Mattsson confident City heading in the right direction
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0 Comments This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. While disappointed not to have taken more points, Pelle Mattsson feels Norwich City’s performances are tracking in the right direction.
There was plenty of optimism around the Canaries before a ball was kicked, with many tipping them to challenge for a top-eight finish after the impressive transformation overseen by Philippe Clement last season.
Results, however, have yet to fully match those expectations. City have collected nine points from a possible 21 across their opening seven Championship fixtures, leaving them in mid-table.
Yet there have been enough encouraging signs in recent performances to suggest a more consistent run of results could be just around the corner – a view shared by Norwich midfielder Mattsson.
“Of course, our start hasn’t been as good as we would have hoped, but I think the performances are going in the right direction,” he said in the official club programme.
“I think we all know that we can do better than we have shown. In the Burnley game we were really efficient and on the front foot all game.
Pelle Mattsson has featured in every competitive game so far this season (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)
“All the good performances from last season are behind us, and now we start from scratch again and need to show the best side of ourselves.
“This is what we are all aiming for, and for myself, I’m trying to get back to my best and the level that I know I’m capable of.
“The only way to get there is to give 100% every day, and that’s what I try to do.
“I don’t really set myself expectations at the start of each season; I just do the best that I can to my ability every day, and then in the long run, everything else will take care of itself.”
The Dane underlined that quality time and again under Clement during the second half of last season, quickly endearing himself to the Carrow Road faithful.
But he admits he owes much of his development to his older brother Magnus, who is also a professional footballer.
“I think my brother helped me a lot growing up; he’s also a professional football player now for FC Copenhagen. He's two years older than me, so I could see what he did, saw myself in him and worked hard like he did to get to where I am now.
Pelle Mattsson's brother Magnus in action for FC Copenhagen against Manchester City in the Champions League (Image: PA)
“He’s a big motivator and a big inspiration for me. But I like to motivate myself too; I always want to get better," said the 25-year-old.
“I really love improving every day; waking up, getting a cup of coffee, working out, and then at the end of the day, I can reflect and say I’ve done everything I can, which will help me in the long run.”
Away from the action on the pitch, Mattsson recently revealed on social media that he had completed a degree in financial economics, with plans to study at the PFA Business School and complete a postgraduate diploma in Football Sport Directorship.
“I started studying back in Denmark two years ago, and since it is an online study, it was easy to continue here in the UK,” he said.
“I think sometimes there can be a perception that studying alongside football takes focus away from the game, but I actually experience the opposite. Studying gives me something else to focus on when I’m away from football.
“Of course, it can be difficult to completely switch off from football, but studying helps me do that. It then makes it easier for me to put all my energy into football again when I get to the training ground.
“I always try to be 100% present and stay in the moment, whatever I’m doing. The big thing for me in general is that my identity not only relies on my attributes in football but also on my behaviour as a human being. That is something I always remind myself of.”