Ahead of today’s Boxing-Day clash, we sat down with Warren Feeney, who told us about the importance of showing “belief”, why there’s “no right or wrong way to win” and much more…
On last weekend’s result:
I was absolutely delighted. Psychologically, it was a huge point for us. To only get in one training session before the game and keep a clean sheet was massive. As I said to the players, don’t concede and you’ll give yourselves a chance. On another day we could’ve won the match, we hit the woodwork a couple of times, but most importantly it was a fresh start. We were competitive, which we’ve got to be for the rest of the season.
On defensive solidity:
You have to love defending. Even though I was a centre-forward it’s what I was brought up on first and foremost, the idea of defending to stay in the game and give your team a chance. This is what we have to do. We have to defend as a team, and getting clean sheets at a place like Chelmsford where they love to score goals will only boost our confidence.
On last weekend’s injury setbacks:
Charlie Rowan was up and walking after the game, which was a relief because he was on the receiving end of a heavy challenge. Jaiden Bartolo had a bang on his leg and Calvin Brooks had a swollen ankle. Now, we just have to see how they recover over this period.
On giving “clear messages to the players”:
Football is a simple game and this idea is lost a little today. Buzzwords used in the modern game can send mixed messages; I was always told that if you lose the ball you need to win it back. There’s no simpler instruction than that!
There’s no right or wrong way to win. When I watched Barcelona play Atletico Madrid, Barcelona had nearly 70 per cent possession, and yet Atletico won the game.What matters in terms of tactics is that you give clear messages for the players with what you want them to do.
On showing “belief” with the ball:
We need to make sure we use pace up top as well as a little bit of belief, just something to give ourselves an extra touch in and round the box. If we can unsettle defences, and then get our first goal, I’m sure everything will start to fall into place.
On Torquay United:
Torquay are a great club with great history, and their manager Paul Wotton is a very good friend of mine from our days at Plymouth Argyle where he was their captain. He was aggressive towards us teammates because he was so eager to win. That’s his character. He has a long future in the game ahead of him.
But, I can’t worry about his team. We’ve got a job to do on Boxing Day, and it’s a game that excites me because it’s my first at home in front of the fans. We’re all looking forward to this match and hopefully we’ll get the right result.
On our home form:
One of the first things I’ve said is that this is an area that needs improving. We have a big stadium and pitch, so the last thing we want to do is for opponents to be excited about playing here. We need to make it as horrible as possible for them.
