All about attitude Play-off games will be a mental test for us: Duff
gloslivesport@reachplc.com
MICHAEL Duff says the upcoming play-off games with Northampton are a test of attitude. The Cheltenham Town manager has had his players back in training since June 1, and says work with the players on the mental side has been just as, if not more important that the football side.
“It’s been a huge part of what we are trying to do: attitude, mentality, trying to tie that in with the physicality you obviously need as well,” he said.
“Have we had enough time? Probably not. But all four teams are in the same boat, even in terms of just trying to get friendly games.
“The amount we’ve had organised and cancelled because Premier League teams are all playing each other, which they wouldn’t normally do.
“The players have been good and I am sure the other three teams are saying the same thing.
“It’s been a long, hard season - finish the job that you started and that’s what we’ll be trying to do.”
The Robins had one game ahead of Thursday’s first leg, a 3-1 defeat by Championship side Cardiff City.
“We played Cardiff when we’d only had four training days, with the first in pods,” Duff said.
“We’d not done any work on patterns or shape and we played some really good football.
“So that just goes to show they don’t forget.
“It’s just a few reminders, but it’s been more the mentality and the physicality we are trying to get into them because it’s almost been a microwave pre-season.”
The players all came through the last series of Covid-19 testing on Tuesday and Duff should have everyone fit to choose from, bar injured goalkeeper Scott Flinders.
“There are people carrying niggles so we’ll have to assess where certain people are,” he said.
“Different people come back at different fitness levels, just because they are 25 different human beings.
“Some players are naturally fitter than others, some have done more than others. As a general rule, we’ve been really happy with them.
“There is a squad and we will need everyone. I wouldn’t imagine both teams will look the same for the second leg for many different reasons.
““These are two-off games. You don’t turn up for one of them, that’s your season done. We’ll all be trying our best, ultimately.”
Cheltenham drew 1-1 at Sixfields in the League just after Christmas and won the return game 2-1 with a late Luke Varney goal and Duff is expecting two tight encounters.
“Keith (Northampton boss Keith Curle) won’t come away too much from what they do and we won’t come away too much from what we do,” said Duff.
“We’ve both had successful seasons, which is why we are playing each other in the play-offs.
“People play the game differently. They are a really difficult team and the two games we’ve had have been really close affairs.
“We’ll be trying to do ourselves justice. We don’t want to finish the games and say ‘that wasn’t fair’ because all four teams are in the same situation.
“They like to get the ball forward and play in your half and the ball does come into the box more often in League Two. It’s more attritional.
“We have dealt with it well and we have defenders who do like heading the ball.
“But we don’t know how fit the players are. They’ve definitely played less minutes than they normally would.
“We don’t know where they are at again this is the same for all four teams - walking in the dark a little bit.
“We’ll cope with what they’ll throw at us and hopefully we can move the ball and keep the ball off them so when they do come pressing, we don’t give it to them all the time.”
The conditions will also be different, with the game in June, where it is likely to be hotter.
“I can’t control any of that,” said Duff. “The only thing I can control is how we try and implement our game.
“It’ll be hotter, the pitches will be better, but Keith will have his team at it.
“Trying to recreate the intensity of a play-off game, that’s going to be a key factor.
“No matter how hard you try, it’s going to be difficult without a crowd, but again I don’t know because I’ve never done it.
“We are all going to be a lot wiser after the event.
“I am looking forward to it now after a lot of talking, planning and not planning and not knowing what’s going on.
“We know what’s going on now and we have two games which will determine whether we have an opportunity to play at Wembley or not.
“The players will know their roles and what’s expected of them and if they need motivating to play in the play-offs there is something wrong with the individual.
“I am a firm believer that mentality gets you a long way in football anyway.
“It’s something we’ve worked quite hard on and had people from the outside coming in to help the players.
“I think the biggest shift since I came in has been the mentality of the players. They take the credit for that.
“The players are motivated. We started back on June 25 last year, so it’s nearly 12 months’ work now.
“Obviously there was a bit of a rest period within it, but that’s a lot of water under the bridge and a lot of sweat, tears and blood.
“The players will become notorious as the first to be promoted in these times, so they’ll be remembered, one way or the other.”