Players feel the pain, insists Cats star Andy Reid

Apr 29 2009 by Stephen Brown, The Journal

“We have pride as footballers and when we don’t perform and get the results we take it to heart. It is a personal thing.

“But on the other side it’s important that you don’t feel sorry for yourself and that you don’t mope around thinking here we go again.

“The better way to think about it is that we have had a bad result but we have a great opportunity in front of our own fans (against Everton at the weekend) to go seven points clear with three matches left.”

That’s more like it, accentuating the positive.

“I have a 10-year-old daughter in Ireland and when I pick up the phone to her it makes things a bit better,” Reid said.

“She helps to keep things in perspective and helps you to get over the initial disappointment.

“All that is on on a Sunday is football, so I also try to play my guitar as much as I can.

“But when you wake up you can’t help but think about football. You seem to remember every little bit that happened, so you end up analysing it in your head. We were back in on Monday and now it’s all about working towards Sunday.”

But, also, with one eye on Monday week.

“Yeah Newcastle play Middlesbrough, and a draw is a good result for us,” Reid added.

“It keeps a good gap between us and we might have a tough run-in, but so have they. When Middlesbrough go to Newcastle, one of them has to take points off the other.

“I see that as positive. We don’t have to play any of the teams below us and that’s another positive for us. You take your mind off the negatives and you try to remain positive.”