PSV go to ground to focus on winning title

AMSTERDAM, April 17 - PSV Eindhoven have been cloistered away behind closed doors since Thursday as coach Phillip Cocu sought to shield his team from an overwhelming sense of expectation ahead of their potential title-winning match on Saturday.

(Reuters)

“They have been confronted everywhere with all the arrangements (for the Dutch title celebrations). Here at the club and also in the city and that has had some influence on the players,” Cocu told a news conference on Friday ahead of PSV’s home game against Heerenveen, which is expected to deliver the championship.

“It has been very nice for everyone but I’ve had to make sure that from Thursday the focus was only on the football. And that the players have picked up on that fantastically well. Naturally, now we have to translate that approach to the match.”

Cocu’s side need just one win from their last four games to claim the title and set off massive celebrations over the weekend in Eindhoven marking a first league crown for PSV since 2008. “There is no doubt within the team that it will be a special match and night for us,” he added.

PSV have a 10 point-lead over second-placed Ajax Amsterdam, who have won the last four Dutch league championships.

(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Douglas Beattie; [e-mail] [phone] Messaging [e-mail])