Baird: It's all about desire to be winners

By Wendy Gee - 

EASTLEIGH boss Ian Baird was adamant that Saturday's potential promotion-killing 1-0 defeat to Farnborough had nothing to do with the system he played.

The Spitfires were undone by a second half Phillip Page penalty, dropping them to ninth in the Blue Square Bet South and losing them further ground on fifth-placed Sutton who grabbed a late winner at Thurrock.

With the livewire Damian Scannell not well enough to start, Baird went with five at the back, entrusting Mitchell Nelson and the recalled Michael Green with the task of getting forward as attacking wing-backs.

But Farnborough got bodies aplenty behind the ball and, by Baird's own admission, the Spitfires were "not good enough to break them down."

It left some Eastleigh fans to question why a side boosted by a raft of quality signings had not been more adventurous on home soil, where they had been unbeaten in their previous 11 league games.

"It's not about systems," said Baird.

"It's about players having the desire and hunger to be winners.

"We need hungry players who have seen it, been there and done it, players who know how to win.

"Farnborough came here with a game plan. They had two efforts on goal - one of them a penalty - and we weren't good enough to break them down.

"It was a very bumpy pitch, which made it difficult. My biggest disappointment is that we were unable to get the ball down and play."

Addressing his decision to employ three centre backs - Tom Jordan, Gary Elphick and Andy Forbes - Baird explained: "We had to line up the way we did.

"Damian (Scannell) was suffering with a flu-like bug and we had no Chris Flood or Jordace Holder-Spooner, so all our wide players were out.

"Damian said he could give us 20 minutes, which he did, but he wasn't well.

"Mitchell Nelson had also been in bed ill, but there's no excuses for today,

"I know exactly where we need to improve. I've got targets and I know the areas we need to strengthen what we want to do."