ChronicleLive - Face Off - Newcastle Vipers Blog

Big Decisions pushing the club forward!

2010-04-12T15:53:14Z

Hi there, Mark Gouett here!

Well after every season the only thing that can be counted is that changes will occurring, it is the nature of sport.

Unfortunately the team did not place nearly as well as was expected and when that happens changes need to be made.

With Willie (Coach Wilson) stepping to the side it now brings opportunity for a new coach to come in here and bring new life to the team and organisation.

However this appointment will have to be the right appointment and Jamie and Paddy are looking at many candidates and doing the due diligence required for this appointment.

This is a massive decision for the club and cannot be rushed.

The decision of a coach is critical and to be fair to him it would not be fair to start signing players for the up coming season.

Many fans and supporters are watching many clubs in the country sign new players or retain players for the future.

This club needs and will continue to be patient.

The incoming coach will dictate what players or already have a list of players he would like and a style and culture he wants to instil in the team.

It will be sometime until personnel decisions are made but there are good players that want to play in Newcastle so being the first out to sign players is not necessarily the best idea.

The other big decision that has occurred is the permanent move to Whitley Bay.

This is a move that has been dictated by finance.

Keeping hockey affordable and building towards the future in a responsible way is the key to next year.

As a player I enjoyed playing in the Metro Radio Arena but in 'the Bay' there is a great atmosphere and when the team is rolling and the fans are excited it is a great place to play.

The Bay is also continuing to make improvements to the facilities and making the rink fan friendly.

Next year will be better as the team and organisation has recognised things that can be improved upon and will continue to strive towards the future.

On a personal note.

I just want to say thank you to everyone that sent well wishes while I was in the hospital.

To set the record straight, I blocked a shot a month and a half back in a match. Usually these types of things happen and you get a nice bruise, unfortunately there was a cut in my ankle.

On the way up to Belfast the cut got infected and I was throwing up during the match and my leg filled with fluid.

I made it back to Newcastle and the next morning well to emergency as the leg looked a lot worse and instead of getting oral medication the put me in hospital immediately and got me on an IV drip.

Because of the severity they kept me in hospital for twelve days and had to surgically drain the infection out of my ankle.

The time in hospital was boring but I was fortunate to have many visitors and I appreciate them for coming to keep me entertained haha.

Also I would like to thank the nurses and doctors and staff at the North Tyneside Hospital at Rake Lane for all of there help in getting me back on my feet literally!

Cheers,

Mark

Play-offs are a whole new season!

2010-03-23T08:14:50Z

Hi there, Mark Gouett here.

Well 2009-2010 regular season has come to an end.

The year has had many ups and downs and to be fair at least the club likes to keep things interesting.

Finishing off the season with a victory against Nottingham was something that all of the guys really wanted to do.

I think not only for the fans but also for the actual team this was important because you want to head into play-offs playing your best hockey.

So although the match did nothing to change the standings it will hopefully give the boys confidence heading in to Belfast next weekend.

Speaking of our opponents the Belfast Giants, I think it is safe to say that we have our work cut out for us.

They are a very strong team that has strength and power up front along with a back end of strong puck movers and skating defencemen.

The Giants are a team that runs on confidence and it will be our jobs to at least for the first two periods of the series to try and frusturate by playing a patient game and taking our chances when they come.

The likes of Shields, Thornton, Benedict, Szwez, Cheverie and Bateman are explosive type players that when they get on a role they can put up points on the board very quickly.

We need to keep these guys to the outside and let them play on the perimeter controlling the middle of the ice.

As a club we know we can beat these guys, we just have to play our best hockey and see what happens.

What to expect from the weekend.

Expect the first match up in Belfast to extremely tactical.

The name of the game will be patience and to try and slow those guys down.

Hopefully we can pull out of that game with a goal lead or at least even or close.

A large goal difference will probably too difficult to over come for us so staying close is crucial.

In the Bay... expect it to be rocking.

I think the fans will be in for an extremely physical affair.

Bad blood is starting to develop between the two sides already and I think Whitley Bay will see a lot of action, probably not fights but it will be intense.

Again we need to play simple and do our jobs and play the best we can to pull this off. I feel positive that we can.

Congratulations to the Coventry Blaze who won the league.

They have been the most consistent team and deserve the success they get. Another congratulations goes the Whitley Warriors for winning the ENL North.

It is a great accomplishment and I know many of the boys down there and they are a great players and a great bunch of lads.

On a final note.

This has been a long season and the guys are steadily pulling together.

We are being positive about the job at hand and the feeling amongst the guys that if we can get past Belfast that we can do some damage in the playoffs and hopefully be lifting some silver wear in Nottingham.

Lets all pull together and go for it!

Cheers,

mark

Wooden Spoons, Captain Concerns and Play-off Previews

2010-03-15T17:40:55Z

Hi, Mark Gouett from the Newcastle Vipers here.

A couple of things to talk about this week.

Obviously first up is another uneven performance by the team on a weekend where we are trying to avoid receiving the wooden spoon!

Truth be known a lot of the players and me included really had no idea that Hull was playing such good hockey and gaining on us.

Sometimes when things are not going your way in hockey the only thing you can do is really focus on yourself.

Many players unless they are challenging for a title do not focus on the league table.

However, nobody wants to finish last so I am expecting a strong finish to the season from the boys.

Immediate concerns are over the health of David Longstaff.

Lobby took a wrist shot / clearing attempt in the jaw during the second period of the match against Hull.

Lobby played really well on Saturday leading us to an emotional victory over the Capitals and was just rounding into shape.

Unfortunately in the hockey these things happen and I know that Lobby is extremely disappointed to miss at least this upcoming weekend.

I have said over and over again that Lobby is extremely important to this club and provides many intangibles that only senior star players can provide in this league.

You don't replace a Lobby you just put your nose to the grind stone and work that much harder in his absence.

Play-off previews this weekend for Viper fans. T

This Saturday night we head to the odyssey in Belfast to play the Giants.

They have been surrounded in turmoil recently with the big fella McMorrow having some legal issues.

Hopefully the allegations prove false because McMorrow has brought a lot to the league as far as being a 'show man' and has signed countless number of autograph pictures for me and Mr. and Mrs Deas that have been sold at matches.

He did it with a smile and was always quick to say thank you for the pleasure.

That with standing Belfast is still an incredibly strong team.

They have six strong defenceman and three lines of forwards that can match anyone in the league.

When rolling this team can score lots of goals but when off can struggle and be impatient.

It is a very similar story for the Panthers who come to town for "Rock the Rink" on Sunday (7.30 - Whitley Bay).

Probably the most explosive set of forwards in the league.

Strength from top to bottom and a top notch defenseman in Corey Neilson, but they too suffer from being impatient.

However, they have had a great season and there is a possibility that they could be playing for the league title come Sunday and it would be great atmosphere down in the Bay if that was the case.

On our own issues at the moment.

The guys are committed to hard work. Play-off hockey is different hockey.

The attention to details and the individual battles are what wins and loses play-off series.

We as a team feel very confident that who ever we match up against, Belfast, Coventry or Nottingham that we can get a job done and be in the final four weekend.

It is the great thing about play-offs that it is a brand new season and anything can happen.

Cheers,

Mark

Tough Weekend, Social Networking and Special Thanks

2010-03-08T14:16:44Z

Hi, Mark Gouett here.

Truthfully not much to be said about the weekend, we as a squad did not perform well enough to deserve anything from the weekend.

To be honest we got behind a determined Hull Stingrays that played a strong game.

Unfortunately we did not capitalise on our opportunities and these things happen.

That does not excuse the effort on the final two goals against however when things go bad for this squad it goes really bad.

On the Sunday we rebounded well against an explosive Cardiff side.

However we could not hang on to our lead and Cardiff over took us.

A small consolation goes out to a young guns, Campbell, Holland, Tinsley and Salem -

The young guys are maturing rapidly as their ice time increases.

Confidence is growing among these guys and hopefully we are watching the early development of a core for the future in Newcastle.

The games that were lost on the weekend were two very different losses.

I get questioned occasionally "Why do we lose in the manner we do?"

There is no simple reason for this.

To be honest a lot has to do with money and experience.

At the present time the Vipers are running with one of the smallest budgets in the Elite League.

Quality, experience and depth, especially at this time of year costs money.

This is not a Rob Wilson problem; Willy has a budget to work with that makes sense from an organisational standpoint.

He more than anyone in this organisation wants to win hockey games and employ the best players in this league, but at this point we have to sacrifice and play with younger players and attract players that might not have the experience yet to close out hockey games.

The tactics are in place it is up to the players (myself included) to go out and get the job done. Frustration is there!

One of the best things about the British Ice Hockey Game is the amount of contact there is between the players and the supporters.

This is a great asset which needs to be built upon and further developed.

Football, Rugby and Cricket do not have this close knit relationship that you see in British Ice Hockey.

