I see Sturrock is bigging up the R O C K (Pook!) after his recent performances in the paper today
Extract follows "MICHAEL Pook insists he is quite happy to go ‘unnoticed’ in Town’s promotion drive but Paul Sturrock feels it is time the fans cut the Swindonian ‘some slack’.
The youngster’s tireless work in the centre of the park has been highlighted by the Town boss as his team head for their game in hand at Rochdale tonight.
Sturrock, who will be able to call on Jerel Ifil before his ban kicks in at Hereford, said: “Michael has got a lot of things to learn in the game.
“I don’t think he’s a fans’ favourite but again he does all good things for a manager.
“He’s got a long throw that can influence the game. He’s always there or thereabouts and wins his tackles and headers.
“I would hope the fans would cut him a bit of slack now.”
Pook’s only concern is making sure that he carries out his instructions to the best of his ability.
He said: “I’m getting to know what I’m good at now and I just try and do what the manager and and the coaching staff tell me.
“If that means I go unnoticed I don’t mind going unnoticed. As long as they’re happy and telling me I’m doing the right things.”
The next challenge is to take advantage of a potentially crucial game in hand at Rochdale this evening.
The Haydon Wick youngster said: “It’s going to be a tough game. They won as well on Saturday so they’ll be confident.
“But three points would push us right up there and give us the best chance for automatic promotion.
“We want to get as far clear of fourth spot as possible.
“If we keep going it’s in our hands now. If we win all our games we’re going to go straight up. That’s a great position to be in.”
It is all a far cry from 12 months ago when Pook was part of a team sliding towards the drop.
He said: “Look at my first season, relegation. It’s gone from one end to the other.”
So what makes the difference in Pook’s eyes?
He said: “It’s all confidence in football.
“Last year if we scored a goal we’d sit back and do everything to keep it. This year we’ll score one and look to score two or three. That’s purely down to confidence.”
While Pook’s midfield industry is aiding the promotion push, the youngster is looking forward to his two attacking colleagues giving Rochdale some grief.
He said: “Barry Corr and Lukas Jutkiewicz give the centre halves of the other teams so much trouble because the pair of them win the vast majority of their headers.
Barry seems to pop up in the right place at the right time for us and he’s scored two goals in two games. You can’t ask for more than that.”
bigging Pook up"
... quite right too after he helped start the move for the winning goal Saturday
As we said in our section of the stadium on Saturday - that goal was all about Michael Pook!