TTEC coach Dexter Cyrus wants his players to maintain focus and keep strong mentally as the 2011-2012 season winds down.
He urged focus and concentration from his charges, currently atop the Digicel Pro League standings on 35 points, but closely followed by rivals W Connection 33 and Caledonia AIA 32.
With Connection slated to confront Police yesterday evening in hopes of reducing the gap, Cyrus admitted that TTEC could ill-afford dropping points in the home stretch and need to work harder than ever to consolidate their lead as rivals bear down.
“We try not to place much pressure on our players but it’s crunch time now. We have a working formula that we’ve stuck to and now we must see the season through.
“We have games against Police and our fellow front-runners Connection and Caledonia and these games will decide where the title goes. No one can bear to lose any points now. They are all vital points and all opponents are formidable,” he ended.
Cyrus praised his coaching staff for instilling proper facets of the game within his league debutante squad with respect to possession, transition play as well as balancing attack and defence.
TTEC boast the best goal-difference in the league of plus 13 (27 for 14 against) with Connection’s plus four the next best.
Cyrus gleamed over his “stingy defence” that knows miserly back-lines win games’ and alluded to their off-field discipline as integral as well. He said discipline needs to fortified in all formats and aspects of local football, from players to administration, with reference being made to Clayton Ince’s influence on the positive progression of TTEC since returning from England.
He continued, “Our game structure is good and despite purchasing high profile players, we worked hard in our programmes to get them all acclimated with each other and gelling.
We have the best league defence and a high scoring ratio up front so we have a good balance.” He singled out Romauld Aguillera and Akeem Adams as lynchpins to keep the clean sheets but pointed to Sylvester Teesdale, Kevon Neaves and Bevon Bass as attackers whose goals have been instrumental.
Cyrus said, “Our lads are eager as we want Concacaf Champions League football too.”