Chris Agutter said that his Sutton United side are determined to build on the positives of recent performances as they prepare to return to action against Woking, with the mood in the camp described as upbeat despite a frustrating postponement at the weekend.
The U’s had been set to travel north to face Hartlepool United, but the fixture was called off shortly before departure. Instead, attention has remained on reinforcing the encouraging signs shown in the midweek draw with Braintree Town.
“We looked at the Braintree Town game and the positives from that performance. It’s about how we can build on that. That was very much the message going into the Hartlepool United game at the weekend.
“Despite that game being called off, it’s more of the same in terms of building on the best bits of this recent period where we’ve had one loss in six. It feels like we’re getting closer to being on the right track.
“It doesn’t happen too often, which is fortunate, it impacts the rest of the programme because that game gets moved somewhere else.
“In some respects it’s quite well received because we’ve played a lot of games at this time of year. It’s a busy schedule, so what little opportunities you get to rest and recover, you try and take — especially after what was a really demanding game in midweek.
“But equally it’s kicking the can down the road because the game’s got to be put in somewhere. We’ve just got to deal with it, adapt and move forwards.”
A weekend off gave opportunities to other sides to build ground on Sutton, but the bulk of the teams around the drop zone failed to capitalise, with only Brackley Town winning with a 2-1 triumph over Gateshead which saw them jump to 14th. As such, with results elsewhere keeping the bottom half of the table tightly packed, Agutter knows that victories – rather than draws – will be key in the weeks ahead.
“It’s incredibly tight in that bottom half of the table. The fact that pretty much everyone dropped points around us means we’re presented with another opportunity.
“When games in hand come around, we need to capitalise. If we’re drawing games as opposed to winning games, that’s two points dropped. There are only a couple of teams who’ve drawn more games than us this season. We need to convert those draws into wins. If we do that, we’ll be in a really healthy position.”
“It was only really the Boston United game and the Aldershot Town game where we looked at the performance as a whole and thought that’s not great. Against Boston there was nothing there. Against Braintree there was plenty.
“The challenge is to produce the same level of performance with 11 players as what we did with ten in that final period. If we do that, we’ll keep winning games and putting points on the board.”
“The mood within the camp is pretty positive. We’ve lost one game in six, so we’re not on the worst run of form we’ve seen this season. December and January were annihilated by injuries and suspensions, but now we’ve got players back and added a few new faces.
“The Boston game dampened the mood, but we’ve put that behind us. The vibe in the camp is good and we’re looking forward to the next game.”
That next test comes against near neighbours Woking, a side the manager holds in high regard.
“They’re very good. Very well organised and adaptable. The manager has massive experience and has had loads of success — I think his team is a reflection of that.
“Depending on the opposition, Woking will change and be flexible in their organisation. It’s going to be a tough test. It’s close enough to be a derby, so if we needed any more motivation, there’s that added incentive.”
“They are very well organised. When you’re prepping for games, you try to pick holes and understand where you can hurt them. Credit to Woking – we’re having to look incredibly hard to find gaps.
“But if we produce the same level of performance we did against Halifax, Shrewsbury, Forest Green, Hartlepool in the first half, and the final 20 minutes against Braintree, then it doesn’t matter what the opposition are doing.
“When this group are fully committed, playing with intensity, energy and enthusiasm, we’ve got a hell of a chance of winning. On their day, they can beat anyone in the league.”
The Head Coach also addressed discussion around playing out from the back, insisting the team’s style reflects the profile of the squad.
“It’s about understanding your strengths. We haven’t got a target man in the building, so it doesn’t lend itself to playing back to front quickly.
“We’ve got one of the youngest squads in the league and a group brought up on a possession-based brand of football. That’s part of the reason I was brought in.
“For anyone doubting, I’d look at the league table since we’ve been here. There are a lot more teams below us than when we arrived. This is our 20th week — we’d be steady mid-table in that time, reached the second round of the FA Cup, had decent points per game and got to a cup semi-final playing exciting attacking football.
“We’ll continue to work hard, develop the players and put points on the board. We know the direction we’re heading and we’re confident we can keep taking the team in a positive direction playing the way we play.”
