Lee Carsley gave his pre-match thoughts on tomorrow’s derby with Queens Park Rangers, praising his players for their continued performances that have seen them pick up both points and confidence.
“We’ve spoke about the confidence and the energy, and we’re going to need both of those things tomorrow,” said Lee. “[The players] have been outstanding in the way they’ve conducted themselves on and off the pitch, their appetite for work. They are getting better and taking on board what we’ve done on in training and they are reaping the rewards and they are getting what they deserve at the minute.”
The 41-year-old, veteran of many derby matches in his long playing career, signalled a warning that his players need to play with both passionate and calm if they are to secure their fourth successive league victory.
“It’s always fantastic playing in derbies,” said Lee. “The build–up to them is good, there’s a different intensity throughout the week. It’s important that we approach the game in the right way. That means we need to play like there’s a fire alarm going off but when you’ve got the ball you need to be cool, so it’s making sure that we’ve got that right balance; that the passion doesn’t spill into us costing a goal or a player. It’s important that you play with your head.
“I want us to play with the energy, tempo, make sure we feed off the crowd; I want it to be as hostile as it can be. There’s a lot of passion around, the fans have got to go back to work on Monday, and make sure they can look their counterparts in the face and say we got what we deserved.”
Subscribers can view the entire interview with Lee on Bees PlayerHD below: