Play off 1 AA Gent managed only on the last day to assure a place in play-off 1, but coach Jess Thorup wants to do more than just participate.
“I’m happy with the way we are from the regular season came,” says Jess Thorup. “We knew We had 12 on 12 and had to get. The way we on the last day in Sint-Truiden with the press dealt with, I found impressive. We had control from the first minute, we are playing soccer with a lot of confidence and kept us on the wedstrijdplan. We played on a very adult way. The result was, of course, the most important, but the way we realized, they voted me very happy.”
“After that performance earned we rest. Some left for their national teams, others were given the opportunity to spend some time with friends and family. If players something have given, I am the first to give them something to give back. Some even have a short trip. Then Monday we back getting together, I heard the players exchange experiences about what they had done in their days. It has given them a mental boost given for the seven weeks where we now stand for.”
“I am for the first time back to Denmark,” says Thorup. “Did you to get together with family and friends. That gives you new energy. During the car ride back to Belgium, I already felt that I had not yet met ben. Play-off 1 is not enough, I want to achieve more. On training, I saw the last days the same for the players. I can hardly wait until Sunday.”
There is a winning mentality arise in my group. That is with no money to purchase
Jess Thorup
“We are pleased that we are Play-off 1 have achieved, but now we want it to mean something. We stand for the ten finals, we will start there Sunday in Brugge with perhaps the most difficult of all. But if we play with the confidence and the belief that we are in the last four games showed, I think we have a chance against any team. But we have during the season also seen that we are not as strong as we level. Believe in us, momentum is very important.”
While many analysts AA Gent a month ago afschreven for play-off 1, many of them a ‘dark horse’ in the Buffalo. “That is only positive,” Thorup. “Everyone has now seen: AA Gent’s something to realize, There is something in this team that anyone can be dangerous. For me that is perfect. There is a winning mentality arise in my group. That is with no money to purchase. That is something you build and that we have over the last few weeks.”
“That the analysts a long time ago not in our believe, the group has only become stronger. Only we believed in it, nobody else. That brought us closer to each other, so something has grown within the team. We will not stop, we continue on the same path. We would afterwards be able to say: “The analysts were sitting nicely next to’. But that is not my style. The analysts can say what they want. I keep me busy with my work and that means good football.”
Own style
AA Gent made on the last day in Sint-Truiden impression with his dominant football, based on a high pressing. Thorup wants to continue that trend in the playoffs. “I have long ago said that it will be a battle until the last match day would be to play-off 1, but that we are strong in would be the steps if we would make it,” says the Buffalocoach. “That’s where we have to do with our style of play and not by the opponent to think. It will, of course, we also have come under pressure, undoubtedly will be that Sunday in Bruges all happen. Therefore, we must have that we also lower be able to defend. But we are going to our game play in the play-offs. Everyone will be able to see: this is our style of play, this is my style of play.”
On an actual target wants Thorup doing so does not pin. “We have within the group, however, talked about what we want to do, without having a specific goal to set,” he says. “We have mainly talked about the opportunities that we have. We look at it match per match, but we are going to have the level of exercise that we are at the end of the regular season brought. We know that we’re still a bit behind, but everything is possible. There are still 30 points to earn, that there are a lot of. I have the players also assured that they have the cup out of their heads. We should be completely focused on the league. Grab the cup we in the week of the final, not earlier.”
