You would expect a press conference before a huge game like Cheltenham to be dominated by talk of injuries and play-off hopes, but thanks to a couple of FA announcements yesterday, head coach Michael Skubala was faced with some challenging questions about discipline and governance.
Firstly, news broke yesterday afternoon that the club were to be charged with failing to control their players after the melee at the end of the Wigan game. It’s not the first FA charge we’ve been hit with this season, although Wigan have been hit three or four times already.
The club has not decided what to do yet, but Michael suggested the they could appeal the decision.
“It’s difficult, isn’t it? Because there’s high emotions,” said Michael on a day when another FA announcement dominated the headlines. We’ve got to sit down, me, Liam, Jez, and decide what we’re going to do. I thought there wasn’t much in it, so I’m a bit disappointed about that. We just have to sit down and see whether we appeal it.
“I think we will appeal it, definitely. I thought they were more of the aggressors in that situation than ourselves.”
Of course, fans will be eager to hear Michael’s thoughts on the FA Cup changes, with the FA deciding to abolish replays without proper consultation. The former Leeds coach was put on the spot when asked, as he hadn’t had time to formulate a response properly, given he’d only seen the news moments before going on air. As you’d expect from a man as measured and balanced as Michael, he did have an opinion.
“It’s a difficult. I’ve only just seen it now flip across the screen, so I haven’t really had much thought about it in detail,” he said.
“I think it’s disappointing for clubs like ourselves and disappointing for lower league clubs. But I have worked on the other side of the fence in the Premier League, where I can understand to some degree.
“But I think first and foremost, with those decisions, you have to protect your history and culture and how you do things in England, whether elite or non-elite. So, for me, it’s a little bit disappointing.”
A number of clubs, including Peterborough, Tranmere, and Grimsby, have come out to condemn the FA for their decision, given that 763 entered and only 20 were consulted. Michael was measured and careful in his response, but it would not surprise me at all if the club were to issue a strong, formal statement at some point today.
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