Gary O’Neil used the words “determination, focus and togetherness” when asked what his group will need if they’re to overcome Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon.
The Old Gold are locked on nine points alongside the Tractor Boys, and while the head coach knows his group have the ability to hurt their visitors, he also know their performance needs to be the full package. O’Neil, who confirmed Nelson Semedo has taken over the captaincy, cited the win at Fulham, and the ugly side of the performance which led to an eye-catching win as his target for this weekend.
On Traore getting closer
“Everyone has come through fine this week. Jose Sa still won't make it, Pablo won't quite make it, and obviously the longer term ones Bouba and Yerson won't make the game. But apart from that, everyone's fine. Everyone's trained, they'll be checked after training, and hopefully there's no issues from today's session.
“We're hoping for him [Traore] to be back around it at the end of the month. Depending on how the next few weeks go, that could mean just back in training, or it could mean, if he's able to accelerate it, maybe we'll be able to get him in some squads, but he's still got a little bit to go.
“It is getting closer, and you can see the excitement in his face when you bump into him around the place. He's doing a lot of hard work to get himself back in shape and he's one that we're really looking forward to welcoming back into the into the group, because he can definitely add something.”
On a need to do the dirty side
“We have to find our own top level of focus to make sure that we come out on top. Of course, we have the ability and the quality here to cause Ipswich big problems tomorrow. But it will need more than just ability and quality. It will need a real determination, focus, togetherness and willingness to suffer in moments if we have to.
“Then, like we were able to against Southampton and Fulham, people will remember the great goals and the fantastic football at Fulham, but there was digging in and defending well together in there which was important to us, and we'll need all of that again tomorrow.”
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On what he needs from his players
“We need to make sure that we're as together and we're as ready to fight, and we're as humble and we pay Ipswich real respect, because they're a good side with a good coach. They signed some fantastic players, Liam Delap’s having a fantastic season up front, looks a real threat, always against big centre big, strong centre backs. That's the first thing, a real respect from us towards Ipswich.
“What that respect should raise is our focus and our level, I don't mean we stand off them and we let them have their way. What I mean is we turn up tomorrow as if we're playing a real top side, and we need to be at our very, very best, and that's so important for the group tomorrow.
“Winning games in the Premier League is very rarely comfortable. There's going to be moments tomorrow where we're going to need to dig in and fight and be together, and we'll have to defend at stages, and then when we do get our moments in the game, we need to use the quality that we have to make the difference.”
On the connection with the fans
“Results are the thing that really drive the relationship with the fans. Let's be honest, last year when I came in, the reason that we were able to connect so well was because we beat Man City, Chelsea twice and Tottenham, and had some fantastic wins, four goals away at Brentford. So that helps. Of course, results this season have been nowhere near that. So the relationship between me and the fans is obviously going to take a take a hit, and it's just part and parcel of it.
“My feeling towards them is exactly the same. I love standing there in front of them. I love representing their football club. I'm sure every manager is, but I'm giving everything to them to try and help this group be as good as it can be.
“What I am proud of is how well they've stuck with the players, because I've never seen them after a game not be right behind the players still, which is really important. The players appreciate that, I know, and they're keen to do the supporters justice tomorrow and next week at Leicester, and moving on through the season.”
On the set piece work
“We're working very, very hard on them. A lot of work on them again this week. Really disappointed with the West Ham one, because we found a way to be much more solid in the game. We'd managed to quieten the crowd, and we were coming into a stage of the game where we could really try and attack it from that moment, and we gave West Ham a real soft one.
“To give goals away like that makes such a big difference to the feel of the performance and everything that goes with it. The lads have worked very hard in meetings and on the training pitch, and I’m confident the work we're doing will definitely help turn the defensive set pieces around.”