Latest / Bristol City / Michael Skubala press conference | Bristol City vs Watford
Transcript
- 0:00SPEAKER_00: Michael, we're all obviously concerned about Rob Dickey going off on a stretcher on Tuesday.
- 0:05SPEAKER_00: What can you tell us about his injury?
- 0:07SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's um yeah, obviously people saw it wasn't very nice.
- 0:11SPEAKER_01: Um we're still in a situation where we're not quite sure.
- 0:14SPEAKER_01: Um it could be a long time, could be not so long, but we've got he's seeing a specialist today, actually.
- 0:21SPEAKER_01: So I think by maybe tomorrow or definitely by Monday, we'll have a lot more information on that.
- 0:27SPEAKER_00: Okay, what is the injury exactly?
- 0:28SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we're not again, we're not fully sure yet.
- 0:30SPEAKER_01: Uh it's got to be looked at by a specialist, so I don't want to really speculate on what it could be or not be.
- 0:35SPEAKER_01: Um, because it's one of those things where until the specialist has said what it is, um, but we think it's something to do.
- 0:41SPEAKER_01: Well, it is something to do with his knee.
- 0:43SPEAKER_00: Okay, we might get an update tomorrow.
- 0:45SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
- 0:45SPEAKER_00: Um, Rob asiders, is everyone else okay for tomorrow's game?
- 0:49SPEAKER_01: Yeah, just as you know, a really tough game on Saturday at Southampton, and a different physical demanding game on Tuesday night in a different way.
- 0:58SPEAKER_01: Um, and then without much rest, we go into Friday night with you know, another another day would have definitely helped us.
- 1:04SPEAKER_01: Uh, but that's football.
- 1:05SPEAKER_01: So healthy, um, but a few tight legs, but they've they've trained well, we've recovered well, uh, regen really well.
- 1:12SPEAKER_00: So we're ready to go.
- 1:13SPEAKER_00: There was some positive news this week with Luke McNally back on the grass.
- 1:17SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm assuming is it still weeks before he's ready for the probably longer than weeks because of how much he's got to build back up.
- 1:23SPEAKER_01: Um, but excellent news, you know, to see Luke back playing 45 minutes is put a lot of smiles on people's faces because of obviously the big injury to himself and how long he's been out.
- 1:33SPEAKER_01: Um, got through 45 minutes.
- 1:35SPEAKER_01: Obviously, it's different intensity with under 21s.
- 1:38SPEAKER_01: It's so that's the first step.
- 1:40SPEAKER_01: And he's been taking all the little baby steps, but he's got a few more of them to do um before he's fully in with us or or fully near selection.
- 1:47SPEAKER_01: And but that's going to take time because it isn't just a case of like other players that come back and it's 45 minutes and then they're straight back with the first team and in selection.
- 1:55SPEAKER_01: It's we've got to build his minutes up because we were still trying to make his you know his body strong.
- 2:00SPEAKER_00: How do you reflect on the Lincoln defeat on Tuesday night?
- 2:03SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no different to how I felt at the end of the game.
- 2:05SPEAKER_01: I thought it was uh when I watched it back, it was exactly how I thought it was within the game.
- 2:10SPEAKER_01: We, you know, took too much risk with the ball in our third, which cost us, and we didn't need to do that.
- 2:15SPEAKER_01: Um, and the frustrating bit was you know, we didn't we didn't risk enough in the in the final third and we didn't create enough chances um with the ball.
- 2:23SPEAKER_01: We we had a lot of the ball, yes, but teams come to sometimes accept that, especially when you go away, you would you would think that's normal.
- 2:30SPEAKER_01: So we have to improve in that area, and we've got loads of work to do on that, especially through the you know, through the international break, it's actually a good opportunity for us to keep moving forward and keep improving.
- 2:40SPEAKER_01: And but I said it and I'll say it again, you know, it's still a group that that's gelling, um, cohesion is a group.
- 2:46SPEAKER_01: When you look at the Lincoln team, you know, a lot of them have played.
- 2:49SPEAKER_01: I think they had one new player in, but they've played together for two or three years now, and it makes a difference.
