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Michael Skubala press conference | Bolton Wanderers vs Bristol City · Bristol City

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: So hi Michael, I guess just to start with, um sort of thinking back to the weekend and sort of the lessons and learnings you've had this week, what has been your main takeaways that you've been looking looking at?
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, obviously it was um brilliant to get a clean sheet away at Stoke.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's always a difficult place to go at any stage of the season, um especially with the weather, which was which was hard for both teams.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_01: But I think they had a a really good start in the game.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um probably caused a little bit cold, but then we grew into the game.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_01: I thought second half we were we were the team that was on the ascendancy.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um but you know didn't well we created chances but didn't hit the target, so didn't get that you know those goals we want.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: So that's that's something we've worked on this week.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um but yeah, I think there was some good individual performances in there, um, and we look forward to another good game against Bolton away.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm sure you spoke about it on Saturday, but you obviously started with three at the back in your formation last week.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: Can you talk a little bit more about your thinking there, how you think that went, and if that's something you're gonna look at doing more often?
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_01: Oh yeah, I'm probably um you know, I've said to the lads and everybody quite adaptable, depending a little bit on the opposition.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_01: I thought the shape change was good.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_01: I thought it gave us a lot of solidity.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um I thought it also helped us to get um a few more players in the box in the attacking moment, so I thought that was good.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, there's downsides and upsides and you know, trade-offs at all different shapes, but um, and not across, you know, it's not just staying as one shape either.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I thought on the day it worked really well to combat their shape, but again, you know, against different oppositions we'll we'll change shape and we'll tweak things.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: Because I know you've spoken a lot about the difference between like what you expect at home and what you expect when you go away.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: Is it something maybe on the road that might kind of you look at a little bit more when you play in the room?
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think always you look at not just home in a way, um, but you look at the the level of opposition sometimes as well.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_01: So, like I say, I think away it can be a good shape, but I think against some, you know, some really big boys in this league in terms of that could be a good shape as well.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: But we want to be front-footed, we want to be aggressive, we want to stick to our principles no matter what shape, and I thought the lads did that at times quite well on Saturday.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: So you started with Dom and um Lauren up front um in partnership last week.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: I know it's not the first time you've done that, but I wanted to ask a little bit more about how you see that partnership developing and how you think that's been growing.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think we started with that at I think it was the first game of the season at Millwall, and then we had a sending off, so it was a bit tricky.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um then we had, excuse me, then I think Southampton was the next time, probably they did well.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: I think they're great, they're both great young players that are still learning the level.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I think whenever we can put a good partnership up top, it's it's exciting.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we've not had to do not have a chance to do that more recently, obviously with Tolly being out.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um he got big whack on Saturday as well.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: So we're gonna have to, he's got a late fitness test for this Saturday.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: So always is a challenge, it's not just you know, you might want to do it for longer to give them a bit of rhythm, but it's been a challenge up to now.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_01: But I I I think they could be good together, and they're still growing in that partnership for sure.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: Because that was gonna be my next question, asking how he was after he went off on the weekend.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: Can you say that?
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he got his it's nothing long term, but he's got contusion on his hip.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: He got whacked by the keeper, so it's a it's a massive bruising.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: So he's missed quite a lot of training this week.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, again, he'll probably be uh late, a late call if he makes it for Saturday.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: I guess the the the big question from a lot of fans is obviously how do you kind of turn all the chances and everything you're creating into those goals?
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: Those two guys seem like that that's as you say, it sounds like that's really developing that partnership is a really good way of hopefully um getting more goals going forward.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, they you know they're they've they've been good goal scorers throughout their careers, so they you know I've got every confidence in they'll take their chances.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_01: I do think that you know we need to chip in from other areas when you look at the opportunities that came the other day and you look at opportunities over the last few games, even before that the Blackburn game, we had lots of opportunities from other areas of the pitch.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_01: So we're we're working hard on making sure that not only can we get more goals, of course, we know that.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um we want to keep clean sheets while we try and score, um, but we do need to chip in from all areas.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: We don't want the responsibility just to be on two nines, and I think the lads can do that.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_01: We've been working hard on that all week about how we can get into certain areas we think can hurt teams and how we can create bigger moments.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, how's the rest of the squad looking?
