Cocu Pleased With How Players Have Adapted To His Style

Manager Phillip Cocu has been pleased with how his side have adapted to his style of play since his arrival in July.

The boss, who has been in the role for just over a month now, has seen his side pick up four points from a possible six in the league and reach round two of the Carabao Cup following victory on Tuesday night.

It’s been a good start despite him not having long to work with his players but he has been pleased with how quickly the players have bought into his ideas since his arrival.

“I like the way they try to execute what we want,” he told RamsTV. “We focus on it in training everyday in certain exercises on style, passing and moving, choosing positioning.

“They are really willing and trying to put it into the game and that is what I like. That is what I told the players too.

“Mistakes are part of football, it doesn’t matter, but just focus for next time you won’t do it again. That is a very positive aspect for me.”

Cocu has always stated since his first interview that he wants to put a plan together to ensure the young players at the club have the chance to fulfil their potential.

On Tuesday night, four members of the club’s victorious Under-18 squad from last season featured in the 0-1 victory over Scunthorpe United in the Carabao Cup.

One of those, Lee Buchanan, netted the winner in the game and the manager was pleased with how they are progressing as players and developing as footballers.

“A lot of the young, talented players did well,” he said. “When they get the opportunities then they are to show themselves in a positive way and they did. I am happy about it.

“The team performance overall is most important but we will look at individual development. In pre-season we had a lot of youngsters from the academy and then in an official game the experience how they cope with a real game and they did well.

“You cannot compare it with a pre-season game, cup games and league games are different. It was good to see, we like to play football in a certain way and the line-up shouldn’t change that.

“Of course, there are different qualities in different players, but the common ideas have to be the same.”

The first team backroom staff have regularly been seen at Under-18s and Under-23s fixtures so far this season.

“The staff will always try to see the youth team games as much as possible because you have to see the games to get a good picture of the development of the young players who are not training with us,” Cocu commented.

“We will proceed in doing the same; to create a good idea of playing, training, physical development and all aspects of football to create a common idea in the club. There are already a lot of positive developments over the last few years that you notice.”