mil1lion
This is the place to be
- May 7, 2004
- 42,676
- 78,542
The number one ingredient for our recent success is simple. Hard work. Everyone fighting for the ball, getting bodys back in numbers to block every shot. Its the one thing that was most evident when Juande Ramos took over last year. The fitness levels were worked on by the then Spanish manger. And with it, the results came in. It was the sole reason we were able to play the Carling Cup Final at the end of a busy week, and go 120 plus minutes to gain a victory over Chelsea.
Fast forward a year later, and the hard work is back. You see, last year, after the Cup Final, the hard work died off. No longer did the players have something to fight for. Lack of motivation was the excuse by Ramos. But whatever the reason, the players didn't fight for the ball anymore. And unfortunately that form carried into the start of this season. Confidence only gets you so far. Its the commitment you show that turns draws into victory, or defeat into draws.
After watching our last two League games on Sky, against Villa and Chelsea, its clear that the hard work has returned. Whether its due to the lack of Cup games in the past couple of weeks or not, the players are fighting for every blade of grass at the moment. And that for me is the number one reason for our current run of form. The big question will be whether we can work like that for the duration of next season. If we fail to qualify for Europe, then that could certainly help. But we have a squad big enough to cope with all those games.
But for this season, i just wanted to congratulate the players (and coaches) for the hard work they've all put in over the past several weeks. I'm very proud of the lads at the moment. Hard work certainly pays off!
:clap:
Fast forward a year later, and the hard work is back. You see, last year, after the Cup Final, the hard work died off. No longer did the players have something to fight for. Lack of motivation was the excuse by Ramos. But whatever the reason, the players didn't fight for the ball anymore. And unfortunately that form carried into the start of this season. Confidence only gets you so far. Its the commitment you show that turns draws into victory, or defeat into draws.
After watching our last two League games on Sky, against Villa and Chelsea, its clear that the hard work has returned. Whether its due to the lack of Cup games in the past couple of weeks or not, the players are fighting for every blade of grass at the moment. And that for me is the number one reason for our current run of form. The big question will be whether we can work like that for the duration of next season. If we fail to qualify for Europe, then that could certainly help. But we have a squad big enough to cope with all those games.
But for this season, i just wanted to congratulate the players (and coaches) for the hard work they've all put in over the past several weeks. I'm very proud of the lads at the moment. Hard work certainly pays off!
:clap:
