Coventry City's latest loan signing, striker Jon Stead has spoken of his hopes and desires for his time at The Ricoh Arena.
He has admitted he know he is unlikely to walk straight in to a starting position, but he thinks he is the best suited of the four current strikers to be the loan striker in a 4-5-1 formation. Stead also explained that although he is 6'3" tall, he is not just a target man to be fed crosses, he says his game is more complete than just that.
Stead said, “My decision to come here to play games is not me thinking I am going to walk in and play every game until the end of the season. That’s not the case because the other lads are scoring and doing well, but I like to think I am something a little bit different to the other three and I am sure the four of us will be rotating."
“Obviously if I am scoring then I will expect to play every game but at the end of day I am probably going to get more games here than I would have done at Ipswich. I only joined on Monday so I wasn’t expecting to start on Wednesday, so hopefully I can build my way into it and get sharper, but I am raring to go."
“I am completely fit but match fitness is a different thing. I could get through 90 minutes but I want to be as sharp as a I can be. Since my ban I have played nearly two full games and the last two were just stints off the bench. Because of my size I think people tend to think of me as just a target man but I don’t see that as the focal point to my game.”
“Obviously I can do that part of it but I can play as well and I don’t see anything wrong with hitting it up to me on the deck as well as up in the air, but if I provide that outlet then hopefully there will be a good blend between me and the other strikers.”
Stead recognises the need for competition for a place in the starting eleven, saying “I think that every club needs four strikers because I don’t think you can just go with a pair through the season. I am probably the most suited to play the one in a 4-5-1 out of all of us but that’s the manager’s decision. I have played up front as a one and out wide of a three as well, so I will see how the season pans out."
“It is quite reassuring that there are natural wingers here and especially a left footer which can be quite a rarity, so I am looking forward to them supplying crosses for me to score goals.”
Stead commented on the difference in management styles between the Keane regime at Ipswich and of Chris Coleman at Coventry,saying, “Yes. There is a difference between the whole set up."
"It is a little bit more relaxed here and a bit more, I wouldn’t say comfortable because I wasn’t uncomfortable at Ipswich, but I think you can chill out a little bit more here more than being a bit tense back there. But I think that’s probably because of the situation that they are in at the minute."
“Hopefully there will be less pressure and that can help my game, and it is a big confidence boost that a club like Coventry have said they are keen to take me on loan and might be keen to take me permanently. That’s a big boost for any player so I have got to come here with confidence and if I do the business here things could happen for me.”
Meanwhile Chris Coleman has indicated that he doesn't think the either of the two loan strikers are quite ready to slot into a starting berth when he said, Jon’s missed a lot of football and we haven’t really done enough tactically with him and Freddie so they know where to go, when to go, enough of the time. We will do because they’re both here for the rest of the season and will make a difference to us.”
In form striker, Freddy Eastwood picked up a slight hamstring and groin injury in th midweek defeat at Newcastle, but is expected to be fit in time to the Saturday's game at Selhurst Park. Midfielder Gary Deegan also has a slight hamstring injury worry, but should be fit enough for a place on the bench.
Leon Barnett is serving a one match ben following his sending off for two yellow cards on Wednesday.