By
January 26 2011
MJ: Out of all the cup games you played in for Tranmere, would you say that the Everton game was the best?
JA: No, because personally for me, I wasn’t too busy really. I think the semi-final, Bolton away in the League Cup was more important. I made a few good saves to keep us 1-0 up and that got us in a good position to get to the final.
MJ: Or Millwall when you saved that penalty?
JA: Yeah, I did have a good game at Millwall. Apart from saving the penalty, I made a few good saves, read the game well and made good decisions, but making a save for a penalty, that was just luck! I think I did it a week later against Luton but then it’s not highlighted because it’s not as big a game! But it’s a good a save as the Millwall penalty.
MJ: Everton had a quite a strong team that day and they had Danny Cadermarteri and Kevin Campbell up front. How important was it to keep telling the defenders where they were?
JA: Communication was always very important. It kept the players eyes up, as you can organise them and give them the information they need to do well. Obviously you have to do that part to make your game easy, because if you switch your players on, you might only have to make one save instead of five and that is a major thing in goalkeeping.
MJ: As a senior player, how much influence did you have in the dressing room and on the pitch?
JA: In the dressing room I was not too influential because I was not a big talker before games. But as soon as the games started, I came to life.
Before the game I was more focused on what I have to do and focused on the game. A lot of English players like to chat about anything and do what they want to do. I was always thinking about what I had to do in the game, and when the match starts and you start to get into your own way of thinking, you start to communicate to get yourself sharp and focused.
MJ: Did you gel well with the back four well at the time?
JA: Yeah, I think most of the time the understanding was good and that was good enough really. Obviously reading the game well has to do with it, but also communication. They also have to have confidence in the goalkeeper as well, so it’s a combination of a lot of factors really!
MJ: Jason Koumas scored the second goal that day, that brilliant lob, did you know then that he was going to be a top flight, Premier League player?
JA: Oh yeah we all knew that he was gonna be a player, there was never a doubt about that. The only doubt was what he was going to do next to the football and how high he was going to go. Also, there was a doubt about how good his mentality would be and how much he was prepared to give as a professional.
MJ: Was he one of best you played with at Tranmere?
JA: Yeah, one of the better ones on the ball really because Jason could bring a whole team to pieces when he wanted to and when he had his day. Obviously he didn’t like doing the defensive part at times, but you know that if you have a player like, you need to have somebody else to do the defensive work.
MJ: You made it to three FA Cup quarter finals at Tranmere, and obviously there was that League Cup run too. Are you quite proud to be able to say that you achieved so much with the club?
JA: Yeah obviously it was good to be part of that and obviously you like to remember back to that. With Tranmere not having too much money at the moment it’s going to be difficult to repeat that. That was probably the best time for Tranmere, being involved in so many big games and playing a lot of good cup games.
MJ: We obviously did have some great cup runs, but which would say was the best?
JA: I don’t have a particular moment that was a favourite, but I do think the two semi-final games against Bolton stand out, probably also because of the rivalry and because on paper Bolton were a bit bigger than Tranmere. But obviously we competed with them and in the home game we were never going to lose.
MJ: There was a great atmosphere at Prenton Park, was it just as good away from home?
JA: Yeah we probably had more lively supporters in the away games as well as the home games. They definitely made a difference and to be fair the away support at Tranmere has always been quite good. I would say they’ve always been quite good to the players and the team.
MJ: How much of an influence is it when you’ve got such a big away support following?
JA: They give you a good feeling and you know it’s better that they’re behind the team than if they’re booing obviously. I didn’t think that happened too many times at Tranmere, that they actually booed the team, they’re all quite positive the people and that’s why it’s been good to be playing there.
MJ: Was it one of the highlights of your career being at Tranmere so long and being so loyal to the club?
JA: Yeah you know there wasn't one day that I didn’t enjoy really. Obviously when you were not playing, it was hard, and when I was injured I had a hard time. But I had a good time and the support was always very good.
MJ: The backroom staff at Tranmere was very different then to what it’s been since. You played under four or five managers I whilst you were at Tranmere; Aldridge was a very good motivator, what was the difference between somebody like him and somebody like Ronnie Moore who was more of a tactician…or maybe Brian Little?
JA: Everybody has good skills and everybody had lesser skills. But it's the same for every person, they have good skills and they have bad skills. I mean you always take the good things from each manager really and they all had something good.
MJ: Do you ever fancy a step at management?
JA: No not really I’m a goalkeeping coach and I want to stick with that, because I was a keeper and I want to do that as well as I can really.
MJ: Before the game against Everton, how much did you focus on their squad or did you focus on Tranmere and what they’re strengths were against Everton?
JA: We didn't do too much on the opposition. We always did more on our own team really. Obviously if they had one good thing, a good throw or whatever, you knew that it was going to happen so you worked on that, but nine out of ten times you always said "this is what we have to do and this is how we’re going to play". You go from your own strengths.
MJ: On that day would you say that Tranmere's tactics were perfect for the game?
JA: You cannot say there were no good tactics if you win 3-0 at Everton away! But the main thing is you have a game plan, play compact and you’re working hard as a team.
We didn’t let them play, that was the main thing, we were aggressive, defended from the front, and that was how Aldo wanted us to play.
It was the same as Liverpool, the way they like to play. Let the opposition make mistakes and then play off that. That’s what we did most of the time – played a high line and attacked.
MJ: When you went in at half-time, 2-0 up, was Aldridge telling you to carry on playing like that and get more and more goals, or did you think you could afford to sit off slightly?
JA: No, you're never able to take the gas off in any game. If you do, it can change very quick, as you know from the Southampton game, where we were 3-0 down. So there’s no chance in any English game where you think you've won the game at 2-0 or 3-1. You always have to carry on and keep fighting until the 90th minute.
Total Tranmere would like to thank John Achterberg for taking the time to do this interview and wishes him all the best for the future.
