NOTHING WITHOUT WORK

Last updated : 04 August 2002 By Editor

"It happens in all walks of life. When you get a lift in salary, it can relax you. You start thinking: 'Oh, the future's not looking too bad, I can see my pension a bit better now.'

“Money can make you see a lot of things differently and it can be enough to take you off track.

"I'm not sure if that hunger was always there. Then, with me planning to retire at that stage, I think some players were thinking at the start of the season: 'Ach, we'll have a new manager anyway next year.'

"It was that relaxation in the players' minds that cost us in individual mistakes. When it registered what was happening, I think everyone was hurt. They would rather have given their money back in exchange for some league points. But, by then, it was too late. We'd blown it by Christmas really."

"They are major changes but I needed to look at the direction the club was heading.

"I think midfield will be easier to handle this season. There was a lot of experimentation last year, with players being tried in different roles. Having six midfield players can create problems because trying to accommodate them all doesn't always work and there were lots of times for us when it didn't.

"Other times I think too many of the players were listening to what the newspapers were saying about the system we were playing. But we should see the best of Veron this season.

"Having Carlos here will help everyone and bringing in Rio [Ferdinand] has given everyone a real boost. Working with Laurent Blanc will be tremendous for him.

"When players have been at a club too long the urge goes a little, and that's something I will have to keep an eye on. But I'm optimistic we can have a good season. We certainly won't lose six games at home again and that will make a hell of a difference. I can detect the hurt in a lot of the players. The capability is there, now it's all about whether they have the urge."

(From The Guardian)