Hakan usually takes a few weeks to get going.
In past seasons he’s arguably been our worst player in the opening rounds. Admittedly all our midfield always look sluggish when the season kicks off.
And that is a huge problem. Last season, it took them two months to get going and by that early stage of the season we were already out of the hunt for the Scudetto.
If the team wants to compete for the Championship, it needs to be switched on from the first round and ensure that it will not accept poor results or offer any excuses.
The last thing we need is to hear are those all too familiar quotes from last season:
"We gave our all but it wasn't enough".
"We're disappointed with the result but looking forward to next week".
"The Championship is long. We still have time".
"We deserved more from the game against ... (insert relevant team)"
For me, that was the saddest part about last season. Nothing but excuses were offered and we had no choice other than to accept what happened in the Championship because we were so far off the pace.
Having a culture that accepts and provides excuses is a sure sign that the team is not prepared to make consistent winning a priority and habit.