Captain Dom Backs Smudger
Last updated : 06 April 2004 By Kevin Markey
Captain Matteo had no complaints as he said: "Sometimes something needs to be said. Alan thought he needed to say it, and fair play to him. Alan wants this club to stay in the Premier League with all his heart and if gets a reaction from the boys then it's a good thing. Maybe he said it for that reason.
"We had a laugh and a joke, a bit of banter, and if it stirred the dressing room up then good. But no-one had any grievance with him. It's part of his passion because he loves the club, he wants to do well and stay up, just like we all do. So it was a case of 'right, let's get on with it' and it's had a positive outcome.
"I've no complaints with Alan because he has been absolutely fantastic for us. He deserved his goal and his man-of-the-match award. Both Alan and Mark are a real handful. It was a good team performance, but you need big players in these games. It's fantastic for us we've such big players in our team."
