Molby aims to psych up his Swans

Swansea player-boss Jan Molby may not hold a formal degree in psychology but his approach in preparing his squad to meet Chester in today's first leg semi-final play-off would have done justice to Freud.

Molby's first move was to drop four established players against Hartlepool last week in a bid to shake the tiredness out of his jaded team. They drew 2-2 and were clearly more motivated than in recent weeks.

Molby next switched training grounds to Fairwood. "Some of the players have been looking very lively since the switch and there has been a significant reaction from the four I left out last week," he said.

He made another surprise move on Thursday by naming his play-off squad much earlier than expected.

Molby's 17-man squad contains no surprises. He places his faith in the core of the team that has lifted the club from its early-season gloom just one point off the bottom, to the heady heights of a play- off spot eight months later.

Striker Carl Heggs, now free of the tonsilitis that sidelined him last week, makes a welcome reappearance in the squad, who again break with tradition by spending two days in a country hideout away from the pressures of the Vetch.

"It's important for the players to concentrate on the game, and that's difficult in Swansea," said Molby.

"We want to win both games so we won't be going to Chester to shut up shop. But we are not going to throw it all away by being careless. The most important thing is to keep the tie alive for the second leg."

Chester City, managed by former Wales skipper Kevin Ratcliffe, are formidable opponents. They have lost just three of their last 20 matches and are bang in form.

Swansea squad: Freestone, L Jones, Moreira, Thomas, Walker, Willer, S Jones, Appleby, Penney, Torpey, Molby, Coates, Jenkins, Chapple, Edwards, Ampadu, Heggs.

Copyright 1997 MGN LTD
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.