- 2:54SPEAKER_01: We're still we're still gelling and we'll have ups and downs.
- 2:57SPEAKER_01: Um, so we've still got to work through that process.
- 2:59SPEAKER_01: But there are some positive things.
- 3:00SPEAKER_01: I thought, you know, we dealt with their physicality very well.
- 3:03SPEAKER_01: I thought set pieces again, we looked to threat um against a very good set piece team.
- 3:08SPEAKER_01: So I think there's some positives to take out of it as always.
- 3:11SPEAKER_01: Um, but for sure there's more that we need to keep improving on.
- 3:14SPEAKER_00: If you concede the goal from a corner, you can watch it back and say who should have been marking who.
- 3:18SPEAKER_00: But when you concede the goal like you did on Tuesday, how do you react to that as a as a manager and how do you prevent it from happening again?
- 3:25SPEAKER_00: Whilst at the same time, I guess the players are encouraged to play out from the back.
- 3:30SPEAKER_01: Well, I'm not sure I'm encouraging them to play out from the back when it's not on to do so.
- 3:35SPEAKER_01: Like we have to accept that that's part of decision making, it's part of learning.
- 3:38SPEAKER_01: But you know, I would call that sloppy, that's soft.
- 3:41SPEAKER_01: I spoke about it, that's not what I want, that's not what anybody wants.
- 3:44SPEAKER_01: But at the same time, we make mistakes.
- 3:47SPEAKER_01: Um, the the the challenge there is you make a mistake there, it really is really obvious and really hurtful.
- 3:51SPEAKER_01: But I will say, you know, we probably made mistakes higher up the pitch where we should have put some passes or should have taken people on or should have taken more shots, or you know, and we didn't do that.
- 4:01SPEAKER_01: That the thing is that doesn't people don't notice that as much.
- 4:03SPEAKER_01: So we have mistakes all over the pitch, um, and it's part of us growing and part of us developing.
- 4:08SPEAKER_01: Um, but unfortunately for us, that's a big error that everyone has seen.
- 4:11SPEAKER_01: It costs us a goal.
- 4:12SPEAKER_00: Home form last season Bristol City lost more games at Ashengate than they won.
- 4:16SPEAKER_00: You'd have been aware of that going into the new season.
- 4:19SPEAKER_00: How do you take on the challenge of you know a team perhaps defending more rather than away from home where you're allowed to counterattack and have more chances?
- 4:28SPEAKER_00: And and what do you do to improve that situation?
- 4:30SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for me, that's um when I came here, I always thought that I knew that, and I thought that's a strange thing.
- 4:35SPEAKER_01: That's a really strange thing.
- 4:36SPEAKER_01: Not many teams uh do better on the road than than away, so it's something that I'm very conscious of and very looking at.
- 4:42SPEAKER_01: So, and I'm still trying to find a solution to that.
- 4:45SPEAKER_01: I think it's numerous things, but um, you're right.
- 4:49SPEAKER_01: I think when a team comes to Ashton Gate, very much they probably low block, but we have to deal with that.
- 4:54SPEAKER_01: That's football.
- 4:55SPEAKER_01: You only have to look at um at every level, Man City versus Coventry the other day in a controversial offside goal that won it for 1-0.
- 5:04SPEAKER_01: Very different very low block versus possession-based team.
- 5:07SPEAKER_01: So it's happening at all levels of the game, it's not new for us.
- 5:10SPEAKER_01: Um, but there's no doubt about it, breaking down low blocks is probably the hardest thing at football that that looks easy because you have a lot of possession.
- 5:17SPEAKER_01: Um, but if you have a lot of possession and don't call don't cause any damage, it's there's no point in having a ball, in my opinion.
- 5:22SPEAKER_01: So uh you might as well not have the ball and cause more damage because it'll ultimately the end game is to score goals and not concede them.
- 5:28SPEAKER_01: Um, but in saying that, we have to improve in that area, we have to improve causing more damage with the ball rather than just having it.
- 5:36SPEAKER_00: Um at the start of the season, we asked you about Scott Twine, and you said he'll he if he's patient, he'll get an opportunity, he's had an opportunity and he's taken it.
