Source: FOOTYMAD
Football to overshadow off field problems
Thorn instilling positive attitude into his players As the new footballing season approaches Coventry City have their first pre-season friendly game at Nuneaton on Saturday and Andy Thorn is busy preparing his players for the forthcoming challenges. With the club facing massive off the field problems with takeover issues, financial problems and highly unpopular owners, the City manager Andy Thorn is intent on instilling into his players the need to perform on the field of play. He wants his players to focus on playing and enjoying themselves rather than dwelling on issues over which they have no control and has had them playing a couple of training ground games as they prepare for their short trip to Nuneaton on Saturday. Thorn said, “We are stepping things up in terms of the football because we want the boys battle hardened, if you like, over the next three of four weeks.“We are looking forward to the Nuneaton game and getting right back on it." "Everyone will get a game and it will be good to get the first team back playing again, and hopefully we will take a few fans over there as well, because the sooner we get back to playing football, the sooner people will forget about what’s going on off the field." “I can’t wait to get everyone thinking positive again and feeling good about the place.” Coventry City have not brought in a single outfield player so far during the summer break and the only two new faces are both goal keepers, but they have lost striker Marlon King and midfielder Aron Gunnarsson as well as goal keeper Kieren Westwood and with virtually no budget Thorn will have difficulty in recruiting quality players into this squad. Some pundits are giving Coventry little chance of surviving in the Championship this coming season, but Thorn is not bothered about such speculation and vows that his side will not lie down and roll over for anyone. He said, “If people want to write us off I am not bothered about that. Let them think that because we are certainly not a team that will be lying down any more." "It’s all about us and what we do on the pitch now. We want to get everyone happy and back on the football. We want all the players and the fans to stick together and then we can become an entirely different opponent.” With a much reduced squad, Thorn needs to keep his players fit and free from injuries, especially in the run up to the start of the new season, but that doesn't mean he will allow his side not to compete in the pre-season friendly games. He knows he will have to work his players hard enough, but without overdoing the fitness training. He confirmed, "We worked the boys hard while they were away and that has continued back home, but we have to be careful because of the numbers we have got,” he said, revealing one or two players have the odd knock or blisters here and there, but nothing serious. “They have got to put the work in but we have not got a massive squad, so we have to be careful what we are doing.”
