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Alex Baptiste is more than happy to see Wanderers take the hard grind route up the Championship table.
Back to back victories over Bournemouth and Millwall have helped cut the gap on the top six from 13 to eight points in just a fortnight.
The Whites are now seven games unbeaten after a wretched start to the campaign and showing a steely streak that suggests the run could be extended further.
And Baptiste is not concerned by those who claim that style has been sacrificed for substance in an effort to turn things round.
“In this league you are not going to steamroll teams,” he said. “It’s hard work.
“You are not going to win three, four, five every week, you need to grind out results and we’ve done that in the last two games.
“You look at QPR and they are not any great shakes, I don’t think, but they do find a way of getting that win.
“In this league, especially at home, teams are going to bank up against us. You look at the quality we have got on paper and it’s frightening.
“So you sometimes have to stay patient, keep moving the ball about and the breaks will come. There were times against Millwall when the fans were getting a bit anxious but I think what matters is that we get three points, not how we get them.”
Baptiste has his eye on the top half of the table by Christmas, a stage of the season that he thinks will sort out the men from the boys in the Championship.
And the versatile defender reckons Wanderers’ cause will be helped considerably by finally chalking up a home win last weekend.
“The lads were saying the place was cursed,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how we won, just the fact that we have won now is really pleasing.
“We feel like we can push on further now and make sure we are in with a shout at Christmas because that’s when the quality in your squad starts coming through.”
Baptiste has been filling in on the left side of defence since Marc Tierney broke his foot playing against Yeovil.
And the summer signing is the first to admit that it is not his natural position. “I’m doing alright,” he said. “I haven’t played left back that many times in my career before I came here but when Tierney got injured I had to step in.
“I think I did okay against Tom Ince at Blackpool, and then I got Liam Feeney running at me last Saturday against Millwall. It’s definitely more difficult on this side than it is on the right – you get so many quick wingers running at you every week.
“I’m just trying to do a job for the team and we’re picking up results, which is more pleasing then my own performances.”
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Back to back victories over Bournemouth and Millwall have helped cut the gap on the top six from 13 to eight points in just a fortnight.
The Whites are now seven games unbeaten after a wretched start to the campaign and showing a steely streak that suggests the run could be extended further.
And Baptiste is not concerned by those who claim that style has been sacrificed for substance in an effort to turn things round.
“In this league you are not going to steamroll teams,” he said. “It’s hard work.
“You are not going to win three, four, five every week, you need to grind out results and we’ve done that in the last two games.
“You look at QPR and they are not any great shakes, I don’t think, but they do find a way of getting that win.
“In this league, especially at home, teams are going to bank up against us. You look at the quality we have got on paper and it’s frightening.
“So you sometimes have to stay patient, keep moving the ball about and the breaks will come. There were times against Millwall when the fans were getting a bit anxious but I think what matters is that we get three points, not how we get them.”
Baptiste has his eye on the top half of the table by Christmas, a stage of the season that he thinks will sort out the men from the boys in the Championship.
And the versatile defender reckons Wanderers’ cause will be helped considerably by finally chalking up a home win last weekend.
“The lads were saying the place was cursed,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how we won, just the fact that we have won now is really pleasing.
“We feel like we can push on further now and make sure we are in with a shout at Christmas because that’s when the quality in your squad starts coming through.”
Baptiste has been filling in on the left side of defence since Marc Tierney broke his foot playing against Yeovil.
And the summer signing is the first to admit that it is not his natural position. “I’m doing alright,” he said. “I haven’t played left back that many times in my career before I came here but when Tierney got injured I had to step in.
“I think I did okay against Tom Ince at Blackpool, and then I got Liam Feeney running at me last Saturday against Millwall. It’s definitely more difficult on this side than it is on the right – you get so many quick wingers running at you every week.
“I’m just trying to do a job for the team and we’re picking up results, which is more pleasing then my own performances.”
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