Defender Jordan Clarke is hoping to make an improvement in tonight’s Carabao Cup game, when Notts County visit Glanford Park for the First Round.
The Iron were matched against the Magpies in the same competition last year, winning 2-0 after extra time, and Clarke wants to win the game in normal time tonight.
Speaking to iFollow Iron, Clarke discusses the new defensive system and how he is feeling after Saturday’s draw with AFC Wimbledon.
ON THE NOTTS COUNTY CARABAO CUP GAME…
JC: We would like to get it done within the 90 minutes this time, but we’re not underestimating them because they are in League Two. It’s just another 90 minutes for us and we need to make an improvement on the second-half against Wimbledon. Everyone likes to see the underdogs do well, but I think in cup games around this time, there are no real underdogs because anything can happen in them.
ON DRAWING WITH AFC WIMBLEDON…
JC: It’s not a negative, but the way the game panned out it felt like a negative for us because it was very competitive first-half – we created chances, we defended well and we got the goal. We wanted to improve on that in the second-half, but the way the game turned out we had to suck up a lot of pressure, and it felt like they were in the ascendency. That is disappointing, as a squad, but we have got another game tonight so hopefully we can improve on that and put things right. It’s obviously frustrating because we didn’t take all three points, but that’s out of the way now, we’re fully into the season.
"We would like to get it done within the 90 minutes this time, but we’re not underestimating them because they are in League Two."
ON HIS DEFENSIVE AND ATTACKING DUTIES…
JC: They do encourage us, when the ball is on the opposite side, to get in and around the box. This formation allows that and it also aids us defensively as well because we will always have at least three at the back and generally a minimum of four. At times when we are under pressure, we can fall into a back five, which is pretty hard to penetrate as Sunderland found out in pre-season. Hopefully we can get back to the training field, work on that and nail it down.
ON HIS FITNESS…
JC: I was tired towards the end. I’m feeling good and my legs are fine. I’m ready to go.