Goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen believes Melbourne City have put aside their disjointed start to the season to mount a serious tilt for the Hyundai A-League Championship.
The 39-year-old admits that early season injuries affected his side’s ability to gather momentum but after three wins in a row against top six sides, he believes City are hitting their straps at the right time.
“The good thing for us is that there has been progression all throughout the season,” Sorensen said.
“Things are starting to fall into place now and I think we’ve got a good sense of how we want to play and our strengths, so there’s a lot more calmness around the place and you can see that in the games.
“We’re a lot more ruthless where maybe earlier in the season we were a bit hit and miss at times but we’ve found that base to build on and it just makes it easier as a team when everyone is on the same page and everyone is moving in the right direction.
“When you get success and you are close to the top of the table, there is a lot of confidence as well.”
City’s biggest issue this season has been their inability to keep sides scoreless but after only conceding one goal their their past three matches the former Danish international praised the club’s new defensive structure.
“It’s pleasing for all of us. As defensive players, that’s our job so I think we’ve been looking for our right formula and we’ve found it,” he said.
“I think Alex (Wilkinson) has come in (and done well). We had a lot of injuries earlier on, Pattrick Kisnorbo was out for a while, Connor Chapman was out as well, so there was a lot of chopping and changing and now as a team, we work together.
“I think we were a little bit disjointed earlier in the season and I think it’s not on the back four and the goalkeeper to defend, its for the team to defend and I think now we’re doing that really well and obviously we’ll try to keep moving forward.
With Wellington up next for City and a testing final two matches, the ‘keeper believes there is enough motivation for the side to take things to the next level.
“There’s some games as player or a team you don’t need any firing up and other games, on paper your the favourites, you’ve got to win so there is a different dynamic.
“It’s up to the team, the manager, yourself to get your mind right, that’s part of the professional game. We’ve been in the game for a long time and that’s where your professionalism, making sure you do everything right and not taking anything for granted comes in.
“We lost 2-1 a couple of weeks ago so we’ve been warned so there is no excuse for complacency or anything. “We have to go out and do a job if we want to finish top so we have to win.”
