Steve Sidwell 'Itching' To Get Back

Steve Sidwell, who made a scoring return to the reserves game (v his former club Chelsea) this week, says he is 'itching to get back' to the full team but knows he'll have to wait his chance.

He said on the official site: 'It was pleasing to get another game under my belt and it was great to score too. The most important thing was getting through 90 minutes though. And I was getting stronger the longer the game went on. I feel stronger and fitter. I have had two weeks of training and a couple of games so I feel fine. It's up to the gaffer now to see if he wants to include me in a squad. I'm sure it's a headache for him. I'm itching to get back in. I joined the club to make my mark and I haven't been able to.'

Adding, 'I need to be patient though because the lads have done very well. No-one really deserves to be dropped at the moment. I just need to bide my time and wait for a chance and then take it with both hands.'

Difficult decisions for Martin O'Neill who probably didn't realise that Stiliyan Petrov would at least find his form and most likely had expected to lose Gareth Barry during the summer long saga with Liverpool. Shame we got knocked out so early in the Carling Cup as that might have given some of the players like Sidwell the chance to impose themselves, although it is a long season and now we are in the group stages of the UEFA, I'm sure the chance will come for him and others.

It will be interesting to see if MON starts with the same team on Saturday that he has for our previous 7 games. The biggest chance of a change would surely be at the back with Carlos Cueller taking Curtis Davies place following his half time substitution v Chelsea?

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.