Home
Wanderers are being urged to follow the successful examples of Leicester City and Burton Albion as they lead from the front in League One.
Unbeaten, unyielding through August, Phil Parkinson’s side have remained impressively resilient in the opening six games despite some horrendous injury problems.
They top the table by two points after the opening month and have seen their odds on promotion slashed since their opening day victory against Sheffield United.
Parkinson has allowed himself a glance at his side’s success, which earned him the manager of the month award, but has spent this week reinforcing to his players just what got them to the top of the table in the first place.
And he pointed to last season’s examples of Burton in League One and Leicester in the Premier League as exactly how he wanted his side to handle themselves in the coming months.
“If you look at Burton Albion last year – they weren’t the greatest team but every week were motivated, committed and very, very organised,” he told The Bolton News.
“Everyone has a theory on Leicester but I watched quite a few of their games and they just out-worked teams. If we can get good players to out-work teams then we have got a big chance.
“It’s still very, very early and everyone says 10 games is the guideline, so I’ll stick to it because I’ve said it every other year.
“Of course we’re delighted with the start we have made but you look at MK Dons, another side who came down from the Championship, and they still have a lot of quality players.
“It’s important we show the same levels of commitment. If you go back to the first day against Sheffield United the levels of effort right up to the final whistle stood out for everyone and we have to remind the players that is what it takes.
“Top teams have players who work the hardest. We will demand that.”
Karl Robinson’s MK Dons have endured a stuttering start to life back in League One following last season’s relegation.
Though proving themselves a decent footballing side in their only season in the second tier, the Dons’ lacked physicality and goals, which spelled a return to the division they had occupied for the previous seven campaigns.
As such Robinson’s side were not predicted to have the same problems acclimatising to the lower league. Instead has been Wanderers, who have not played at this level in 23 years, who have made the more impressive start.
“It happens so many times, teams come down and don’t know what has hit them,” Parkinson explained. “But where you played before doesn’t really count for anything.
“I went to MK Dons’ game against Northampton on Sunday and it was a classic case of a team playing with momentum, having got promotion last year, against one who had more quality but they lost three goals because their levels of determination didn’t match up.
“When the game opened up you could see they had better players. But it was that contrast – one team up, the other team down – which can be bridged.”
Source
Unbeaten, unyielding through August, Phil Parkinson’s side have remained impressively resilient in the opening six games despite some horrendous injury problems.
They top the table by two points after the opening month and have seen their odds on promotion slashed since their opening day victory against Sheffield United.
Parkinson has allowed himself a glance at his side’s success, which earned him the manager of the month award, but has spent this week reinforcing to his players just what got them to the top of the table in the first place.
And he pointed to last season’s examples of Burton in League One and Leicester in the Premier League as exactly how he wanted his side to handle themselves in the coming months.
“If you look at Burton Albion last year – they weren’t the greatest team but every week were motivated, committed and very, very organised,” he told The Bolton News.
“Everyone has a theory on Leicester but I watched quite a few of their games and they just out-worked teams. If we can get good players to out-work teams then we have got a big chance.
“It’s still very, very early and everyone says 10 games is the guideline, so I’ll stick to it because I’ve said it every other year.
“Of course we’re delighted with the start we have made but you look at MK Dons, another side who came down from the Championship, and they still have a lot of quality players.
“It’s important we show the same levels of commitment. If you go back to the first day against Sheffield United the levels of effort right up to the final whistle stood out for everyone and we have to remind the players that is what it takes.
“Top teams have players who work the hardest. We will demand that.”
Karl Robinson’s MK Dons have endured a stuttering start to life back in League One following last season’s relegation.
Though proving themselves a decent footballing side in their only season in the second tier, the Dons’ lacked physicality and goals, which spelled a return to the division they had occupied for the previous seven campaigns.
As such Robinson’s side were not predicted to have the same problems acclimatising to the lower league. Instead has been Wanderers, who have not played at this level in 23 years, who have made the more impressive start.
“It happens so many times, teams come down and don’t know what has hit them,” Parkinson explained. “But where you played before doesn’t really count for anything.
“I went to MK Dons’ game against Northampton on Sunday and it was a classic case of a team playing with momentum, having got promotion last year, against one who had more quality but they lost three goals because their levels of determination didn’t match up.
“When the game opened up you could see they had better players. But it was that contrast – one team up, the other team down – which can be bridged.”
Source