Manager On The Next Few Games

John Ward today stressed the importance of getting the preparation right with so many games coming up over the next two months.

The manager gave his players two days off to recover this week following three tough games.

And with another three games coming up in just eight days, the manager knows how important it is for his players to be mentally and physically ready.

He said: “We are back to training today and it will be as intense as we can make it on a Thursday.

“We had a couple of bumps and bruises from last week’s games that we have recovered and everyone is out training fit and well after a little breather.

“In the next eight days we have another three big games and nine more points available if we can get them.

“There are three games and I don’t have a big squad that I can rotate and switch so we are looking to make sure everyone is as fit and well as we can have one.

“If we had a Tuesday game this week we would have had two or three changes to make as players wouldn’t have made it.

“There was a massive effort for the last three games particularly, and at Oxford there were a group of lads playing off memory for the last 15 minutes of the game.

“We needed to clear their minds and look after their bodies. It is very important we give players the best chance for the games coming up.”

And the manager knows that the next few weeks are very important for the club, and the aim is to catch the teams above us in the league.

He said: “It is a massive period for everybody, and the good thing for us is that we have brought other people into the equation.

“We have picked up our results and we have picked up our results and we are closing in on one or two people above us, and that is where I want the players and the supporters to be looking.

“I am not blasé about it, but if we are looking over our shoulders all the time we are going to be cautious, and I don’t want to do that.

“I want us to be progressive, but at the same time be aware of the position we are in – we are not out of the woods yet, but we can catch people above us, and that is what we have got to try and do.

We are aware a couple defeats draws us back in and a couple of wins takes us out of it – but how long for?

“We are not out of it by a long way yet, but we are heading, hopefully, in the right direction and we have to make sure we know how we won those games in recent weeks, and not just expecting to.”

And the manager went to see Wycombe lose to Bradford in midweek.

He said: “I watched them on Tuesday night, and football is a strange game as it never throws up what you think.

“They are at the top part of the form league, and Bradford have not had a win in six games and Bradford win it 3-0 and look reasonably comfortable.

“I am pleased I went to see that game, but we will also look at the fact that they won away at Gillingham.

“There is no lack of respect from me for Wycombe, we need to be on our game to make sure we give ourselves a chance of getting the points, as they will be smarting from that defeat.

“Gareth Ainswoth has said he possibly thinks they are still in danger and his main aim is to make sure they don’t get involved in the bottom six, but I will swap his points for our points.

“They are also on the edge of the play offs, so they are right in the middle of everything at the moment. They are a young side with a lot of good legs and endeavour.”

 

Its great to have a manager who talks the talk and backs it up. Unlike McGhee who talked the talk but couldnt back it up.