However with this comes a certain amount of respect from both sides (fan and player).

The players that made the headlines for some of their questionable behaviour on social networking sites were reprimanded and reminded that they a representing the club at all times and questionable behaviour will not to tolerated.

This is a family sport, first and foremost.

The other side of the coin is the supporters and fans (a miniscule small minority) taking 'pot shots' at the club or team is in poor taste.

The players have friends and family that follow us over here as well and would be more than a little bit concerned about what gets said about the team and individuals.

Players have big shoulders but remember some players are from thousands of miles away and this is the one of the only mediums of which friends and family follow the club back home.

Lastly special thanks to the supporters that made the trip down to Cardiff.

You guys have sat through some poor performances but have always voiced your opinion, supported the team and demanded an honest effort.

I just wanted to say thank you it does not go unnoticed.

Anyways back to work! Mark,

Life wasn't so Three-sy for Newcastle Vipers

2010-03-01T14:33:44Z

Hi there Mark Gouett here!

Fair to say that this weekend was definitely one of mixed emotions and I think the boys are happy to have the Monday off to get away from the hockey at least for the day.

The Friday match in Sheffield was a bitter disappointment as the team trained extremely well through out the week.

As I pointed out before Sheffield is an extremely good side and have depth and talent to spare.

The mistakes that we made during the second period were the type that has plagued us the whole year and to be fair we did not receive much help from Mr Carson.

Sheffield at home are a very good side and still has a lot of experience in winning but our overall performance was disappointing and the trip back to Newcastle was extremely quiet as can be expected.

And then on to the Bash at the Bay on Saturday.

The whole experience was great the crowd was awesome and the marketing was extremely strong and I think the boys really enjoyed the whole experience.

To be honest there was a few eye brows raised with the idea of a pre-game skate with the supporters, however, the guys enjoyed and we had a little more jump for the Saturday match.

Along with a great crowd and solid buzz the game saw the return of the captain - David Longstaff.

Lobby decided to give it a go after being off for eight weeks!

He wasn't his usual self but hopefully with a full week of training he will be back in the squad.

He is extremely important player for this team, as he can contribute offensively and defensively, provides leadership and really gives a boost to the power play.

Along with the leadership he also provides options to play a third line.

Young studs such as Jamie "tinslemania" Tinsley and Nathan Salem (that is Salem not Saleeem as he is known in Edinburgh) are deserving of a chance to play and are growing in confidence daily.

Developing a third line is crucial down the stretch and much needed.

Unfortunately the result did not go our way on the Saturday night but I think the contest was physical and the fans got to see two teams play a good brand of hockey and it was an enjoyable night had by all.

And so on to Sunday, the old saying came into play: "I did not come to Europe to play anymore Three in Threes".

Three matches in three nights are tough.

Especially travelling for two of those matches but I think the boys realised we owed Edinburgh a little payback for this season.

Truth is we have out played them on several occasions only to come up short.

We came into the match with a loose attitude but a determined one.

Things started poorly.

Even in the warm-up as Mike Berry broke the steel in his skate and had to wear Ben Campbell's old pair for the match.

We came out strong from the get go and if it was not for Rudkowsky the netminder for the Capitals the match would have been put to bed early.

He stood on his head...Robby stood on his head and the fans were treated to an old fashion goalie duel.

Thankfully our guy stood tall and we got the victory in a shootout.

Robinson was the easy choice for man of the match and has played extremely well all season for us.

Final word from me...Canada Olympic Champions for the men's ice hockey.

We were fortunate enough to watch the last two periods up in the Capitals bar at Murrayfield and the locals were great and made us feel at home.

Personally I am extremely proud to see my fellow Canucks succeed as we did but the realisation is that this was a tight match and an extremely tight tournament were any team could have won.

The coverage from my old D partner Brent Pope was great and I hope this propels many other kids to give ice hockey a shot as it is a great game.

Cheers

Mark

Big Wins, Sore Heads, Goal Celebrations and Olympic Rivalries

2010-02-23T12:23:00Z

Hey there, Mark Gouett here with my first entry for the Face Off Blog.

I'm looking to keep all fans updated with life behind the scenes at the Vipers in the next few weeks.

Five weeks to go in the Elite League Schedule and there still seems to be so much to play for.

The top four is probably out of reach but this year's season has been extremely competitive and it is the firm belief within the squad that any team is able to beat any team on any given night.

This was proven through the last week's fixtures when we went down to title chasing Nottingham and snatched a last minute victory from the Panthers.

