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NINE STEPS TO VICTORY 18-2-05
The music from The Benny Hill show has now happily faded away, the team are probably back in Teesside and most of the fans will have started the long journey home. So what do we make of it all in the cold light of day?
First of all, that was a good result last night. A draw and two away goals gives us a massive advantage at The Riverside next Thursday and I have no doubts at all that we will finish off Graz in the second leg, with style.
We are nowhere near our peak in this second stage of the competition. With eight games left to play, we are simply stirring from a slumber and we will improve with every game from now.
The idea must be for the team to peak on May 18th in Lisbon and I am sure that there is a plan in place for each one of the nine games that map out the path to glory.
What of the plan for the first of those nine? Did it work? Was it effective and could we have had a better result on the night?
Yes, three times to the above. Unfortunately, the best planning in the world cannot take into account the defensive errors that threaten to cost us dear and were the cause of both of the Graz goals last night.
Accomplished professional players should be able to iron out these errors and as Steve McClaren has now 'blown his top' in public about the situation, I imagine that it will now take priority on the training ground.
If a solution can be found before game two next Thursday, then that would ease any doubts going into games three and four. I think that we will be up against Ruud Gullitt's Feyenoord in the next round. They have a 2-1 lead over Sporting Lisbon going into next week's home second leg and I expect them to hold onto it.
When the quarter finals begin, the games come thick and fast with the longest break between matches being two weeks, all the way to the final. We will peak on May 18th and the eight games in between now and then will indicate how close we are to schedule.
Our league form could well dip at times during the UEFA Cup run-in. If this does occur, let's hope that it spurs the team all the way through Europe.
We have set our sights high. And the might of Ironopolis will not be stopped on it's march to Lisbon, May 18th. Onwards into victory in the UEFA Cup.
Until next week.
Steve
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