Manchester Phoenix forward Shaun Thompson is adamant that his side can still win the English Premier League despite their indifferent start to the season.
The Phoenix have won just four of their first nine league games this season and now face a double-header which culminates in a home clash with big-spending Telford Tigers.
The Tigers are top of the league, having lost just one game, and represent Phoenix’s toughest test at the Altrincham Ice Dome.
However, Thompson is confident that Tony Hand’s men can turn their start to the season around and mount a serious challenge to the league, especially when they welcome back a number of injured players.
“Our start hasn’t been what we were looking for,” the 27-year-old told MM.
“With a full roster we’ll be a huge threat to this league. We can win this league. It starts on Saturday, up at Solway.”
The upcoming weekend features a long trip north of the border to Dumfries to play Solway Sharks followed by the tricky home fixture against Telford.
“It’s going to be tough. We have to come away with the two points there,” said Thompson.
“I’ve probably said that for every game, but we’ve lost a lot of games by one goal, and it’s not good enough.”
Despite early defeats, a run of cup games have allowed the Phoenix to gain some momentum, winning three of their last four.
The most recent of those saw the Manchester outfit run out 12-5 winners over local rivals Blackburn Hawks, with Jared Dickinson grabbing a hat-trick to secure man-of-the-match.
“Those games are always going to be tough because you never really know what to expect,” said Thompson.
“We did well as a group and it was a great opportunity for players like Jared Dickinson to get some more ice.
“Letting in five goals isn’t great but that’s going to happen in those kind of games.”
Main image courtesy of officialphoenix via YouTube, with thanks.
