Manager Mark Warburton has previewed the top of the table clash with Hibernian this weekend.
Speaking to the Official Site in his pre game press conference, Warburton said that we would be treating this game exactly the same as others, because as he’d explained before no game takes on more significance than others in his mind.
‘It`s another three points, but we know again that it will be another tough challenge and again that our opponents are in good form. It will be a tough test for us but our fans will be there in numbers and we will be best prepared, we will train well this week and we look forward to it. Anyone is a threat to us as they can harm us and take points from us. Our aim has to be to win every game and win it our way. Hibs are in good form, and we respect and appreciate that, but they are at home and will have a vociferous crowd, and we have to go there and have to be well prepared and focused, and we know what we have to do. We have to look after the ball, negate their threat and take our chances, simple as that.’
With a six two demolition of them at Easter Road back in the Petrofac Training Cup, Warburton knew that came was good for confidence but it wouldn’t have a bearing on this match just like it didn’t in the August encounter that we took one nil.
Like the last league game, he feels it may be a tight affair where one moment of class decides it.
‘Sometimes it takes a bit of quality, as it did with Tav`s free-kick on that occasion to break the deadlock. We are a team though that possesses goals, creates chances and has a threat from all over the park. Be it our full-backs or our midfield problems, we have that threat.’
In a second interview ahead of the game, the gaffer also spoke about the potential of an eleven point gap over them if we take victory and that would obviously be a good position for us to be in at this stage of the season.
It wouldn’t however mean game over in the Championship title race if it was to happen as there are plenty of games left to play.
‘Come 3pm on Sunday, we are going to be five, eight or 11 points ahead of Hibs. That`s the situation and the simple facts, so from our point of view, while 11 points ahead is a dominant position, we are only a third of the way through the season and there will still be 72 points to play for after Sunday – that`s a lot of points. We`ve had a good start, we`re happy with that, but it`s still early days. I`d be lying if I said (11 points) wasn`t a very strong position, and it would be a great statement to make a third of the way through the season. It`s another game, and I don`t mean that in a disrespectful way at all. It`s another three points and it has to be that way – one game at a time. We are very aware of their form and their belief. They will have good momentum behind them as they have a good record over the last six or seven weeks – but so have we.’
With eleven wins so far out of eleven games, some are beginning to talk about going the whole campaign without defeat, but that’s not something Warburton is putting much stock in either.
‘I wouldn`t even contemplate the idea. From our point of view, it`s one game at a time, and you can`t talk to players about one game at a time and then talk about having a perfect season. Our only focus now is Sunday, simple as that.!
With newspaper reports linking us with free agent Kevin Nolan, the gaffer also rubbished those reports.
‘It`s another wildly inaccurate story, and it`s news to me. There is no truth in it as far as I`m aware.’
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