00:00Scott, thank you for joining us. After Tuesday night's cup action, we're back in league action
00:04this weekend as we take the visit of Barnsley. Can I get your thoughts about that game?
00:08Yeah, a game we're looking forward to. We're at home again. We like being at home against
00:13a really experienced manager in Daryl Clarke, somebody I like a lot, got a lot of respect
00:19for and a tough opposition in the shape of Barnsley with some really strong, powerful
00:29players. So, we're going to have to be at our very best in order for us to get anything
00:33from the game. But, like I say, a game we're looking forward to.
00:36Yeah, I'm sure you've watched a lot of the opposition so far. What do you think their
00:39key strengths are and what have we got to look out for? Because as we know, one of our
00:43old players a lot of football fans will be familiar with, Max Wotters, will be potentially
00:47starting up front. Obviously, you weren't here when he was here, but a familiar face
00:50to lots of people here. Is he one of the key dangers that you've picked out?
00:53He is, yeah, along with a lot of other players as well. They throw a lot of balls in your
00:58box, literally, and put a lot of balls in your box from open play, ask a lot of questions
01:04of you, but they're also a good side as well. They'll make passes at the back, they'll go
01:08long when they need to, they can mix it up, but they're very disciplined with their running.
01:15The ball turns over, they get back into their shape quickly and they press as well. They're
01:21a very physical, strong, experienced side.
01:26Yeah, as you mentioned in that first bit there, it would be nice to be back at home, wouldn't
01:31it? Because it feels like an age since we've been at home in the league. Obviously, you're
01:34opening day of the season, we obviously had a couple of cup games after that, but to be
01:38back at home in the league, the atmosphere, as we know, is going to be incredible. So,
01:40it can give us a real boost, can't it?
01:42It can, yeah. We like being at home, don't we? I know we've had at least one good away
01:48win already in the league, but yeah, we like being at home. We feel that the fans can really
01:57help us in our quest to get three points always and I think this has always been a tough place
02:05to come for an away team. So, yeah, we're pleased for that.
02:09Yeah, and after this game, what feels like a deserved break, I suppose, because we obviously
02:13haven't got that Burton game anymore. How much of a welcome break is that for you? What's
02:18the plan? Is there a plan to give the players a few days off or is it just a different kind
02:21of work on the training ground?
02:22Yeah, I think it is a welcome break because we've gone Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday
02:26pretty much from the start and there's been one or two bumps and bruises. So, they will
02:33need some time off. I think it's a demanding season, a long season. A lot of games come
02:41thick and fast and every time there is an opportunity to get a break, I think that the
02:46players do need that. Of course, we're going to be in training for the next two weeks,
02:50but there will be opportunity for the players to have a rest as well and then hopefully
02:58coming into the Stockport game, we'll have a normal week of preparation coming into that game.
03:03Yeah, we spoke earlier in the season about how important getting a winning run going
03:07is. Is that the same, I suppose, going into a little bit of a mini-break because you won't
03:12want to go into that period off without a win, Andy, would you?
03:15Yeah, of course. Listen, it's always important to win games whether there's a break in front
03:19of you or not. But, yeah, we want to win on Saturday for the sake of winning, but we want
03:24to win on Saturday because we know there's two weeks before we play again. So, yeah,
03:28it's important that we do that. But, like I say, we've got a tough task in front of
03:33us in the shape of Barnsley with, like I say, an experienced manager in Daryl Clark and
03:38some really, really good players in their team. I'm confident with my team, the way
03:43we're playing at the moment and how we're shaping up and how we're looking. We're really
03:48confident and we're playing with a little bit of swagger at the moment. So, I think
03:54it's a good time for us to play a team like this.
03:56You said, are you expecting them to be the most physical side you've played yet and
04:00how do you change your preparations for that?
04:03Yeah, it probably is the most physical test that we've come up against up to now, actually
04:09thinking about it, with the teams that we've played. No disrespect to them. In terms of
04:15preparation, no, we don't change too much. We try and make it about us. We have to be
04:21mindful that they will throw a lot of balls in our box. They will ask a lot of questions
04:27of you and we have to be ready for that. So, we will be. We'll be prepared for that. But,
04:33we do make a lot of the preparations about us, which is why I feel that we've played
04:37so well.
04:38I know you mentioned Max Watford briefly then, obviously. He's made his name here, really.
04:45What do you see in him? What are his qualities as a player?
04:47I just think that physically, he's strong. He's got Cosgrove up there with him and they
04:53ask a lot of questions of you. They can both kind of run, do you know what I mean? They're
04:57not just big players who can't run. They can get in behind you, they can get down the sides
05:01of you, both finish goals. They're both an handful. So, we know that it's going to be
05:08tough for our young defenders, but I'm confident with the way they're playing at the moment.
05:14And your squad-wise, you said Harry Forster is back in training. Do you expect him to
05:19be involved at all on Saturday?
05:20Yeah, he's come through training again this morning. We've got another day's training
05:24tomorrow and then I'll make a decision. But up to now, yeah, he's come through. So, I'm
05:28hoping that he'll be involved.
05:30And any other, Dion and Gav, are they?
05:33Yeah, Dion's kind of been involved in some training. Gav, a little bit more in front
05:39at the moment, trained today, but still probably be a number of weeks away before he can be
05:43included.
05:44Excellent. And obviously, transfer window closes tomorrow. Any updates you can give
05:49us at all?
05:50I can't as of yet, but we should be making an announcement probably today, if not tomorrow.
05:57Okay, is that how many number of players?
05:59That's one at the moment and potentially two.
06:02Excellent, thank you. And going back to Tuesday night, I'm sure you've gone back and analysed
06:07it, clipped it all up and that. What pleased you most about the performance on Tuesday
06:10night at Brighton?
06:11I think probably more so how fluid we were with our possession against a good team. I
06:17think we had a lot of the ball, we were very good with the ball. So, that pleased me. The
06:24second thing that pleased me was how we stopped them from playing. I think their keeper kicked
06:28it longer than he's ever kicked it because we went man for man against them and kind
06:32of stopped them and frustrated them. I thought we played well in the game. I thought the
06:38scoreline didn't reflect that, didn't reflect how the game was. I think 4-0 wasn't a fair
06:45result. We missed a hatful of chances as well and they were really clinical within their
06:53chances. But I was really happy with how we played. I thought we played really good football.
06:59Like I say, we dominated possession and like I say, we stopped them from playing.
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