When the final whistle blew, everyone went mad – a huge outburst of relief and joy. Although for me it was a weird feeling. It was only at that point that it dawned on me how much stress I’d been under for the last six months. Don’t get me wrong – I was immensely happy. But I suddenly felt absolutely drained by it all. And I won’t lie, I felt a bit left out too, because I’d have loved to have been celebrating with my team-mates on that pitch at Fratton Park.
“I’ve been impressed with the Manager. He’s always really calm and focused on the things we need to do. He doesn’t get carried away if we’re leading, or not leading, he gives us the right messages and he’s had a big impact on this achievement.”
Brilliant. Roy is absolutely right here, but I’m stunned he’s had the patience to stick to his guns. If you identify a way to win a game then that approach is as valid in the 75th minute as it is in the 5th. But in such a high pressure game, to keep things tight and back your players to put away the big chance… well, I’m in awe really.
