Barker: 'We haven’t played well for six or seven games now'
Shrimpers skipper Chris Barker has been around long enough, and he put in a solid enough performance as chaos reigned around him at Whaddon Road Saturday afternoon, to know that over a long season any side will not turn in great performances every game, it's getting out of the ruts that come along as quickly as possible that sort out the promotion sides from the riff-raff.
Barker told www.echo-news.co.uk: “We could have lost by more and I felt Cheltenham hammered us if I’m honest. We were disappointing all over the pitch – front, middle and at the back too – and Cheltenham beat us up. They were men and we were boys and, after a good run of 17 matches unbeaten, this is very much back to reality for us. It also shows that there is still a long way to go this season.”
So, that was the Essex boys first league defeat since September, and now a cup break in Lancashire, it should get above freezing, if we're lucky; just what you want to get back in some sort of decent form! (& where a Shrimpers spokesman has confirmed the winners will earn about £200,000 for the Anfield tie, not quite the million Chris was hoping for, but we'll take it!)
Barker said: “We weren’t good enough and we all hold our hands up to that. We’re not going to hide and we haven’t played well for six or seven games now. We haven’t won in four either so we’re going through a sticky patch and we will have to work hard to get out of it.”
They certainly well, this is the time you really get behind the lads, with Friday evening's game at Bradford City even more important for the season to be rated a success.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christopher Andrew Barker | ||
| Date of birth | 2 March 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Sheffield, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Southend United | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–1999 | Alfreton Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999–2002 | Barnsley | 113 | (3) |
| 2002–2007 | Cardiff City | 159 | (0) |
| 2004 | → Stoke City (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | → Colchester United (loan) | 38 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Queens Park Rangers | 25 | (0) |
| 2008–2010 | Plymouth Argyle | 54 | (0) |
| 2010 | → Southend United (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2010– | Southend United | 52 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12:09, 18 October 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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(For the full article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Barker)