Tardif ‘99%’ sure of his final choice
BEFORE training at Victoria Avenue tomorrow evening Chris Tardif will take aside one of either Jason Martin or Josh Addison and, in a nutshell, say ‘sorry mate, but you will be on the bench this Saturday’.
The Guernsey manager yesterday spoke about how he has yet to fully make up his mind on who will keep goal. Although he spent 10 years as a fully professional keeper and seven years as GFC’s No. 1, he remains unsure as to which way to go with his choice of keeper.
‘I’m 99 per cent sure of where I’m going,’ he added a year on from choosing himself to take the keeper’s gloves for one more Muratti and leave Martin disappointed.
Although he subsequently gave away a decisive penalty, Tardif still doesn’t see it as a mistake to have gone with himself.
‘I thought long and hard about that and it was a big decision and it was one I almost let go of to allow the other guys [assistants] to make the decision for me.’
He will court the views of his assistants again on the Martin v. Addison issue.
‘I’m going to incense either Saints or Rovers this weekend and it is a big call for me. I will be judged quite heavily on that one because it’s my natural position and down to me.
‘Both are more than capable of playing and both have fantastic qualities and both play in a different way with different strengths and weaknesses. It’s making sure I pick the one to help us win the scenario.
‘It’s making sure that not only I’m comfortable with it, but making sure the players in front of them are comfortable.
‘“Doddie” is our captain, our centre-half, and he has to be comfortable with what is behind him.’
The keeper issue seems to be his last remaining big decision as he prepares to announce which two players of the 18-man training group don’t make the match-day 16.
‘I will name the starting side on Thursday to the players and so we can then work at training with the selected team.
‘I have one decision left to be made on my last substitute and I’m still running through several scenarios in my mind as to who I will put in.
‘I’m close and I have got two players to fill that last substitution role.
‘But before training on Thursday I will speak to those who haven’t made it face to face. It’s the only fair and proper way to play it.’
