I love these games and I know what they mean to the fans.

“The chap I was chatting to at the supermarket reminded me that Norwich don’t score many goals — 31 in 31 league games so far — and we’ll be trying our utmost to make sure that’s the case on Sunday. We’ll be playing a very disciplined game, trying to put our stamp on them.

“I know we lost at home to them this season but I thought we had a very good game and probably deserved to win it, as mad as that sounds. We nullified them as much as we could and last season’s game at Carrow Road was a tough one to take.

“If we go about our business in the right way and put our footprint on them it would be nice to come away with a win.”

As one of the most experienced players in the Town side Skuse won’t be fazed by the occasion on Sunday and responded in predictable fashion when asked how he would feel about being handed a man-to-man marking role on Canaries’ £20 million-rated midfielder James Maddison, whose goal decided the corresponding fixture at Portman Road earlier in the season.

Skuse said: “He’s a fantastic player and been a great signing for them. He’s had a great run of performances and he’s being tipped to go on and do bigger and better things.

“I know he’s being watched by a number of top division sides. It will be a tough ask but if I’m asked to do a job on him I’ll go about my business the way I do most weeks if I have to look after an opponent. I’ll be trying to stop him having a footprint on the game.”

Several Town players, among them ex-Rangers pair Joe Garner and Martyn Waghorn, will be making their first derby appearances at Carrow Road. Skuse laughed: “My dad’s team is Rangers. He’s a big fan and I’ve been asking them questions about the Old Firm derby.

"They tell me it’s on a different scale altogether — you can’t leave your house all week in the build-up and if you lose you can’t leave your house for two weeks.

“In terms of the East Anglian derby my experience is that the build-up is important. In training, for example, you are trying to give the players who haven’t experienced it before all the confidence you can and build them up as much as you can.

“A derby is a different environment, it’s much more hostile and atmospheric, so you just try to prepare them for that. You want them going into the game high on confidence and hopefully they perform on the day.”

One of Skuse’s most endearing qualities is his ability to poke fun at himself and he was at his self-deprecating best when the possibility of him grabbing a rare goal — he has only netted twice in his 196 Town appearances to date — at Carrow Road and, if so, did he have a celebration ready?

He added: “I haven’t to be honest. Would you like to suggest one? Any ideas? But I’m due a goal — actually, when am I not ever due a goal? I don’t think I have the physique to copy Bersant taking his shirt off and throwing it into the crowd at Burton.

“When Tommy [Smith] scored in the play-off game at Carrow Road he ran the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of our fans. I’m not sure I could run that far so I’d prefer to score at the same end as where the fans will be.

“When I first signed for Ipswich I was a bit taken aback because the supporters at my first away game were unbelievable. The atmosphere they created was phenomenal.

“Let’s not beat about the bush — Ipswich is geographically challenged, to say the least. Every away game for Ipswich is hours and hundreds of miles, so the away following we get is fantastic and full credit to them.

“Sunday will be one of their shorter journeys so it would be nice to give them the win they deserve as a thank-you for their support up and down the country.

“It was the same — and still is — for Bristol City. Most of their trips are long old slogs. Chambo was saying the other day that when he played for Nottingham Forest he was nearly always home by around eight o’clock from away games. He said they seemed to be just two hours from nearly everywhere.”


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blythburgh_blue added 17:38 - Feb 14
Well you won't be scoring a goal as usual, Skusey.
11

Juggsy added 17:40 - Feb 14
Same old, same old.
16

Taricco_Fan added 17:42 - Feb 14
We're nowhere near good enough.
16

baxter7 added 17:44 - Feb 14
Mcarthys proper bloke speaks don't worry you will be in the side Sunday as usual
7

smithy0981 added 17:45 - Feb 14
We have no chance of winning Sunday best we can hope for is not to loose, that's what mick will go there to do. Personally I think we are going to get thumped
2

SE1blue added 17:46 - Feb 14
I'm a dreamer but we're currently 200/1 to get promoted and performing like we're lucky we had a good start to the season.

I admire the words but they're empty ones and only fool would think we are anywhere near good enough to hit the top six before the end of the season.
12

WarkTheWark added 17:46 - Feb 14
"Skuse: Derby Win Could Spark Play-Off Push". It sounds like they've all lost the plot.
11

afrodids added 17:48 - Feb 14
We'd need to win 10 of the last 15 to have any chance basically there are two hopes, no hope and Bob Hope.
15

martin587 added 17:53 - Feb 14
You should have thought about that when we played Burton.!!
10

Mark added 18:02 - Feb 14
I am worried the headline could be true, but for Norwich. They are in promotion form, whereas we are winning about one match a month recently. I would certainly take a draw on Sunday to help thwart Norwich in their last season of parachute money.
5

Kesgraveblue57 added 18:05 - Feb 14
A nice win on Sunday Mr Skuse Then I will believe pigs can fly !
2

boroughblue added 18:10 - Feb 14
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha




Oh, you're serious?
7

Super_Cooper added 18:11 - Feb 14
Just win for ***** sake!
3

Radlett_blue added 18:18 - Feb 14
Beating chuffing Burton at home was an absolutely necessity if we were to make a run for the play-offs.
Words are cheap, although the first win over Norwich since god knows would be nice.
17

BlueArrow added 18:27 - Feb 14
Another been sniffing the toilet cleaner
1

Daleyitfc added 18:36 - Feb 14
We have a squad full of knob-heads, as stupid intellectually as they are useless on the pitch ; all taking their lead / script from the gormless plank still in post as the manager. Just go away, all of you.
0

Jonnosdreadlocks added 18:36 - Feb 14
bore off skuse. you and your fellow crap undroppabble chambers can sod off with MM.
7

jas0999 added 18:56 - Feb 14
No it won't. The Norwich game is our cup final, because win, lose or draw, we simply do not have a good enough squad nor quality of player to challenge the play offs.

A win would be fantastic, but won't erase the disappointment of the past two years.
25

Woodbridgian added 18:59 - Feb 14
Headline might as well read Buying £2 lottery ticket could spark jackpot win! Neither impossible but equally unlikely
13

christiand added 19:03 - Feb 14
Stop the talking Skuse we've all become a little bored with it quite frankly. How about you and your team mates actually start delivering on the pitch as a collective. All this talk that we could be play off contenders is utter nonsense the realists amongst already know that we are no way good enough.

Yes a win would be great on Sunday, but lets not kid ourselves that's all we can look forward to after a pretty mediocre campaign.
17

MonkeysChuff added 19:09 - Feb 14
Making the play offs. Funniest thing I've heard all day
9

OsborneOneNil added 19:11 - Feb 14
We'll be playing a very disciplined game, trying to put our stamp on them.

Hilarious.
6

silkcutblue added 19:16 - Feb 14
PLAYOFFS Give me strength
9

smellmycheese added 19:16 - Feb 14
10 wins from 15 games. I don't think so.
6

bluemike1969 added 19:17 - Feb 14
OMG thats sooooo funny! Best laugh I've had all week. We haven't got heart and no one has pride in the shirt. Long gone are the derby days of old when the likes of Alex Mathie and Danny Haynes ran rings round the budgies and would score for the fun of it. I love my club but we are decaying under an owner that sees us as a tax loss and a manager that doesn't give a toss about anyone or anything but himself. Another derby humiliation resulting in dino saying 'we were beaten by a better team' and waiting for the smug tw*ts at look East and about Anglia to rub it in. Save our beloved club someone please!!!!!
15


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