- 5:42SPEAKER_00: Um, fans are asking us on Tuesday about Tommy Horvat.
- 5:45SPEAKER_00: Is it the same with him?
- 5:46SPEAKER_00: What does he have to do to get into your your first team?
- 5:49SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he's um he's he's a great man, he's a great player.
- 5:52SPEAKER_01: Um there is um good players in the whole squad.
- 5:56SPEAKER_01: Um, Tommy will get his moment.
- 5:58SPEAKER_01: Um, there's no doubt about that, just like other players will get the moment, you know.
- 6:03SPEAKER_01: So you could say the same for Noah, who started lots of the games last season, hasn't been in and around.
- 6:08SPEAKER_01: You could say the same for Rob Atkinson, who hasn't been in the squad.
- 6:11SPEAKER_01: It's that's the nature of the squad.
- 6:12SPEAKER_01: Um, there'll be different reasons why one player's in the squad and not in the squad or in the team and not in the team, and unfortunately, or fortunately, whichever way you want to look at it, that's that's my job.
- 6:20SPEAKER_01: It's my job to select players for different games and occasions.
- 6:24SPEAKER_00: Watford have um not scored lots of goals this season, but they don't seem to be conceding many goals either.
- 6:29SPEAKER_00: I know they lost midweek.
- 6:31SPEAKER_00: What kind of challenge and how different will it be to say the one Lincoln provided you on Tuesday?
- 6:35SPEAKER_01: I think that the exciting bit um and the challenge for the group is that every single championship game is a different challenge.
- 6:44SPEAKER_01: It's so different.
- 6:44SPEAKER_01: You know, that's my learning as well.
- 6:46SPEAKER_01: You know, every game we're looking at is so different.
- 6:48SPEAKER_01: So um when you look at Southampton and how they want to play and how they want to be, it's probably polar opposites from how Lincoln want to play.
- 6:56SPEAKER_01: And then you again you look at Watford and there they play in a different way again, you know.
- 7:02SPEAKER_01: So um, but every team has strengths and every team has weaknesses.
- 7:06SPEAKER_01: Um, and the same with Lincoln, the same with Southampton, it's about us finding those and and then executing to make sure we you know hurt them, right?
- 7:17SPEAKER_01: And it's I thought I thought at Southampton we did that and got caught.
- 7:21SPEAKER_01: I thought at Lincoln we didn't do that enough.
- 7:23SPEAKER_01: Um, and again at Watford, we've got to make sure we can you know execute a good game plan um out there to to beat them.
- 7:30SPEAKER_00: Is the mentality any different at all because after Friday there's not a game for three weeks?
- 7:36SPEAKER_01: Um no, I think you know I'm quite level, win or lose.
- 7:39SPEAKER_01: I think the process is takes time.
- 7:42SPEAKER_01: Um the start of my journey as a manager at my old club, it took time to before we got the process going, and I can see some really good things in this group.
- 7:49SPEAKER_01: Um, of course, you don't want to lose football matches, but we've won three.
- 7:53SPEAKER_01: I think the feel would be different if you lose one win, one lose, one win, one lose, you know.
- 7:57SPEAKER_01: But we're in a position where we don't want to lose football matches, but we've got to attack this game like we attack any other game.
- 8:02SPEAKER_01: And it's gonna be a very tough game.
- 8:04SPEAKER_01: Um, they haven't played on a Tuesday for a start, so I've got to think about the team and how fresh that needs to look because again, there were some huge outputs on um on Saturday and Tuesday, and sometimes we can view players as not having a good performance, but they might be tired, for example.
- 8:20SPEAKER_01: You know, I've got the numbers of when those players can get tired, so maybe you know that's part of the journey of this group as well is can they go Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday?
- 8:29SPEAKER_01: And I'm not just talking about physically tired, I'm talking about being mentally tired as well.
- 8:33SPEAKER_01: You you especially see that with some of the newer players that maybe have had a strong start and starting to look a little bit tired.
- 8:39SPEAKER_01: That's that's natural, that's part of their development.
