Walker-Peters: We're starting to gel
Kyle Walker-Peters believes Southampton’s second convincing win of the week proves the players are adapting well to Ralph Hasenhüttl’s new tactics.
Saints followed up a 4-0 rout at Cardiff with another dominant display, this time running out 3-1 victors at Swansea, with Nathan Tella, Nathan Redmond and Stuart Armstrong scoring the goals.
Whilst pre-season is more about fine-tuning fitness and patterns of play than winning matches, Walker-Peters insists it’s important for the team to get used to the taste of victory.
“I think it was really good,” he said of the Swansea triumph. “We’ve been working on a few new tactics in training, and I think today we really showed that we’re getting used to them and starting to gel more as a team within those tactics, so it was a positive result.
“It’s a great feeling. You want to create that winning environment and that’s what we’re doing here, so long may it continue.
“We’ve been working on keeping clean sheets, which, as a defender like myself, is very important. We were glad to get the clean sheet in the last game. Today it was a bit unlucky for Sali, but we’ll let it slide!”
The win rounded off a successful five days in south Wales for the team, who Walker-Peters feels have grown closer as a group.
“It’s been great. The facilities have been great, the pitches have been good and the training as a whole has been good,” he added.
“Some of the off-the-pitch activities too, because it’s nice to gel off the pitch as well and get to know each other in a different way.
“It’s different when you’re off the pitch. We’re so used to being on the pitch together – everyone knows each other on the pitch – so it’s been a good time.
“I feel great. I came back feeling really good – I used the time over the off-season to better myself physically. I also did rest, don’t worry! But I used that time to better myself and I’ve come back feeling really good.”
