Blackpool interim boss reflects on EFL Trophy win

Blackpool Gazette

Stephen Dobbie reflects on Blackpool's 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest U21s in the EFL Trophy.

Transcript

00:00With the squad being as thin as it is at the moment, do you need prompters like that from

00:04former young lads? Is it promising to see them step up and really perform well and stand

00:08out?

00:09Yeah, I mean, yesterday and Sunday, as I said, I went away on Saturday night, reviewed the

00:14stop-out game, started on the Forest game, so then you're trying to pick from who's

00:20actually fit. For instance, you don't really want to be putting CG out there, but you need

00:24to just make it a little bit more beefier for the first-team players. But as I said,

00:31great to see the young lads, and great for them to win on their debut as well, so very

00:36pleasing night for the kids.

00:38Theo played a few times last season, he was in Spain in pre-season, so how nice is it for

00:43him to get the man of the match?

00:44Brilliant. Theo and Spencer, Terry, they were all away with us. Theo and Spencer have been

00:50great every time they come up and trained. Terry's been out on loan, so he's going down

00:55a different path now. Obviously, we had him tonight, so it's good for them. As I said,

00:59they're in and around the first-team players. We might have a space or two on the bench because

01:05of numbers on Saturday, so we'll see how their recovery comes.

01:10Good of the young players were, were you wanting maybe a bit more from your senior lads

01:13at the time, or was it just about minutes in the tank for them?

01:16Just about minutes. As I said, I think you try and implement your style of play, but you've

01:21got so many kids, and you know at 45 minutes, you've got, say, Derek coming on to make his

01:26debut. Some of them haven't really been up training with first-team players, so they

01:31don't know much about them. But, as I said, they've been working hard, Blinks and Erds

01:36have been working them hard in the A-teens, and they're progressing through their individual

01:41learning, and as much as we can get them up with the first-team players, that will help

01:46them be better players as well.

01:48If you're someone who's only seen Josh Baller this season, or maybe not seen enough from

01:52him, was that moment exactly the kind of player he can be and should be for Blackpool?

01:56I think the fans know what Josh can produce. I mean, he was fantastic the first time he

02:02was here. In their moments like that, where he goes past three players and puts in the

02:06bottom corner, there's things that they remember of him. So hopefully that'll give Josh a bit

02:11of confidence. But as I said, he needs to work a little bit harder on and off the ball,

02:15so then when he gets the ball, he's a bit sharper and he's ready for their moments.

02:19I know you mentioned Saturday a couple of times. Are you in charge for Saturday still?

02:24I haven't heard any difference, so as I said, whatever the club need of me, I'm here and

02:31I'll just crack on until I get any other phone call to tell me different.

02:35Do you have a clear plan in mind going towards the way you'd like to play, what you want to

02:39play, albeit with limited resources with injuries?

02:42Yeah, obviously the boys will have the day off tomorrow and they'll be straight to work

02:46for Saturday, getting ready, preparing for them to come in Thursday morning. We lay out

02:51what we want for them in and out of possession on Thursday and we'll work towards Saturday

02:56over the two days. Obviously, if this game wasn't tonight, you start working today, but

03:02it's just a matter of this cup competition. But the boys will be ready, that's for sure, ready to hopefully

03:11put a good performance on for the fans because they deserve it.

03:14On Dale Taylor and Hayden Coulson, what's the confirmed problems for us two?

03:18Hayden will be a couple of weeks, he's fractured his arm. Dale Taylor's not good, he's got a serious

03:25hamstring injury, so we're talking months instead of weeks.

03:30Obviously, probably a frustrating start to life here anyway, but as a new signing, obviously

03:35it's the last thing you want, as any player would like.

03:37It is, I mean, you look at the injury list, some freak injuries like Dale's wasn't one

03:44he was sprinting, normally you do your hamstring sprinting, he was just a little twist. You've

03:49got him, you've got Niall Ennis as well, so a little chunk of your goals are in the treatment

03:55table, but it's all about them, the lads, stepping up and getting ready for Saturday.

03:59Just fine, I want to ask about a lad who's left the club this week, Gabriel Slotter, he

04:03weren't involved tonight, but he's gone to Forest, so what an opportunity for him to go

04:06to the Premier League, so that's been impressive in the year last season.

04:08Yeah, I think he made his debut last year in this cup, didn't he? I remember he pulled

04:15the ball out of the air, about four yards in the air and he pulled it down. Gabe's got great

04:19talent, he's obviously wanted to move on and I don't know what's happened behind the scenes,

04:25package-wise and all that kind of stuff, but good luck to Gabe because he was a nice lad.

04:29Yeah, just wanted to lose, but good opportunity for him.

04:32It is what it is, that's what you find when you're a category club, category one, come

04:38sniffing, looking for your better players. I think we lost one to Norwich last year and

04:42the club made a better money, so you obviously want to keep a hold of them, but you know there's

04:47always Steve sniffing around your younger players.

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