Dubai break will hopefully raise morale

Last updated : 07 February 2005 By Craig Hope (website editor)

Toon's destination

Speaking to The Journal the Scot said,

"This is not a holiday, we will not treat it that way, although I'm sure that is how it's going to be portrayed. If you think it's a big deal, slag it. But I don't think it will do us any harm.

"I'm big on togetherness. As long as they stick together in the dressing room, it can only help the cause and we will have a chance. I think togetherness is very important. I have been around football for 30 years and, in all my time, togetherness has been everything. It certainly is when you're successful.

"It's easy to be a strong personality when you are winning every week. When you are winning it's easy to show team spirit, to run onto the pitch and give your players hugs, to give love to each other.

"But, as in life, it's when your backs are against the wall that you find out about each other. That's when it does become difficult.

"We are going to train and work hard. We can do a lot more outside in Dubai, we can go through things and walk through things a lot more than can we can in Newcastle in February."

What to make of the trip? If, as Souness argues, it improves our feeling of ‘togetherness’ then it can only be a good thing.

At present we are a group of individuals who look downbeat and listless. We can only hope that a break in the sunshine of Dubai does much to raise spirits and morale amongst an otherwise torn and dejected camp.