"I made six changes from Saturday and the message to them was 'be in the team against Blackpool'," he said.
"It sounds simple to say, but after a 2-1 home win over Norwich, I had 11 players staking a claim to be in the team for Blackpool.
"But the ones who played, the ones who were rested and those who came in are tight with each other, and it's a good squad mentality at the moment.
"The most pleasing thing is a clean sheet against Premier League opposition and a team that is littered with great players and a potent strikeforce."
