BRFC Articles

Dynamite Davies!

You could do with some luck up at Ewood, couldn't you?

"Yeah, me and the team. We're having some bad luck and not getting the decisions, things are going against us. At Middlesborough the other week we never looked like losing, but they scored a penalty and we thought we'd still get an away draw at least, which would have been all right, but then they got a late winner. That's the way things have been going for us. I'm sure it will turn. We'll get a penalty in the last minute or something, it's sure to change."

A long injury list can't help either can it?

"That's right. Our lads who went off to play for Scotland all came back injured! Kevin Gallacher broke his arm, Christian Dailly got tonsillitis, Callum Davidson needed stitches and Billy McKinlay hasn't been training much. Then there's Chris Sutton, he's been out recently, and Martin Dahlin's on loan in Germany, so Jason Wilcox was up front on his own at times, and he did a pretty decent job. Gary Flitcroft's gone down now, he's done his cruciate so he's out for three months. We've been having to alter the team so much."

And you've been ill haven't you?

"It just seemed to be tonsillitis. I came down with it on the Monday we were playing Chelsea on Sky TV. I couldn't swallow properly at all and the doctors put me on penicillin. By Thursday I wasn't eating or sleeping. I couldn't drink either and went to see a specialist who kept me in overnight. I was on a drip all over the weekend, felt a bit better after that and was out on the Monday."

How much of a setback to you was the illness?

"It's left me a bit low, I have to admit. I've lost a lot of muscle and a lot of weight. It's hard. I felt I was progressing nicely at Blackburn. I thought I did well against Lyon, every game I was improving and now it's just knocked me back to square one. It's just a matter of building again really, working hard in training and trying to get back to my full fitness."

Are you under pressure as Blackburn's record signing?

"Well, there's been a lot of interest from the Press in my social life, my family, where I'm living. On the pitch, there's not been much to report to be honest. I think once I bag a goal it will help, give me extra energy, or another yard of pace. Once I score, the confidence will be back and I'll be a better player."

How do you cope with the attention off the field?

"I've just got to be careful. I'm not married or anything, and I haven't been cheating on anyone, so there's nothing for people to write about. But I live a normal life. They're not harassing me at my front door, not like Beckham. I've just got to be careful and sensible, keep out of trouble and try to go to places where you're not going to get trouble. People might have a niggle at you, but you're just got to be sensible."

Can Rovers get out of trouble?

"At the start of the season we were looking to improve on last year's position. That's what the manager thinks we can do and I think we still can. We'll get a run together and get into the top ten. It can change. By Christmas we'll have turned it around I think."

So what's the ultimate aim?

"We've had a bad start, but along then we'll get a row of wins and others will lose. I still think we can finish in the top six and that's got to be what we're looking to do."