Ham and eggs but we’ve still not cracked it

IT wasn’t your typical weekday lunchtime scene. Up in the higher rows of our main stand on Wednesday were my players with plates of ham, eggs, chips and beans on their laps, tucking in.

I’ve been talking for several weeks here about how we’re trying to deal with a difficult time on the field. Simply changing the routine is a part of it. You’d be amazed the difference that can make.

Small details help. We changed the days we trained last week — had double training sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday, gave them Thursday off for a change — and between the two sessions on Wednesday we gave them a different lunch menu.

Instead of the usual high carb pasta Bolognese and carbonara with iced water, it was a meal to enjoy. It turned out there was no room in the banqueting suite at the club, where they usually have lunch, so we thought ‘Let’s just sit in the stand instead.’

It was an excellent moment. There’s so much anxiety and tension around the place when you’re going through a bad run. Just because you’re playing for a national League club doesn’t mean that you don’t see talk about the team on social media and in local media. You’re looking for ways to break the tension so they can relax.

The session after lunch on Wednesday was excellent. The players seemed relaxed, responsive and were taking stuff in. of course, that doesn’t always translate on the field. Some of our best sessions in the past month were before the home game against Gateshead, which we lost 3-0. But by training, eating, resting at the same times week after week, you can feel you’re getting stuck in an unhappy routine.

Whether you’re running a business or coaching a football team, there are times you just want people to enjoy themselves. That half an hour up in the stands, gazing out on the pitch, did a job for us.