The second match, an away trip to Southampton, was a different kind of a victory, a gritty, hard-fought 2-0 win that was a testament to our newfound defensive solidity. The journey down to the south coast was a quiet, contemplative affair, the players listening to music, reading, sleeping, their pre-match rituals a familiar, comforting routine.
I sat at the front of the bus, going over my notes, my tactics, my contingency plans, but there was no anxiety, no fear, just a quiet, unshakeable confidence in the team I had built.
Southampton were a tough, physical side, and they came at us with a ferocity that would have broken the team of a few months ago. But this team was different. This team had a spine of steel, a resilience that had been forged in the fires of adversity.
