Johnson calls for total commitment
Yeovil boss Gary Johnson has been "brainwashing" his players to get their mindset right ahead of the npower League One play-off final against Brentford on Sunday.
The 57-year-old, back for a second spell with the Glovers, has been telling his squad about the pain of play-off final defeat, having been 90 minutes away from the Premier League with Bristol City in 2008.
And Johnson is making sure his players are mentally right ahead of kick-off as they bid to avoid a repeat of that feeling.
"Brainwashing does sound illegal but what it is is having everyone thinking the same," he said. "They've got to be committed to the cause and behind the tactics and believe in them.
"There is no use going to war and not believing the cause and not sticking to the plan. You have to come away with a good experience, because the bad ones stay with you for the rest of your life.
"We do a lot of psychological things in the build-up and maybe after the final we will let you know. It is pretty heavy stuff on occasions and so far, so good."
Yet Johnson's pre-match plans were almost unravelled by his top scorer's driving ability earlier this week.
When 23-goal Paddy Madden was reversing from his parking space after training, he failed to realise Fulham loanee Dan Burn's leg was still outside the passenger door. But the damage was just a tyre mark up an angry team-mate's leg, much to the relief of their manager.
"The only problem we had is that Paddy Madden has just passed his test and he drove over Dan Burn's ankle which is unbelievable," he added.
"He nearly put our centre half out of action with a bad bit of driving."
Johnson is hopeful of taking a fully fit Yeovil squad to Wembley.
Defensive trio Byron Webster, Jamie McAllister and Burn all returned from injury to feature in the semi-finals against Sheffield United.
Nathan Ralph's knee injury means he is the only real worry as the Glovers look to clinch promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time in their history.
Brentford have no new injury worries.
The Bees have also secured an extension to Jake Bidwell's loan stay from Everton, allowing him to play in the showpiece.
The 20-year-old played both legs of the semi-final victory against Swindon and will start at left-back.
Back-up goalkeeper Richard Lee remains sidelined after a shoulder operation and defender Scott Barron is recovering from hip surgery, but the rest of Uwe Rosler's squad is fit.
Rosler rotated his squad over the two legs so the likes of captain Kevin O'Connor, fellow midfielder Jonathan Douglas, winger Sam Saunders and striker Bradley Wright-Phillips will be in the reckoning for Wembley recalls.
Brentford midfielder Toumani Diagouraga heads to the final with extra incentive to impress.
The 25-year-old's family will travel over from Paris to see him play at Wembley just as they did two years ago - when he was sent off as the Bees crashed to a 1-0 defeat against Carlisle in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final.
"I don't think it can get any worse than that, so hopefully it will be better on Sunday," he said.
"I've got a few people coming over, hopefully I won't disappoint them this time.
"My mum said 'please don't get sent off again'."
Source: PA