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, you mentioned Lauren, but uh Luke said that Rob's been back in training this week as well.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Rob's back in, which is great news.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: So we'll see um whether he's uh available for Saturday again.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_01: It's he's he's been out five weeks and he's been for the tip with the team today for the for the first time.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: So we'll see how that looks for Saturday.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Luke Manali obviously is is good, um, which is great for us because he keeps getting through game after game, which is really positive.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Noah's still poorly, um, so he's he's still not available.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um Elijah Adebeo is probably gonna miss at least the next couple of games.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: We'll see whether he makes Saturday or doesn't make it before the next window.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_01: So he's had a little bit of a strain.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: So he's we've had that scanned and looked at, so he's gonna be out for foreseeable in that time.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think yeah, the rest of the squad's looking good and healthy.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: What's Elijah's strain?
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_01: Where it's uh Yeah, it's not quad strain, so he came off the pitch after you know, after Sheffield United uh with a quad strain.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: We we thought it might recover quite quick, um, but we're gonna need a bit more time.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: Well, how are you feeling?
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: What's your thoughts about Bolton this weekend and sort of what game you might expect from them?
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um, I think they've you know, like all the teams that got promoted, have come up and started very well.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: I think Bolton have done the same.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: They've obviously had a tough performance against a very good Middlesbrough team.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but you know, they've got some really good players and they've they've invested even more into some good players in E2 and you know Rodriguez as number tens and you know Dolby is a strong number nine.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, the Whides, the the wingers, Gail Um and Dong off the other side are very very effective.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_01: And of course, they've had you know Josh Sheen there for many years, and I've played against many Bolton teams, and Josh Sheen's the the six that makes them tick, if you like, so but there's also things that we think we can hurt them with and the weaknesses there, so we have to be wary of their strengths, of course, and they're at home and they'll want to take the game to us.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but we think we can have um yeah, some good things to try and hurt their shape and and get after their weaknesses.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: And just a last one for me, can I just get a word on Luke?
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, that he's you know been back.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: I know you've spoken a lot about what it what he's been through.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: What can you say about the sort of mental resilience in the time that you've known him to come back from what he has?
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, ah, he's first of all, he's a brilliant young man.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think um before he got injured, everybody knew how what his quality was as a footballer and what he brings to the team, and I knew that you know before even coming here.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: And the fact that he's been out for so long and has come back and has quickly got into the rhythm of things has been exceptional.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, we've got to still look after him and we have to be mindful of that.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_01: But he's looking stronger every game he plays.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: I thought some of his recovery runs on last Saturday we were immense in terms of how he got back.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_01: So you know he's a big lad that's very aerial dominant, is great on the ball, and his speed when he gets going is good as well.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, like all the rest of the defenders, they're really important to the team, and keeping clean sheets is is what they want to do.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I'm really pleased for Luke that he can get back in and get a bit of rhythm.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you very much.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_02: Hi, Michael.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_02: Just I'm touching on no, I know you're not going to go into like great detail, but is are things heading in the right direction with him?
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's a good point.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he's definitely heading in the right direction now.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: We've got a grip of it.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, he's he's been quite poorly, so naturally, when you're quite poorly, you lose a bit of weight, you lose you know all the things you would expect from being ill.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but we're definitely on the right side of it.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_01: He's obviously now he's missed quite a lot of football and a lot of training because he hasn't trained at all.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um but we're hoping he'd be back on the grass very soon in terms of individual work, and then hopefully by the international window, he'll be back with the team training or or very close to it.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, it's good news that he's on the mend and he's on the recovery, but he's still quite a way off because he's missed so much on the grass.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_02: It feels like one of those where it's probably a break might not be a bad time for him to build himself up a little bit.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it'd be it'd be a really good break for him.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: He he wants to get back going, of course.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when you're ill, you just miss a lot of stuff, and uh footballers just want to play football, so he's missed a lot of training, but he's yeah, he's definitely on the mend, which is great news.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it must be a frustrated time for him as well, because he'd obviously played so well at Watford having got his chance when he's come when he comes back, you'd imagine he'd be incredibly hungry.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's where uh football's brutal, isn't it?
