Source: FOOTYMAD
End Of Transfer Window Took Toon To Success
Looking back on a superb season, Chris Hughton says the turning point was the end of the August transfer window. Chris Hughton: “I all honestly didn’t know what to expect when I came back for pre-season. “There was so much happening that summer, the constant speculation about the club being sold. There was so much talk none of us knew what was happening, players, staff, nobody. “It was only as we went through pre-season that we found something to focus on. We started to have an idea of what we would have in terms of players for the start of the season. “We still weren’t sure, but we started to believe we’d have enough good players to be do well in this division. I think the day the transfer window shut was one of the most significant moments, if not the most significant. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. "It wasn’t just the knowledge that no more players would be leaving, it was the knowledge that all the speculation would stop. “It doesn’t matter how hard you try to ignore it, when you are constantly seeing things saying this player is going and so and so is interested in this one, it’s difficult. As soon as the window closed, all that was finished and we could get on with focusing on what we needed to do. “I was still caretaker but I didn’t find it difficult. I knew I was under contract so even if a manager came in, I’d be here. I was enjoying the role, we were doing well. I had a focus. “There was enough training, preparation for games, picking the right team and the games themselves to keep me distracted. That all took over, I didn’t have time to dwell on anything else. It wasn’t difficult for me, even if that surprises people, it wasn’t. “There were always other things on my mind. The uncertainty was always there, but other things took it over, I think we were all grateful for that. We were able to block it out because it wasn’t something we could control. “All we focused on were the things we could control, training, winning games, the normal things. It was from that that we got this fantastic team spirit. Once the players had that focus, everything else that went on around us – it just made this group stronger. “They knew that they were going to be the team that was there to be shot down. They knew they were the scalp this season and they knew people were waiting for them to slip up. There was enormous pressure and expectation on them, but they gained strength and unity.”
