Gregory boosts Derby over hapless Foxes

13 April 2012

John Gregory has hijacked the theme from a Beatles hippy anthem to revitalise Derby - and judging by this performance, the plan is working very nicely so far.

After County chalked up a hard-fought east Midlands' derby victory that all but seals Leicester's relegation fate, Gregory revealed the new mantra for the Pride Park club's survival: All you need is love.

The County boss's love of music is well known. From strumming on his guitar at home, to his self-confessed worship of rock legends like Bruce Springsteen, he is never short of an opinion should the subject crop up. Indeed, he even ordered a shake-up of the pre-match entertainment at Pride Park when he took over as manager, brushing aside the choices of the on-site DJ in the belief that he knew a couple of tub-thumping tunes that would better set the pulses racing.

He said: 'I don't read books about motivating people. You just need to have a certain under-standing about people - a kind of one-to- one counselling. But it's also a two-way thing because I need them, and the most important thing coming in as a new manager is to look at everybody and give everybody a chance.

'I never forgot what it was like when I was a player. I never forgot how I liked to be treated. One thing in particular - no one ever wanted to be the target of sarcasm and to be embarrassed in front of the whole team.

'You need to be told occasionally that you're a good player. You need to feel wanted. I think we're all like that in our normal lives, in our own relationships. You need to have someone to tell you that they love you from time to time. It makes you feel good and it makes you stick your chest out. All those kind of things.'

Lee Morris, scorer of the third goal at Filbert Street, would appear to have bought into the concept. He said: 'John's brought some laughter into the dressing room. He cracks jokes, he encourages everybody. He tells you when you're doing good things and I think that's what the lads needed - an arm around their shoulders

'He's had a couple of chats with me and he's done it with a few of the lads. He put his arm round me and told me that I'm a good player and that I can do it. And now I'm beginning to believe him.'

County had the match won in the opening 45 minutes, even if the goals only came in the second

45. The best efforts of Dave Bassett's men simply were not enough, and they appear unable to shake off the problems that have plagued them all season.

Both James Scowcroft and Brian Deane wasted good chances to put the squeeze on the visitors, and they were left to rue the lost opportunities as Georgi Kinkladze, Branko Strupar and then Morris found the net in the second half.

The day belonged to Gregory - and six more afternoons like this could yet see him engineer a remarkable turnaround.

He said: 'You have to maximise the squad and I've told them they're all important. I've got Chris Riggott and Fabrizio Ravanelli to come back next week. I've had a major headache there - but we can get better. And one or two who thought we were dead and buried might start looking over their shoulders again.

'If we get out of this I will probably start crying again like I normally do.' Another who may have felt close to tears, but for entirely different reasons, was Arnar Gunnlaugsson, booted out of Filbert Street to play on loan at Stoke at a critical stage in the club's relegation struggle.

The Iceland striker yesterday accused Leicester of giving up on their Premiership status, and said if they stopped selling players they would have a better chance of survival.

He said: 'I don't understand Leicester's attitude. We're in a very difficult situation and struggling to score goals, but we could still stay up and I thought I might get a chance to help the club do that.

'I know from the inside that the players are all desperate to try to save us from going down, but that is not the message going to the outside, because the club seems to be selling all the strikers. We seem to be saying we're going to the Nationwide even though I know that is not the case for the players.'

Leicester have off-loaded players like Dean Sturridge - who has not stopped scoring since he went to Wolves - while Ade Akinbiyi went to Crystal Palace and Richard Cresswell to Preston. But all through that time, Gunnlaugsson, who cost the club £2million from Bolton, was ignored.

'It was very frustrating,' he said. 'I am back from injury, fully fit and I just want to play. If that has to be away from Leicester in the long term, then so be it. I have my best years ahead of me. I love playing in England and my family are settled here so hopefully we can stay here.'

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