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: You know, he's he was he was good at Watford, he got his chance because of the injuries we had, and as soon as he got his chance, he got ill and fell ill.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_01: And it's the challenges of football that people don't always see the injuries, the illness, it can put you back, and then all of a sudden you're four or five weeks back before you can train again.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, he's a strong character though.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_01: He's he's looking good every day, he's coming in with a smile on his face now, which is nice, and he'll get back to his best, no doubt.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_02: I know you're not going to go into detail, but you mentioned that you've been kind of working this week on you know trying to turn those chances into goals.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_02: What does that kind of look like?
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_02: What can you do on the training ground to do that?
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, maybe a really simple question is it tubes and drills?
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: Is it a bit of everything we have to do?
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_01: You know, how to how can we arrive better and cleaner in the final third?
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_01: How can we get enough numbers in the box to affect their back line?
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, when we get there, we just need to be a bit calmer and a bit bit show a bit more quality and be calm in those situations because I think when you feel like you need to score more goals, you can start snapping at things.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_01: But the lads just need to keep calm in front of the goal, uh hit the target.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: I know it's an obvious one, but I think if we hit the target in those two two or three chances at Stoke, you make the keeper work, and you have to go back to the brilliant basics, if you like, of the game.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but it's natural sometimes a tenseness when you think you've had a few chances not to score.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: But the lads, we have to work through that with all the lads, and yeah, we've been working on that this week.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_02: And so I guess that's what experience comes into as well.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_02: If you can do it once and that confidence lifts everyone, yeah.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_02: It does feel like maybe needs that one game for things to click into.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_01: I think when you know, when strikers start scoring again or or or attacking midfielders start scoring again, then it really looks a lot easier, doesn't it?
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_01: But it's like anything, you know, and we've I've been through this with teams before.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_01: You just have to keep working hard on the training pitch, you just have to keep working hard at all the things you want to improve on, and you get through it.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_02: And I guess when you've got players like Dom as well, we spoke to him last week, confidence isn't something he lacks as well, and that that's gonna hopefully carry him well in this sort of period as well.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yep, no, he's uh he's a confident boy, which is great.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_01: He scored goals his whole career.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I knew him when he was 17-18, and he was banging goals in for Southampton.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_01: So he's a goal scoring machine.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: He's he feels like he should have scored more goals.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_01: I think we probably all agree with that, but he'll get his goals along with Tolly and along with some of the wide players that have been getting in as well.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_01: So we've just got to keep getting in the right areas and the goals will come.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_02: I wanted to ask you a little bit about Sam Bell, but you touched on his cameo the other day.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_02: I know you asked about him last week, but if there's potentially no law on Elijah, it could be an opportunity for him as well.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, like always, when you know, when there's injuries in squads and people are out, it it promotes an opportunity for for the next ones, if you like, who've not been getting the the time they want, and that's that's football, isn't it?
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_01: And it's up to them uh to take the opportunities when they arise.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_01: So of course, when there's injuries, you know, another squad player comes along, and it's the same with Sam and the same with a lot of the other players.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_01: It's when they get on that pitch, can they can they make a difference?
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_02: Do you view that as where he's at his best?
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_02: It's like a central number nine.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_02: I know he's adaptable, but is that where you see him at his best?
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think Sam growing up was always a number nine, wasn't he?