The boys were obviously in good spirits on the trip back and I think even Willy (Coach Wilson) cracked a smile on the bus.

Smiles soon faded as we played a poor two periods on the Saturday against a talented Stingrays team.

However, during the second intermission guys remained calm and having battled back against the Panthers earlier in the week confident that we could pull off the trick again.

Willy changed tactics giving the forwards the green light to chase more and pressure the Hull defence and as always reminded us our own defensive responsibilities.

"Patience and get a goal in the first twelve minutes" was the theme.

We managed to get a goal with 8.05 left just before the 12 guideline.

The ball just got rolling from there and the fans got louder and helped rally the team to the shoot out victory.

It was awesome feeling as it reaffirmed us as a team is not satisfied with just playing out the schedule and finishing seventh.

This week could be the spring board to hopefully a run at fifth spot and more importantly a run to the final four weekend...fingers crossed.

Armed with a great victory and the knowledge of having Sunday off (gitty up) the majority of the boys assembled down town Newcastle at one of the local establishments to enjoy the sights and sounds of Newcastle on a Saturday night, I think more than a few brown pops (Canadian for Beers) were consumed late into the night.

All good clean fun but I think more than a few guys woke up sore heads and were late for church!

I have also recently received more than my fair share of stick in the office for mine and Brent Hughes goal celebration on the fourth versus the Stingrays.

Truth is I haven't scored many goals this season and to be fair I have just forgotten how to celebrate in an appropriate manner.

I promise that I will work on the goal celebrations this week in training!

Sunday, focus went to Vancouver as all of the big countries played each other at the Olympics.

This has been the cause of great debate within the dressing room with the American boys, Teach, Marhle and Jerramie Domish pulling for the States and the Canadians ganging up on them with support for the Great White North.

Unfortunately bragging rights for this week belong to the Yanks so at this point I am really not too excited for our weekly Tuesday Spin class.

I am sure the American guys will remain extremely humble about their victory as most American are known around the world for their politeness and humility - lol.

Alright I have to run as curling is on the telly in 10 minutes followed by pairs ice dancing ...Get in there!

Cheers

Mark

Newcastle Vipers show they REALLY are a close knit group

2009-12-16T08:02:37Z

Well we all heard that the Newcastle Vipers were a close knit group - but perhaps there was concrete evidence of this at another one of the team's bonding sessions this week.

In keeping with the festive team some of the British lads at the club took it upon themselves to arrange a Christmas jumper night.

We all know the type of garment we're talking about here and if you don't then maybe you should check out the mirror on Boxing Day as the chances are you'll probably be wearing one!

This concept was a little lost on some of the imports at Newcastle but most of them got the message and a host of horror jumpers were donned on a night out in the Toon.

However my sources reliably inform me that the message wasn't transmitted through to Vipers tough guy Matus Petricko in time for the event.

But a locker room insider, who must remain name-less, jokes: "For some reason the message didn't get through.

"But he turned up in his usual gear so nobody really noticed the difference."

Yet in the same nature that the Elite League has a long way to run, so has the Vipers Prank League meaning the giant Slovakian has plenty of time to get his own back.

I for one would not want to argue with the eastern European tower of strength.

A week to take stock for Rob Wilson and his close knit Newcastle Vipers roster

2009-12-15T14:01:59Z

WHEN Newcastle Vipers are good they seem to be very good - but when things aren't going according to plan the words very and bad seems to be an understatement so far this season.

True enough, to see Newcastle in the Elite League to start with is heart warming enough this winter, even if many would prefer to watching their hockey in the comfort zone of the Metro Radio Arena.

But on the ice, whether it be at Whitley Bay, the MRA or anywhere else in the Elite League, the fact that Newcastle have beaten every team in the division this season bodes well for 2010.

The 11-3 hammering in Belfast Giants has obviously left Rob Wilson in philosophical mood as he set off for a wee Christmas break to his native Toronto.

In store for the rest of the season is a home run of games at Whitley which in an ideal world would see Newcastle break into that top four.

To be nine points ahead of Sheffield Steelers this season just shows how tough this league really is.

But these days, despite the incosistencies of Newcastle's season, they are looking up rather than down.

The up and coming weekend hands Newcastle two road trips with a home game sandwiched between.

Two wins against Sheffield will certainly put almost enough distance between the champions and Newcastle to discount the threat of Wilson's old team - or at least that is the vibe coming out of certain sections of the locker room!

I've only been lucky enough to see around 60% of Newcastle's home games myself this season due to life on the beat covering Newcastle United.

