Hasselbaink relishing choices in squad

JIMMY Floyd Hasselbaink will have to choose between Tom Hamer, Josh Earl and Owen Gallacher for the leftback slot today against Rochdale.

On-loan Earl, who was the man in possession, is available again after a one-match suspension but Gallacher impressed on his return to the team against Charlton Athletic on Tuesday night.

He is fit after coming off injured in the game, after which Hamer moved from right-back to left and did not put a foot wrong.

“Tom has done really well, looking comfortable coming in on the left. Josh Earl is back and I have a choice to make,” said Hasselbaink.

“I do like a left-back who is leftfooted but, at the moment, Tom has done himself and the team justice, very much. I have a decision to make and I like that.”

Several players are missing out at the moment. Josh Parker and Terry Taylor were left out of Tuesday’s 18 and John-joe O’toole, Ciaran Gilligan and Ben Fox are not currently getting a look-in.

Asked how he deals with that, Hasselbaink said: “I tell them the truth, it’s all I can do. This is what I wanted, a squad who challenge each other for the positions, so that we are as striong as we can be with people playing for the shirt.

“I have to disappoint people. You actually talk more to the players who are not making it, because you want them to have a reaction.

“Be angry – I don’t want them not to be angry. I don’t want them to be satisfied.

I want them to knock on my door and says ‘why am I not playing?’ I want them to do everything in their power in training to show me that they should play and to push the others to play better.

“That’s what a healthy squad does.”