‘Strawbs’ will take lead in Alderney
TOM STRAWBRIDGE will captain Guernsey in their awkward Muratti semi-final trip to Alderney, but it is not a snub to Guernsey FC skipper Jamie Dodd.
Island boss Chris Tardif has been explaining his thoughts on why the 24-man training squad he has named for the trip to Mount Hale next month does not include many Guernsey FC regular starters – perhaps just four.
But Tardif, who is still searching for his first coaching triumph over Jersey, insists it is the squad he wants and not the result of ‘debate’ with Green Lions boss Tony Vance.
‘It was all very amicable,’ said Tardif.
‘I went through the squad I wanted with Tony and there was no debate. It was the squad that I wanted.
‘There are some [GFC] players who I don’t think would do very well in Alderney to be honest.
‘I haven’t gone in and asked for every GFC player because that’s not what I wanted.’
As for the choice of Strawbridge as captain, Tardif said: ‘I’ve had a separate conversation with Jamie. He’s the captain of GFC as well and if “Strawbs” hadn’t been such a leader and playing so well, I’d have taken him. They are very similar.’
Tardif revealed that he had hoped to name Craig Young, too, but the Manzur midfielder was unavailable on semi-final match-day.
As for some of the youngsters he had named in the 24, Tardif described it as ‘future-proofing’ with the Island Games on the horizon.
The three Sylvans youngsters named – Nick Batiste, Sam Green and Tiago Rodrigues – have all impressed him.
Batiste, who is one of three keepers named, has ‘all the attributes to be a really good goalkeeper,’ said the former professional goalminder who has taken a new coach on board in former Muratti man Paul de Garis.
He replaces Scott Ferbrache.