But what I have seen so far is a group of players that seem to want to work hard for each other, just being around the team not only leaves you wanting the team to do well and achieve success, it also gives you the feeling they will get it.

There aren't too many egos floating around and if Newcastle can enjoy a solid festive period, then there is no doubt that a respectable finish, despite the trials and tribulations of life in Viper Land, can be achieved by this close knit group of players.

http://www.vipershockey.co.uk/news-272-don--t-dwell-on-the-weekend-says-wilson.html

Live blog: Newcastle Vipers v Cardiff Devils

2009-09-06T12:23:18Z

NEWCASTLE VIPERS will be looking for revenge tonight in round two of their Elite League double header of the weekend at the Metro Radio Arena after last night's penalty shoot-out defeat against Cardiff Devils.

And if you can't get to the game tonight and want to see how the actions unfolds as it happens be sure to join us from 5.15pm for our live blog tonight.

The Chronicle's chief sports writer Lee Ryder will be at the game bringing you all of the latest action, colour and inside information from the Vipers locker room as Rob Wilson's side look to get off the mark for the new season.

You can also read a review and leave your opinion on our ice hockey blog Face Off and check out our match review.

Newcastle Vipers v Cardiff Devils

New look Vipers throw it away against Devils in opener

2009-09-05T20:52:11Z

It was all going so well for the new look Newcastle Vipers against Cardiff Devils - before they pressed the self-destruct button in their Elite League opener.

Rob Wilson's side had threw away the 1-0 lead handed to them by Matus Petricko eight minutes into the second period before Yank defenceman Scott Romfo's slapshot levelled things up to make sure it was all square going into the final frame.

Wilson had explained to fans in the prawn sandwich area during the second interval his side would still deliver the good despite no longer containing tough guys like Andre Payette and Derek Campbell this season.

Although, it has to be said that Cardiff enforcer Brad Voth hasn't had may quiet nights like this in his career.

And with Payette, destined for Manchester Phoenix and the EPL this week, watching as a fan he must have been dying to get out there and get into the mix with Voth.

However, Wilson believes that the lack of his own enforcer neutralised the game tonight and that hard work and energy would come good for him

And it did when returning fan favourite Todd Griffith slotted home to make it 2-1 four minutes into the third period.

Jason Tejchma bagged a debut goal on 45:05 but it wouldn't be enough to seal even a regulation time victory as Max Birbraer bagged with nine minutes left to slash the two goal cushion to one and then Phil Hill equalised with less than four minutes to go.

It meant a penalty shoot-out and after Mark Smith scored Griffith tied it up again.

Yet, Newcastle were handed a great chance when Matty Miller missed his one on one only for David Longstaff to fluff his chance at the other end.

Birbraer scored but Tejchma's effort was saved my Stevie Lyle meaning Vipers open up with a defeat on pens.

Still there is always Sunday night's 5.30 meeting to make amends for Wilson's troops.

Big Mac fires parting shot

2009-04-15T13:29:04Z

CHRIS McAllister has fired a parting shot at Newcastle Vipers after failing to win a new contract with the Elite League side.

The former NHL star has left Vipers following a disappointing seventh-place finish and early play-off exit, with Newcastle failing to qualify for finals weekend at Nottingham a fortnight ago.

The Chronicle understands that McAllister stormed out of the UK feeling bitter about the way his stint ended on Tyneside.

The former Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks player also claims the club refused to let him take his sticks back to North America, insisting that they belong to the club.

McAllister said: "I'm very thankful I will never be a part of this organisation again. This situation is a joke.

"They won't even give players their sticks at the season's end."

However, Vipers have hit back at McAllister's claims about ill- treatment from the club and say that plans are already well under way for a "complete rebuild" of the Newcastle roster, with Wilson's side preparing for another season of Elite League hockey.

By his own admission Wilson says there have been mistakes made this season, but he could also rightly feel frustrated by performances on the ice after his carefully assembled side flunked.

And with Wilson currently on international duty as coach with Great Britain, general manager Jaimie Longmuir said today: "We're shocked by Mac's outburst, to be totally honest.

"When we signed him we wanted a leader and somebody who could drive the team forward.

"It's disappointing to hear what he's had to say because we didn't feel we got what we thought we would get from him.

"As far as we're concerned, we went above and beyond the calls of duty to make him comfortable here.

"We gave him quality accommodation, helped him through Northumbria University to study and even paid to get him a direct flight home to North America."