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that's where he's probably most natural.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_01: But I think he can play off the left quite well, he can play off the right quite well.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, probably in the you know the shape on Saturday.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_01: That's we didn't, you know, play with wideys if you like we played with wing backs.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_01: So I don't, you know, I think that's where it's different.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_01: He'd be a nine in that structure.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um so where if you play with wideys, it's probably a little bit different.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_01: So again, you know, he's adaptable as well, which is great, along with how we might adapt to certain opposition.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_02: I think I asked you plenty about Sam Tickle on Saturday.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_02: I didn't really ask you about Brad's performance and what you made of him.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_02: I know he didn't have necessarily loads to do, but what did you make of his display?
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I thought it was a very um assured, calming display.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, what you'd expect from probably you know, someone that played a hundred games in the championship, and considering the wind, I don't think it's an easy job to come in as a keeper to deal with that.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_01: I think he made a great foot save late on where they were starting to chuck it on the wind on us.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um came for a little bit here and there, so I think it was a very solid performance, and um in the circumstances with the first you know debut for Bristol City and for you know for Brad, it's really important that he gets a solid start.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_02: No, you're not gonna tell us the team, but is it you've mentioned rotating, is it a case of his kind of his shirt at the moment having started last week?
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I think it's like we brought Sam Ticklin, who's a very good goalkeeper, who's a bit younger.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_01: We brought Brad in, who's a very good goalkeeper, and it's competitive for number one, and like all the outfield positions as well, it's about being competitive in that position as well.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I wanted to ask you about Gibson Yarbers.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_02: I know you've spoken very highly of him, he's obviously put runner starts together as well.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_02: How impressive you've been with his development in that short period is I know you kind of eased him in and now he's really established himself as a regular starter.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he's um he's you know got used to the tempo, if you like, of the championship.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um he's been doing very well more recently.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but like you say, it's um he's probably got the shirt at the moment and has been done, and he's you can see some of the exciting things that he brings, his physicality, his power, the quality he brings on the ball.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but again, it's you know the the adaptation to the level and the adaptation to the grind of the championship if they like is probably the thing that some young Europeans have to get used to, but I think he's adapting really well and he's developing really well as well.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_01: I think all the you know, the younger players that if you actually look at it where they've come from, whether it's League One or whether it's Europe, have started to adapt really well to the grind of the championship, you know, and um yeah, they're exciting young players.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_02: In terms of his kind of development, what is it I guess you want to see more from him?
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_02: Because I know he mentioned he was a bit frustrated with the chances he didn't put away on on Saturday.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_02: Is that where you feel he could have improved still a little bit?
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_02: Who gives him?
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_01: I think he he he was frustrated with he had a big chance, then he thought he should have scored more.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_01: But I think he's he's been doing well in the middle of the pitch.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_01: He's keeping the ball well, he's moving the ball through the lines well.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um, he he can, you know, loads of different areas of the game he can develop on, like all the other players.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um we keep working with on that.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_01: But he's a very diligent young man, he works really hard off the pitch, you know.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_01: He's spending a lot of time with the coaches on clips and how he can improve, so he's definitely got the thirst for improvement, and hopefully, um he can keep doing that.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_02: So first time we've spoken to you since Seb Naylor's low move was confirmed.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_02: Can you just talk us through a little bit of thinking there?
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_02: Is it just the case of him needing some first team football?
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think Seb is a great young footballer.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think he's come here and it's a bit of a challenge for him to get into the first team regularly.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and the thing that probably he's missing across his career is is senior men's football.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it's a great loan for him.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it'll be good for him, it'd be good for us to look at him.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_01: And it's just things that at a certain age, when you're not so young, you need to go and play men's football.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_01: And I think the fact that he's now doing that is is great news.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_02: I've seen positive things from the Oval fans, then obviously Adam Murphy this week with Financially.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, with those sort of lone players, how how much attention and time do you have to like kind of cast an eye on what they're doing?
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_02: And how does that kind of work with the likes of Jamie, Nilabell as well, and Josh Stokes?
