Manager John Sheridan spoke more after the Cambridge game about the blend of players inside the dressing room who have helped to take the team on a run of five victories from their last six games.
“I said when I first came here that I wanted us to start developing good habits, and winning is one of the best habits to have,” he said. “We won’t play well every week, and I have to expect the odd stupid mistake, but they all get on well and it’s a good dressing room to be in.
“I do keep reminding them about things they need to do better, and I tell them about the things I like, but I won’t change my approach. If somebody needs to be told something I’m not afraid of letting them know.
“Unfortunately it needs to be a bit of tough love with some of them, and I’ve got to get used to it as much as they have. I want them to do well, I’m on their side, but sometimes you have to express your thoughts.
“I’m not someone who will whisper in the dressing room or go on the coach and talk to my staff. I much preferred it when I was a player to have somebody talking straight to my face and telling me what I was doing wrong. That’s just the way I work.”
Speaking more about the qualities at his disposal, he commented: “They all have their strengths and weaknesses, and players have to do what they’re good at. One midfielder does things differently to another, for example, and it’s the same in other areas.
“The hardest thing as a manager is when they’ve trained all week and you can see that they’re buzzing. You can only pick eleven – I wish it was fourteen or fifteen, but it isn’t. You know they all want to play and that’s very hard for any manager.
“However, it’s my job and my main aim has to be to pick the team to get us the result. It’s about to get even harder because I’ve got people coming back who are all good players. Danny Grainger won’t be too long, Mike Jones is doing well, so there’s really good competition.
“There’s Hallam Hope coming home from international duty as well. I’m chuffed to bits for him that he went over there and did well. He’s a big player for us and it’ll be good to have him back.”
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