Vipers will hold a meeting with supporters on April 24 in an open forum to take questions from fans who are anxious about the future. This follows Wilson's admission that he would have to re-think things following the club's early exit from the play-offs to Coventry Blaze.

The meeting will see Paul Ferone, Wilson and Longmuir talk about the future of the club.

And the Chronicle can also reveal that Vipers are close to agreeing a deal to re-sign the Canadian defenceman Mark Gouett.

Gouett is expected to be unveiled as the first signing for next season and is expected to be joined on the roster by Dean Holland, Jez Lundin and Ben Campbell.

But Wilson, who has pulled off a string of big-name signings since Newcastle joined the Elite League, is expected to add more stars who will get bums on seats next season.

Longmuir added: "We are building a team for the fans.

"It's not about big-time Charlies.

"It will be a team that works hard but also looks to challenge for honours and silverware.

"We're confident we can do that, but as always we need the support of the fans."

Meanwhile, American star Rob Rankin is also unlikely to return to Vipers.

The former Topeka Scarecrows ace is set to stay in the US after spending last season at Newcastle.

The meeting on April 24 takes place at Hilton Newcastle Gateshead Hotel at 7pm, with all fans urged to attend.

Todd Griffith to leave Viperland

2009-01-04T15:28:18Z

Todd Griffith has left Newcastle Vipers and played his last game for the club against Edinburgh Capitals in the British Knockout Cup.

The player was on a two week notice period with Vipers after head coach Rob Wilson tried to shake up his players following poor performances.

However, Griffith has made the decision to return to North America.

The player has proved to be a favourite for the Vipers fans and without a doubt supporters will be unhappy to see him go.

Griffith was top goalscorer with 16 goals and also chipped in with eight assists in his 33 games for the club.

Players and fans were saying their goodbyes yesterday with Griffith joining Marek Ivan and Tyler WIllis by going through exit door at Newcastle.

Silverware is still on my radar

2008-12-29T13:57:12Z

After two very disappointing defeats against Manchester Phoenix over the holiday period I have made it crystal clear to my players exactly what I am looking for going into the new year.

And with two pieces of silverware still to play for it has to be trophies that we aim for.

Therefore, after our game with Nottingham Panthers tomorrow night, we must focus on the British Knockout Cup like we have never done before.

We have got to give it 110% in the British Knockout Cup and we have to take a serious tilt at the play-offs too.

We'll be fighting and we'll be physical and do anything that we have to do to succeed.

That's the demand ahead of the games coming up.

Hope you all have a great new year celebration and see you all soon at MRA.

Willy

Likit Andersson to jet in

2008-12-08T10:22:26Z

I told the players ahead of the weekend that I wouldn't be afraid to make any more changes if the team didn't step things up.

And there were a few players last week warned there will be changes and somebody will be going.

I feel we need a defenceman in here.

I told a few guys that they need to step up their play.

I hadn't been happy with Todd Griffin, but he, along with Rob Rankin, stepped up their game.

There were a lot of names flying around but Likit Andresson is a player we have been talking too.

We hope to complete the signing this week and he should be here soon.

In terms of players going out we will see after next week's games.

Looking back at the games with Nottingham and Edinburgh I satisfied in some ways.

If you'd have asked me on Friday if we could pick up three out of four points, I'd have been happy with that. It got us out of a rut.

Mark Gouett has scored for us what should have been the winner but it was chalked off for interference.

We have an away game with Basingstoke and then Coventry at home.

If we can repeat that we can turn the corner. We have been on a hard run of games.

We need to get our confidence back

2008-11-24T09:49:37Z

Sometimes in sport it doesn't matter how much talent you have, if you don't have the confidence too, it can leave you short and that's one of the reasons why seem to be struggling to pick up a result at the moment in the Elite League.

When I was on the way back from Sheffield on Saturday night after the Challenge Cup game I was thinking hard about the lack of confidence at the moment.

And after watching Arsenal lose 3-0 to Manchester City and all of the talent they have, it hit home that it can happen to anybody.

Confidence is a crazy thing in sport and I am sure if you could bottle it, market it and sell it you would be a multi billionaire.

If you look back over the season at one point Sheffield were struggling badly but they have now taken nine points from the last 10 and they are top of the Elite League.

That's how it can turn for you.

When I look at what we are doing for the team in training, we simply can't push the guys any harder.

It's simply a lack of confidence that is costing us results at the minute.

We aren't producing and we need to pick our game up.

That must start at Nottingham and Coventry but we know there are two upcoming games that will be really tough for us.