- 8:41SPEAKER_01: Um, but it's gonna be a tough game.
- 8:43SPEAKER_00: And once Watford's out of the way, um it's almost like a mini pre-season, isn't it?
- 8:47SPEAKER_00: I mean, I appreciate players will be going away on international duty, but it sounds like there's a there's a lot to benefit from this break because you'll you'll have some time on the training ground with your players.
- 8:55SPEAKER_01: Yeah, the it'll be it'll be obviously we want to get a win first, that's the most important thing.
- 8:59SPEAKER_01: Um, but you're right, it feels like a really good opportunity to get some more work done with the lads because when you go Saturday, Tuesday, you don't really have a time to coach them and develop them as a team or as individuals because you're just match planning and recovering.
- 9:12SPEAKER_01: Um it's felt like that for quite a while.
- 9:14SPEAKER_01: It's obviously felt we we felt like we've been on the road quite a bit as well, which is again you're traveling.
- 9:19SPEAKER_01: Um but that's that's football.
- 9:21SPEAKER_01: Um, but yeah, it's a good good time to do some work with the lads on the training pitch and really you know go after those things that we think we really need to improve on as a group.
- 9:30SPEAKER_01: Um, but first of all, probably a little bit of a break, not too much, and then we're back into it for a couple of weeks working hard.
- 9:36SPEAKER_01: So and the lads know that that's my style, you know.
- 9:38SPEAKER_01: We don't we we work hard because uh all the time the harder we work, the luckier we become or the better we become.
- 9:44SPEAKER_01: But we just keep you know keep improving is is the challenge.
- 9:47SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
- 9:48SPEAKER_02: Thank you, Michael.
- 9:50SPEAKER_02: I know you touched on the sort of low blocks there.
- 9:52SPEAKER_02: I think it's something that fans of clubs obviously you always think, oh, we have a truck issue with this when, like you say, it's a lot of clubs have similar similar problems.
- 9:59SPEAKER_02: What is it?
- 9:59SPEAKER_02: Do you think is it a bit of bravery, a bit more composure in the final third to kind of unlock that sort of thing?
- 10:04SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think when it is it's a good question.
- 10:06SPEAKER_01: I think it's a bit of everything.
- 10:07SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think it's a bit of everything.
- 10:09SPEAKER_01: It can be intensity with the ball, it can be tactical nuances in the structure, it can be speed like in in transition and turnover, it can be bravery, it can be risking the ball more.
- 10:22SPEAKER_01: I think that's part of the journey of this group, you know, in those moments is about reading the moments of the game.
- 10:27SPEAKER_01: But you know, teams can there's this thing about controlling the game with the ball.
- 10:30SPEAKER_01: You can control the game without the ball, you know, and we forget that.
- 10:33SPEAKER_01: So we have to be we have to keep improving in both of those aspects of the game, being able to control the game without it, and being able to control the game with it.
- 10:40SPEAKER_01: But control is just not having it.
- 10:42SPEAKER_01: Control is actually causing damage, as I say, and that's uh that's part of our learning.
- 10:46SPEAKER_02: In terms of Tuesday, did you think there was one specific of those factors that was the bit that you missed in terms of just unlocking that defence?
- 10:53SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I thought we could have been faster with the ball.
- 10:55SPEAKER_01: I thought we could have been better with the ball in the attacking half, and I thought we could have taken more risk with the ball in the final third to take players on, to get in behind players.
- 11:02SPEAKER_01: And I spoke to the players about that.
- 11:04SPEAKER_01: That's where that's where we should be taking more risks.
- 11:06SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, and we could have been faster and more forward than we were.
- 11:10SPEAKER_01: But again, you have to remember you're playing an opposition that's trying to stop you doing those things and trying to make you go sideways.
- 11:16SPEAKER_01: So, again, maybe that's part of decision making and and bravery.
- 11:19SPEAKER_02: In terms of the reaction kind of in the building, Joe said there that you know everyone's reacted well, it's been quite level.
- 11:24SPEAKER_02: It is that the sense you've got that you know everyone's more focused on putting it right tomorrow than focused on what went wrong.
