MARINE LIFE FITS THE GLOVERS...
UPBEAT manager Darren Way believes putting his Yeovil squad through their paces with the Royal Marines has toughened them up – and given them a fighting chance of success.
The unfancied Glovers finished 19th in League Two last season, so few people expected them to be challenging at the top end this term.
But a five-game unbeaten run, including a thumping 4-0 victory at Notts County, lifted Yeovil to fifth place in the table ahead of the weekend programme.
And with yesterday’s game against MK Dons postponed because of the Somerset club’s international call-ups (defender Shaun Donnellan is with the Republic of Ireland U21s, midfielder Sessi D’Almeida has joined up with Benin and Middlesbrough loanee defender Enes Mahmutovic is with Luxembourg), Way has had chance to reflect on a hectic start to the season – and the work leading up to it.
And he reckons calling up the Royal Marines for just a brief moment in pre-season has had a long-term benefit in bringing the squad together and generating an unshakeable team spirit.
“The first time I mentioned it to the players and told them their phones and watches would be confiscated, you can imagine their reaction,” said the 38-year-old. “They said ‘Where are we going?’ and I told them I didn’t even know! It meant we were all in it together from the very start.
“We had five Royal Marines come to pick us up. We got taken away at 2pm and brought back at 7am the next morning. It was a secret location and I still don’t know where it is – they put goggles on us from the time we left the club.
“We got rationed with food and there were Alsatian dogs barking thoughout the night. We were out in a field for part of it, I think we were in a barn another time. At one stage we had to build a den and two hours later they smashed it to smithereens. It was surreal.
“We got interrogated and put under vast pressure. It was designed to build resilience and the players experienced what it’s really like to be under pressure.
“We only had a day and a night where we could plan something and it was a great experience, if a bit scary at times. It was everything we needed and it brought the new recruits together with the rest of the lads.”
And Way, right, believes that team bonding has played a part in Yeovil’s superb start to the season.
“We’ve kept five clean sheets in a row (in league and cup) and that would give any football team up and down the country solid foundations.
“We have recruited very well and our new players have added an extra little bit of leadership experience.
“They have driven the dressing room a bit harder than it’s been driven before and the young players have supported that.
Talent
“I feel the supporters can see what’s happening. We are about hard work and togetherness - and there’s an unbelievable amount of talent as well. “Those ingredients are the reason we have got off to such a good start.” It also helps if you’ve got stability and continuity. Way took the reins in late 2015 with the Glovers bottom of League Two and in serious danger of suffering their third straight relegation. He kept them up, finishing 19th, and has since led the low-budget outfit to 20th and 19th. It might appear Yeovil have been treading water, but Way believes they have been gradually taking tiny steps in the right direction and that now they are finally reaping the rewards. He said: “Every year we make mistakes, but we make progress, too. You need an owner and chairman that share your vision. “Our recruitment is a little bit better and certain managers have helped me a little more, like Tony Pulis at Middlesbrough and Eddie Howe at Bournemouth. We have strong relationships with other clubs and we get better players.
“Some people might say last year was a failure, but we brought in over £1million with the game against Manchester United, the Checkatrade Trophy run and selling players. It’s put us in a better position this year. I would like to think we could be close this year with the squad we’ve got.”
And Way believes the squad, including a sprinkling of loan players, is getting stronger and stronger all the time.
“We’ve had young players make mistakes in the last two years, but now they’re handling the level,” said the former Yeovil and Swansea midfielder.
“Omar Sowunmi is going to be a fantastic player, there’s interest in him. We had an offer of £400,000 for Tom James from West Brom in the summer, but it fell through over personal teams.
“We have got scouts coming down again for the first time in years. We sold Otis Khan to Mansfield for over £100,000 this summer and we have two or three others being watched now.
“We’d rather keep them, but in the worst-case scenario we have our own players that are worth money. The club is in a good position right now and we are moving forward. We have the right people upstairs and downstairs, the academy is stronger and we are all working for the same outcome.
“We can overachieve if we all go in the same direction and the supporters have bought into it, too. We’ve got the youngest team in the league and it takes time to put everything you want to do into practice. We’ve started well this season, now we have to sustain it.”