Liam Rosenior confident extra training time will pay off

The Blues come into the game having enjoyed a midweek clear of match action for just the fourth time this season, and the first since Rosenior took the reins at the start of the calendar year.

Our head coach allowed the players some time off following Friday's win over Hull City but has since used the extra time afforded to him, his staff and the players this week to get his football philosophy across in more detail, rather than simply focusing on match preparation and recovery during our hectic schedule.

‘I said to the players in our team meeting on Thursday morning that it was the first time we’ve had a two-day tactical lead into a game since I’ve worked with them,’ noted Rosenior.

‘It’s been one day until now: walk out, walk through certain situations and scenarios, rest, and play. Thursday was the first opportunity for us to talk about our style and what we want to put into the game and actually work on it. The players trained really well with it.

‘They have been magnificent in what they’ve given me and what they’ve learned from team meetings and walkthroughs. What they’ve shown me has been top, but every coach would say the more time you get with the group, the more you can imprint what you want.’

Today, Burnley stand between us and a fifth Premier League win in six games. The Clarets may be stationed in the relegation zone, but they won their most recent league outing – away to Crystal Palace – and have caused some big sides headaches this season.

In what has been an especially competitive Premier League campaign, Rosenior is insistent his players must take nothing for granted. You only need to look at bottom-placed Wolves’ comeback against top-of-the-table Arsenal in midweek to know any form of complacency will be punished.

Rosenior said: ‘This is such a strong league now. Every team can beat everyone. That's why the league is so close in terms of points between so many teams. What we have to do is we have to focus on our own performance.

‘We have to make sure that we prepare ourselves right. The way I like to do it is to be consistent in our process, whether we're playing Wolves, whether we're playing Burnley, whether we're playing Manchester City or Arsenal. Our process is the same. It has to be that way for you to be consistent in your performance.’

Rosenior added: ‘We need to win our game. It's as simple as that. We need to do our job. With the group I’ve got, if they play to the levels I expect, normally we have a really good chance to win every game we play. It won’t be simple, but we have to take care of our business.’

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