Hunger and desire will be rewarded

RYAN BROOKE (right) will gain his reward for persistence, says Gerry Taggart.

Latics’ assistant manager writes every Friday for Chron Sport SUPPORTERS will inevitably look at teamsheets and wonder why certain players are not in the side.

We can only judge it on who is looking hungry and sharp, who is telling us with their body language and with what they do on the training pitch who wants to play the most.

And this is how we work throughout the club.

If a player works hard and shows myself and Paul Dickov that he really wants it, then he will play.

On the flip side of that, if a player doesn't work hard and doesn't look hungry then he won't play.

Lots of teams have differing philosophies, but that is ours and we stick to it.

Put simply, it is what picking the team is based on.

It is why players like Kirk Millar and Ryan Brooke have had their chance. They have worked hard and showed some bite in training.

Ryan keeps getting himself in goalscoring situations and if he keeps doing that, at some point the ball will drop for him and his timing will get better.

Sometimes the manager will tell players the same things over and over again and because of the repetition there is a danger that it falls on deaf ears.

But Paul is spot-on with what he says. You have to be the best you can be every day in training and go on to be the best you can be in games — that is what brings success.

And the players have to realise that.

Our careers as players were built on hard work so we know what it is all about.

Football isn't rocket science. You have to have one clear message that everybody understands — and that is ours.

It is up to the individual to take it on board and if they don't, then they won't play.

Looking at our last two games against Hartlepool and Rochdale, we were very disappointed with the results but not the performances.

The team's efforts have been good and I think if you look at both matches, they have been decided on mistakes that we have made.

The better team lost on Monday and up to the opening goal I don't think our goalkeeper had a save to make.

It is clear to us that there isn't a lot wrong and the lads have been different class.

A lot of the goals we have conceded this year have been down to individual mistakes — I would say between 80 and 85-per-cent. It is not about teams opening us up and scoring great goals.

At the other end, we are always confident of creating chances in front of goal, but we aren't killing teams off at the moment in terms of scoring. I don't know if that boils down to a little bit of ring-rustiness.

I know Danny Wilson from when he managed me at Barnsley and he is a wily old fox. He knows the game inside out and will be aware of what we are all about.

But the Swindon game provides us with a good opportunity to right a wrong.