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we keep an eye on all of them.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_01: Myself, the coaching staff will keep an eye on all of them.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_01: We'll watch their clips and games.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we don't want to interfere too much if they've got a game plan that's going on at their other clubs, but to see the lads coming on, of course, Jamie's doing very well as well, and with Canada he's doing great, so you know, we're really excited by all the lone players, but most importantly, they're out there playing football and they're out there playing men's football, which is so important to them because what you the growth you get from playing senior football compared to playing you know younger age football is completely different.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: So challenge is completely different.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_01: The physicality, the speed, the gamesmanship.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_01: It's it becomes about solely winning football matches, and I think they're in their environment now where that's so important, and I think you can really see their development.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_02: Certainly beating the Premier League champions on penalty is not a bad way to do that.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_01: What a great night.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_01: It's brilliant.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_01: Like you say, it's brilliant to see them come off the bench and brilliant to have that exposure as well, you know, to play against top players like that in a game that really means something to the club they're playing for, and really means something to the fans that are around there.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you can't really buy those experiences, and like I say, you don't you can't really get those experiences in academy football, which is which is important to you know those group of players that are now alone.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_02: In terms of Bolton have obviously made that step up as as you have this season.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_02: I'm just wondering 12 games down now.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_02: What what kind of has there been anything in particular that surprised you about championship?
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_02: What are the main learnings you as a manager have found in that spell?
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_02: Do you feel?
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_01: Oh well, I think the the the main learnings for me, it's a great question.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_01: Is every game is totally different.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, every game has you know a totally different style, a totally different feel to it.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um the power and the physicality of a lot of teams in this league is obviously a step up.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then there's some supreme quality in each individual team.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't matter what team you play, um, what where they are in the table, there'll be obviously in the bigger teams there's more of those players, but in you know, even down the teams that you know are struggling if you like have some supreme quality in the group that can turn moments.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, football in the championships is definitely I've heard it before from some of the older managers, it's definitely a moments league.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you have to be really tough to go again from Saturday to Tuesday to Saturday and and make the moments count when you get them and make sure they don't have ten or too many moments against against you.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um and that's why it's known as the hardest league in the world, which is exciting, um, which is a real challenge.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_02: So many people talk about that kind of step back gap having taken it.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_02: Is it bigger maybe than perhaps you even realised from the outside sometimes?
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um no, I don't think it's that.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um because I've I think the gaps between any league is is difficult.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_01: I think if you were to speak to championship managers that go up to the Premier League, they'd say that gap's big.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_01: I think you know, I think every gap's a jump.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think the you know, jumping sometimes in the start of a season, the the groups that have played together for longer have a bit of an advantage.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when you see the teams coming up and not making many changes into the group, that's an advantage.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um, sometimes the teams coming down when they play for loads of players together, but you also see it when teams you know get relegated from the Premier League and they make lots of changes, they never necessarily start in the championship how well they want to start.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it's all about you know time and and work and consistency, um, and you have to do that on the training pitch.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_02: I thought it was really interesting how you know fans we've said before, you know, go up through the motions.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_02: Luke sat there earlier and when Bolton was mentioned, said how you know players are travelling confidently.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_02: It must for you have plenty of pride that no matter the run, that's the way the players, and I imagine you are heading into game still.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, the players have really you know high standards, and we have high standards here.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_01: We work hard every day.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_01: You know, the players know how much I love them to bits, how much we care about them, how much we want to play well.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_01: And there's no, I don't think there's any player in this group that doesn't want to play well for Bristol City.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_01: You know, there's no player in this uh club that wants to do really well for the club, and yeah, it's not one through of effort, not one through of trying.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's more about, like you say, the final moments, and they're frustrated as anybody that we're not you know scoring enough goals, and we can see that.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we're not as coaches, we're not blind to things.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_01: We know we haven't scored enough goals.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but we also want to make sure that we're we keep developing and keep moving in the right direction.
• 17:41
  SPEAKER_01: I think a clean sheet away at Stokes is a really important point, um, and we want to keep moving in the right direction.