- 11:30SPEAKER_01: I think that's the beauty of football, isn't it?
- 11:31SPEAKER_01: And the beauty of the championship that obviously after not the international break, but there's another game that comes thick and fast.
- 11:36SPEAKER_01: You cannot dwell on uh good performances, bad performances, you have to keep focused on what we're trying to achieve and what we're trying to do.
- 11:44SPEAKER_01: And again, I've said there'll be ups and there'll be downs, and there's up there was always ups and downs, and we keep moving forward and we just have to keep taking our learnings.
- 11:52SPEAKER_01: I know it sounds a bit cliche, um, but you do, and you have to keep looking at areas where we need to improve.
- 11:57SPEAKER_01: We're we're clear where we need to improve.
- 11:59SPEAKER_01: Um, just knowing where you need to improve and improving on it is takes a longer process.
- 12:05SPEAKER_01: Um, so we've just got to keep moving forward and trying to improve on the aspects that we think we that makes us a better team.
- 12:10SPEAKER_02: I don't think we asked you about him because of other things that came up on Tuesday, but Gibson, first home start for him.
- 12:14SPEAKER_02: How did you think he got on?
- 12:15SPEAKER_02: What did you make of his performance?
- 12:16SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I thought you know, Gibson um has slowly worked his way in for the fans to see him a little bit closer.
- 12:24SPEAKER_01: I think when you look at him, he's um a brilliant profile, um, can be an exciting young talent, but again, probably another player that is getting to the challenge of the championship, physically demanding for him to go game after game after game.
- 12:38SPEAKER_01: Um, but like all the players that we've brought in, whether they've started more games or not started more games, they've got they develop in different times in different ways.
- 12:48SPEAKER_01: But I thought Gibson um had a good performance actually on Tuesday.
- 12:51SPEAKER_02: You must feel like we mentioned kind of the learning and stuff, given the variety of opposition, the different sort of experiences the players have had in this first block, it does feel like they've seen a lot of what the championship's going to throw at them as well.
- 13:01SPEAKER_01: Yeah, huge.
- 13:02SPEAKER_01: And you've seen um different environments, different clubs, different challenges, um, different physicality of different teams and different styles of football.
- 13:12SPEAKER_01: I think for me, that's why it's the championship is the best league in the world.
- 13:17SPEAKER_01: I think it's definitely the best league in the world because it's exciting.
- 13:20SPEAKER_01: But I think you so you see so many different styles of football.
- 13:22SPEAKER_01: I think some leagues in the world become a little bit the same style.
- 13:26SPEAKER_01: Um so I think that's what the most exciting thing about the champ is.
- 13:29SPEAKER_01: Like when you look at every game we've played, it it's never had the same story.
- 13:33SPEAKER_01: The opposition do something different.
- 13:35SPEAKER_01: But that's our adaptability.
- 13:36SPEAKER_01: That's as learning, that's getting better and more experienced with that.
- 13:39SPEAKER_01: And as the group gets more experienced together, they can adapt quicker on the same page if you like.
- 13:44SPEAKER_02: I think it's something James said on the radio about kind of you guys review after every six games, and I know we're a little bit beyond that, but that adaptability, how how much of what you want your team to look like?
- 13:54SPEAKER_01: How much progress has been made, do you think, in the first block of games or we we review heavily every game, um, and then we marker it with lots of different data points and stats over five, six games.
- 14:05SPEAKER_01: Um, how far are we along the way?
- 14:07SPEAKER_01: Um, we've made some good progress, but we're nowhere near where we need the team to be and where the team needs to look.
- 14:13SPEAKER_01: Um, but there is you know ways that also it doesn't matter what job you do, how you want to play, you also have to you know adapt a little bit to the playing group as well.
- 14:22SPEAKER_01: So we're still uh I don't know if it's the right term, we're still working together to to find the real solution.
- 14:29SPEAKER_01: Um but but I feel like some real progress games.
- 14:32SPEAKER_01: But our principles don't change, you know, our principles have never changed and won't change.
- 14:36SPEAKER_01: But again, the nuances around shape and structure, um, yeah, we've still got to improve on that.
