[04
APR 00] COVENTRY CITY FC NEWS
Froggatt Reflects England winger Steve Froggatt has urged his team-mates to go back to basics after reflecting on their disappointing weekend performance against Liverpool at Highfield Road.
It was the nature of the 3-0 defeat that upset the supporters and indeed manager Gordon Strachan, with the Sky Blues offering little resistance as they were ripped apart by Gerard Houllier's men.
The game highlighted a worrying dip in form for City and Froggatt believes they may have neglected the qualities that served them best earlier in the season.
He said:
"It seems that once we have gone a goal down we cannot get back into the game again.
"I think we need to get back to basics and start working hard for each other. When we have done well this year that's how we have done it, by sheer hard work.
"I think we need to do that again because obviously when the team has been doing the best is when everybody on the field has been running their hearts out for each other.
"The talent the boys may or may not have is irrelevant, games can be won by hard graft - that was shown by Liverpool on Saturday.
"They have got great players but they also work very hard as well."
The former Wolves man was also quick to dismiss claims that the team may have become laid back after reaching the mental safety barrier of 38 points.
"There is absolutely no chance of that being the case at all. People know what the gaffer is like and he would not settle for that, he wouldn't sit and let that happen.
"Above anything we want to get into that top 10 and push for a place in Europe. As the gaffer said after the game on Saturday we want to push forward as a group together - we know we are good enough."
Despite widespread criticism of the Sky Blues performance against the Anfield side Froggatt believes the quality of opposition also needs to be looked at.
He said:
"You look at Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool and you see that there is a gulf now.
"They are bringing six million pound players on as substitutes and they have a whole bench full of them - financially we can't compete with that.
"We firmly believe that we are good enough to get into Europe and if you take away the top three or four teams we are confident that we are as good as any of the others."
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