Winfield: We were trying too hard to turn things round (From Bucks Free Press)

Winfield: We were trying too hard to turn things round

12:10pm Friday 1st February 2013 in Sport By Andy Carswell

DAVE Winfield believes Wanderers players were guilty of trying too hard to pick up results when they dropped to the bottom of the table.

Blues have picked up seven wins from their last 11 games to move up the table, having started that run while sitting in 92nd place in the Football League.

The skipper said a change in character - with the players now more prepared to roll their sleeves up and fight - was key to the upturn in results that has led to talk of a play off push amongst fans and players.

Asked to explain the turnaround, Winfield said: "I can't put my finger on it really. All I can say is the boys have shown great character, especially in the Daggers game.

"It was a tough game. We knew exactly how they play. They throw everything at you, it was really a game where we had to dig in. You could say we weren't doing that a few months ago. The character's changed but to pinpoint one particular thing is quite difficult.

"I always knew the squad had it in them. For whatever reason we weren't doing it before and we are now. A few players have come into form, which always helps. The goals have been there and we haven't conceded as many. Put all those things together and we should go on a little bit of a run.

"It was a massive disappointment to be where we were anyway, especially after getting relegated last year. The last place we wanted to be was at the bottom of the table. People looking in from the outside probably wouldn't have seen that but for us it was huge and we always wanted to get out of it.

"We were almost trying too hard to do it and nothing was shifting. For some reason, whatever that might be, players came into form and we started to pick up results.

"We feel we've picked up a bit of momentum and we want to continue that."

Wanderers have kept five clean sheets during that upturn in form, having only managed four shutouts in the whole of last season, and Winfield said that was another key factor to turning the campaign around.

He said: "That's massive for us. It's an aim not just for the back four but the whole team. You can always build on clean sheets, you can't build on conceding goals, so it's a big thing for us."