- 14:41SPEAKER_02: Obviously, losing Rob for any length of time will be a blow.
- 14:44SPEAKER_02: I imagine with the work done in the window, you feel confident that you know you've more than got the depth at your disposal to cope with that.
- 14:50SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think um it's a big player to lose.
- 14:53SPEAKER_01: You know, one of the things that you know Rob gives the team is he's one of the experienced heads in the group.
- 14:59SPEAKER_01: Um, so that's you know, one thing that that we're conscious of with some of the young lads and the new players, not just the young lads and new players.
- 15:07SPEAKER_01: They're having championship experience is important.
- 15:10SPEAKER_01: So we're gonna miss that.
- 15:11SPEAKER_01: Um we don't know how long for yet, but we've got other also other Rob, you know, who is very experienced in the group, and especially I think with the bat line and centage, you need experience.
- 15:21SPEAKER_01: Um, and we're still growing in those areas with some of the new lads in their experience.
- 15:25SPEAKER_01: Um, but it's gonna be a great, it's gonna be a big loss.
- 15:27SPEAKER_01: But in terms of personnel, to answer the question, yeah, we feel like we're covered down, especially with Luke on his way back as well.
- 15:34SPEAKER_02: I was gonna ask you about that because obviously we look at the sort of football characteristics of you've got to replace Rob, but how important, especially in what is quite a young back line, having someone like Rob Atkinson who's been about been around the division for a long time.
- 15:45SPEAKER_01: It's so important, it's so important to have the experience there, especially like you say in the back line.
- 15:50SPEAKER_01: I think there's a reason why centre halves you know reach peak performance a lot later in their career than than wideys or strikers who you see blow onto the scene at a younger age.
- 16:02SPEAKER_01: Generally, centre halves don't come into the scene when they're a little bit older.
- 16:06SPEAKER_01: Um, but you know, it doesn't that in some ways that doesn't matter.
- 16:09SPEAKER_01: It like the the playing performance will always dictate um whether they're playing or not.
- 16:14SPEAKER_02: I know um I think Jason's been confirmed to be going away with Ireland today, and Rio's been called off, and I think Tommy as well.
- 16:20SPEAKER_02: Is that as a manager, you want to take pride from that?
- 16:22SPEAKER_02: Is there a little bit of you when you have got that longer block that would love to have them here to be able to work on those things?
- 16:27SPEAKER_01: I think it's we should all be proud of the international call-ups our players get.
- 16:31SPEAKER_01: I think it's an amazing thing.
- 16:33SPEAKER_01: You know, I'd love I'd love 24 of them that can have a holiday now.
- 16:36SPEAKER_01: I'm joking.
- 16:37SPEAKER_01: Um, but um you're right, you're you're you're you're right with that.
- 16:40SPEAKER_01: It's it's it's amazing, it's great for the players.
- 16:43SPEAKER_01: I think it's great for the club.
- 16:44SPEAKER_01: We should have more of it, we should want more of it, especially with not just the senior players but the the younger players, the 21s, the 18s that go off to Wales.
- 16:52SPEAKER_01: We want more of that um because it shows that our growth as a club.
- 16:55SPEAKER_01: Um, but it does make it challenging because you do you want to work more like 11v11 with the group, and it's difficult to do that so much when you go game after game after game, and you you probably haven't we haven't probably haven't done that maybe in a clear week a little bit or lots in pre-season.
- 17:10SPEAKER_01: So it feels like we've got to find some time to do that.
- 17:13SPEAKER_01: So that's our challenge because you when you've got you know two or three players that are away, it's it's not quite what you need.
- 17:20SPEAKER_01: But again, that's the challenge of of football, that's the challenge of management that every club that wants to be successful has.
- 17:25SPEAKER_02: I imagine that long good break will be a lot more enjoyable if you can go in um a win, and suddenly that starts of the season looks really, really positive.
- 17:33SPEAKER_01: Every evening with a win is more enjoyable.
- 17:35SPEAKER_01: I promise you that.
- 17:36SPEAKER_01: Good luck tomorrow.