This is something I have mentioned a few times before this season to then have thrown back in my face the next game after. So any positivity I write or think at the moment, I am doing it with caution.
However, what is clear for me to see this season is that with this group of players, there is a real improvement in team spirit and togetherness, and this can often be a key component to any successful team.
When the players are out there playing for each other, backing each other, and celebrating each player’s individual wins on the pitch, that is often a very good sign.
The way these players have celebrated goals in the last two games shows it all. They don’t want to be out there losing matches, they aren’t just there to earn a pay check and go home regardless of the result. These are two things that have rightfully been doubted a lot this season, but I think the last two games, and other games I’ve seen similar moments in this season, can probably put that to bed now.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we will now go on to be successful this season and turn things around, but the team spirit being there and back, is a vital sign that things can certainly continue to improve.
Players fighting for each other and fighting to win 50/50s and individual battles can literally win games. Last night was a prime example of this. In the first half we did not do it and we were 1-0 down. The second half we did do it and we won 3-1.
The team spirit and effort is far from perfect yet, but there are some really positive signs that this is becoming a group of players that like each other and want to win for each other. We speak a lot about club culture and how that has been missing, but this can be the start to creating that again. Then they will fight for each other, for the fans, and for the badge. Players like Malo Gusto already get it, and I do see others following suit…
Pundits will criticise over celebrations in these last two games and from the outside in it does look odd. But to me it looks great, because it shows they care, and it shows they are here fighting for the cause and turning up to try and win matches and make us better. It also shows that this season has hurt them as much as it has hurt us.
I have had my doubts on some of the players quality in this squad, and that hasn’t changed yet (always open to be proven wrong and hope I am). But one thing I am starting to now doubt less and less is the team spirit and togetherness of this squad, and that makes me smile (I’ll take any opportunity to do that these last 18 months).
Mauricio Pochettino should take some credit for helping instil this within the squad but also, the sporting directors should take some credit as well. Pundits and media moan about and criticise some of our player sales saying we got rid of experience and other such things by selling a chunk of our squad. But the fact is, we needed to sell these players to create a better atmosphere and togetherness within Cobham again, and they knew this.
They sold players who had perhaps been creating a divide or causing some internal issues and side taking, and they saw that this needed to happen.
There is such thing as bad experience, not every experienced or proven player is going to be successful or beneficial to a team. Our squad needed gutting and not only that, it needed other players with top attitudes and mentalities such as Malo Gusto and Cole Palmer, added to it. I’ve not always been overly impressed with Nicolas Jackson and Axel Disasi this season (both have been much better lately), but one thing they do bring is that winning mentality and attitudes. The way Disasi launched himself into the crowd yesterday, and although he got a silly booking, Nicolas Jackson running across the pitch to get involved in the celebrations, is a perfect example of what I mean by that.
This was amazing to see, and props to the players, the squad builders, and the manager for all collectively helping build this again.
Things have been very gloomy and negative lately, and I don’t think we are out of the woods yet by any stretch, far from it. But just like I will always call out the bad things I see, I will also always call out the good. I’m not going to be gloomy when there are positives to draw on, and the togetherness of late is certainly a big positive. I don’t know if it will continue; I hope it does, and I think it probably will. But for now, I will just enjoy seeing that back within our team.
Like many of you, I think this squad build has been naive at best and I truly believe that if we had added some quality proven leaders in the summer, and/or in January, then we would be in a better league position right now and we would be seeing less drastic inconsistencies.
But I will always give credit where it’s due and I remember being told in the summer that part of the data being looked at was the mentalities and attitudes of the players they were targeting. So that has clearly played a part, and well done for that. Lets hope we continue to see this same team spirit and togetherness. We all know how a bad result or two can change that all again though.
Until then, lets just enjoy the positive moment.
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