Nicholls will round on his doubters
Thursday 28th January 2010, 11:10AM GMT.
Walsall striker Alex Nicholls has insisted he will round on his doubters if given a chance as speculation surrounding his future rumbles on.
The 22-year-old hasn’t started in four months but scored the winner in the reserves’ 2-1 win over Leicester City yesterday.
Nicholls is out of contract in the summer and has been linked with a move away from the Banks’s Stadium but wants to prove his critics wrong.
He said: “If and when I get a chance, it will make me more determined to do well and turn around to throw it back into certain people’s faces that I am good enough to play and should have been picked from the start.
“It’s the way I think, I’m quite ruthless and it’s the way you have to be in football. I’ve seen over the years you have to be ruthless and you’re in it for yourself to a certain extent.
“You have to play for the team as well, but doing that isn’t going to help you become the best you can be in your career.”
But Nicholls, who has two goals this season, refuses to be downbeat.
He said: “If you sulk you’re kidding yourself. If I sulk I’ve got no chance of getting back into the first team. If I play well and do well then I’ve got a chance. I’m not one to sulk but at times it’s hard to keep going, because you feel you’re doing well and not getting anywhere.
“It’s all about being positive, believing in your own game and that you’re a good player.”
Nicholls, who has played just 83 minutes since October, will continue to fight Darren Byfield, Troy Deeney and Sam Parkin, who also scored yesterday, for a striking berth.
He said: “Look at the games I played last season, I don’t feel I was at my best at all. I was playing out of position, I can do a job on the right but I’ve got so much more to give up front.
“In the reserves I’ve been playing well in my favoured position, but it’s just a matter of being patient.
“I have spoken to the manager and know what his thinking is, so it’s a matter of being patient and ready for my chance if it comes.”
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I saw Nicholls play against Swindon earlier this year an i thought he played brilliantly. It would be a shame if the club let a player of his undoubted talent leave
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The Lad has way more talent and ability than Deeney. He really does deserve a chance, something he hasn’t had since Merson was boss.
And that isn’t a pro-Merson anti whoever statement but its true. Albeit his injury robbed him of a good while.
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The problem for Nicholls is that he plays one good game in 5 & Hutchins recognises this inconsistency – when he’s on his game he is very good.
Deeney is not the finished product but his record over the last 12 months should be recognised.
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I feel sorry for Alex actually……. I think I would rather have him on the right than Till every time! That way when Deeney or Byfield aren’t firing up front or get a knock, Nicholls is in the game and can switch to his favour front role.
I really thought he would get a chance with Jones out all these weeks and he probably would have done had we not had all those games postponed.
Hopefully he will get a run in the team soon, either by injury to another player or because we have lots of games and some in the squad will start to feel it by mid-end of Feb.
The worrying thing is that he is out of contract in May…..very worrying. Come on CH, the money is rolling in again now, sit down with him and sign him up…….or we will loose another ‘little gem’ for nothing!
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