Cherries' Cook: We thrive on the mind games (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Cherries' Cook: We thrive on the mind games
7:00am Wednesday 2nd January 2013 in Sport
By Ian Wadley
DEFENSIVE star Steve Cook insists Cherries have the strength to avoid being distracted by any mind games over the club’s apparent spending power.
Cook’s comments came as Brentford boss Uwe Rosler, speaking before and after yesterday’s 0-0 draw at Griffin Park, became the latest rival manager to draw attention to Cherries’ budget.
Having described the Dorset outfit as having the “best resources in the league”, Rosler then said his Bees squad was just as good as Cherries’ despite claiming there was a “massive difference” in finances.
Centre-half Cook, who was again excellent as Cherries registered a fourth consecutive League One clean sheet, says there is no chance of Eddie Howe’s team taking their eyes off the ball.
And the 21-year-old also hinted they were using rivals’ comments as added motivation.
Cook told the Daily Echo: “It doesn’t bother us. What happens off the pitch is not really down to us, we have got to do the business on the pitch.
“Clubs and teams that say that just try to take our mind off the game but we are a strong side.
“We thrive off it. We see what the managers say in the papers, the gaffer shows us, and that just encourages us more. We want to show the league that we deserve to be up there.”
Cherries’ rivals have often referred to their financial muscle since the arrival of Russian businessman Maxim Demin as the Dorset club’s co-owner.
Speaking in his post-match press conference at Griffin Park, Rosler said: “I told my players that, on much less budget, our squad is as good as their squad. I think that is a compliment to all of my players.
“It is a massive difference and we are as good as them.”
Cherries made it 16 matches without defeat since Howe’s appointment by drawing at Brentford, with Wes Fogden, Harry Arter, Josh McQuoid and Matt Tubbs among the players to come close to netting second-half winners.
Cook added: “Teams are going to look at it and think we are doing well. But we are not worried about what other people think.
“We were playing catch-up but it is not a problem. We have got ourselves back in the mix and our season starts now.”
Cherries, who remained four points behind fourth-placed Brentford, slipped out of the play-off zone on goal difference following victories for rivals Swindon Town and MK Dons.
Comments(15)
pehf1rules
says...
8:36am Wed 2 Jan 13
nonnogeppetto
says...
9:04am Wed 2 Jan 13
I hope this article will not attract posts about accusations and counter-accusations of being bullies!!!
Let us accept that we all see things with different eyes and come up with differing opinions.
My new year started with a headache I hope yours didn't. UTCIAD
nonnogeppetto
says...
9:06am Wed 2 Jan 13
charlie2004
says...
9:17am Wed 2 Jan 13
WHYNOT
says...
9:55am Wed 2 Jan 13
trigg_travers91
says...
12:37pm Wed 2 Jan 13
trigg_travers91
says...
12:50pm Wed 2 Jan 13
Theoretically they should be amongst our best players but they may be taking too long adapting to English football. With injuries in midfield and strikers leaving, I'd have thought they'd have featured by now.
bobsworthforever
says...
1:04pm Wed 2 Jan 13
trigg_travers91 wrote:Waitrose for me great cheese
It's not just about how much money you've got. EH & JT are proven to be successful with and without money, just means the difference between looking for good deals in Waitrose and Aldi! Well technically they've not spent much money in this stint but they've transformed a squad which commanded hefty transfer fees.
LeGod
says...
1:44pm Wed 2 Jan 13
Should make for a good game as both team like to play the ball on the floor.
No doubt you will want revenge after your 4-0 stuffing at our place but EH has got you lot playing better and your on a good run but we are just starting to peak at the moment so it will be interesting. Hopefully Wigan will take a bit out of your boys on saturday.
The Paolo revolution continues onwards and upwards.
bigfatsteve
says...
2:50pm Wed 2 Jan 13
bobsworthforever wrote:I think of our squad now being more of a Marks and Spencer's of League one, after for so long being the Lidl's of the lower leagues.
trigg_travers91 wrote:Waitrose for me great cheese
It's not just about how much money you've got. EH & JT are proven to be successful with and without money, just means the difference between looking for good deals in Waitrose and Aldi! Well technically they've not spent much money in this stint but they've transformed a squad which commanded hefty transfer fees.
The Renegade Master
says...
2:57pm Wed 2 Jan 13
I'm sure Uve Rosler meant no harm with his comments but I heard Eddie Howe speaking about Brentford before the game and he had nothing but praise for them which proves Eddie will always win the psychological battles with his opponents!
UTCIAD!
scottie190
says...
3:55pm Wed 2 Jan 13
LeGod wrote:Good to hear you are coming in numbers sorry till we build the fourth stand when we are promoted that is all we can have. Hope for a better game this time utciad
The miserly amount of tickets you gave us for our game with you have been sold as you only gave us 1200 dont know if we will get anymore i doubt it as your ground hold just under 10k so unlikely. Should make for a good game as both team like to play the ball on the floor. No doubt you will want revenge after your 4-0 stuffing at our place but EH has got you lot playing better and your on a good run but we are just starting to peak at the moment so it will be interesting. Hopefully Wigan will take a bit out of your boys on saturday. The Paolo revolution continues onwards and upwards.
bournered26
says...
4:46pm Wed 2 Jan 13
trigg_travers91 wrote:Demouge was warming up before the game so assume he would have been on the bench if there was an injury before the game started.
Also, any news on our Dutch friends? They should both be injury-free and they haven't had a whiff off the teamsheet in a while.
Theoretically they should be amongst our best players but they may be taking too long adapting to English football. With injuries in midfield and strikers leaving, I'd have thought they'd have featured by now.
Auzzi Cherry
says...
11:29pm Wed 2 Jan 13
The Bee's game was the one that concerned me, probably our biggest test of the revival ... and to not concede again against a team who's form almost rivals ours !!!
David James is going to soon forget how it feel to pick a ball our the back of his own net !
Im hoping for a draw up at Wigan. If the lads can park the bus for the game and take it back to DC, I think we can take it through to the next round !
COYR !!!
djd says...
8:31am Wed 2 Jan 13
On this story he's complaining about our budget, on another story he's complaining about a penalty he thought his team should have been given.
Why don't they just face the fact that Cherries have improved so much that it is difficult to even score against them, let alone register a win.