Latest / Bristol City / Michael Skubala press conference | Charlton Athletic vs Bristol City

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Michael Skubala press conference | Charlton Athletic vs Bristol City · Bristol City

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: Well Michael, nice to see you again.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_02: I'm sure you've been happy not to see us, but not all.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_02: But we're all sort of coping with the slightly longer.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_02: I know you've you've had lots of things and you had your match at Crystal Palace and everything.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_02: How have you found it?
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, interesting, different.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um but yeah, I think everybody probably, you know, the stop in the season is a bit different, but you know, I think we've got this to come for a few few seasons, so we've had to adapt to it like probably all other clubs.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um few days off here, obviously been training really hard, ready, uh friendly as you've seen to get ready for for the season.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um sorry, not for the season, for the restart of the season.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um so it has felt a bit like a little bit of a pre-season.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but no, yeah, it's um but in some ways a good a good rest.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um I've been on the other side as a national coach as well, so it had been a hard slog for some of the international players playing you know four games in those amount of days.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: So uh yeah, we're we're we're raring to go, um, and we're hopefully you know can kick on into to the next is it seven games before the next window.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_02: And you obviously had that um that game against Palace that um that that was arranged to try and help keep the players taking over and all the rest of it, and and the performance and the the result would seem to suggest that that it was a approved exercise for you.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it was a it was a good exercise.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: We didn't want to go into Charlton without you know any game and just training, so especially for the lads you know that needed some some minutes and some players coming into the group.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um and you know, as some of the international boys have been away as well, so they've got some minutes as well, which which we know about, so we know where that is.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, everybody's coming back in today in different places have played more than others.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but yeah, we've um we thought it was a really good exercise, and it's it's great that we could go down to Palace, which is a very good team.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: And even though they obviously had some international boys away like ourselves, they had a very good side out.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: So, but again, you know, probably the the um the thing about that game was seeing Luke McNally back on the pitch, which is exciting.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and Brian for his first time seeing him and his, if you like, all the fans to see him for the first time, which was great, and then to get some of the youngsters on the pitch, which was fantastic, against some very good players.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: So you even learn more about that.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: So not only is it just to try and keep us ticking over if you like, it's also to try and give a few opportunities to see players playing that you know we don't always have the chance to see because we've got a really strong squad and you can't pick everybody on match day.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_02: So with Alex just going through who's available.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_02: So with with Luke, I'm sure you're you're still being cautious, but but is he available for selection for matches now?
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, he's closer.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: I would say yes.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: He um he's probably um even though it's a good opposition, it's different playing 90 minutes in the championship and trying to play 90 minutes, sorry, playing 60 minutes at Crystal Palace and then trying to play 90 minutes in the championship.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: But I would say he's he's there for selection.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: The challenge is probably not every game.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's a bit of a how can I explain?
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's a different one with how we have to manage Luke.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: So, for example, he could be available on a Saturday and not a Tuesday, and over a certain amount of time till we but I think you know we can definitely he can definitely be thrown into the hat with selecting, which is a good problem.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Another problem for me to have because I thought he did very well and he's looking strong.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_02: And and you could see from the smile on his face, you know, anybody who's been out the amount of time that he has, it it's going to be some tough times in there.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_02: And and to get the goal, you could see just how happy he was.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's brilliant.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: I think all the lads on the bench just I think they nearly stood up and applauded him because you can see what a really tight-knit group it is.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: And like any player that's been through that, what Luke's been through, you know, a long period of time.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: Someone said it was like 600 days without playing football, and then comes back and gets a start, even unifriendly, and gets to score a goal.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: The feeling of being a football again is a footballer again is so important to them, and it puts all that grind, you know, into that moment.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but yeah, we're we're really pleased with what he's doing.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: We we're really pleased, and the medical team, Paul Tanner, his team, you know, Cavs, a physical team have worked really hard with Luke to get him back in some good shape, and we're we're really excited and really happy for where he's at.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_02: You mentioned Brian as well, got his minutes in there.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_02: Is he fully fit as far as you're concerned now?
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, he's fit, he's ready to go, he's ready for selection, he's he's built up, he's obviously in a different place to Luke in terms of injury.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but yeah, he's good to go.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_02: Elijah.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: Elijah?
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: Oh sorry, um uh Ada Bear.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, sorry, Elijah Adabaya.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: So he's um yeah, he's good.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, you've probably seen him playing minutes for the 21s in the week.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: That was just to keep him topping up as well.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: So he's he's good to go.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Probably again we're still building him because he's probably more similar to Luke in terms of having a big injury, so we have to be careful, but he's he can slowly play more and more, which is exciting as well.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_02: And and then on the the other side, Rio I saw had sort of cut his uh his international break short.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_02: What was the situation there?
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, you know, Rio Rio is a young man that's been playing in the championship for his very first time out of 21's football, so he's obviously had a great start for us uh and being us, and he's played a lot for where he's at.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's natural for young players to get little niggles and little, if you like, awareness in certain parts of his body.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: And he we wanted to support him to go out to Trinidad, and he's done that, and he's he's played well.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: And then come to the third game where he played lots of minutes, he was starting to feel a little bit tight.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and he decided that he thought it'd be best to come home and a little bit earlier and get a little bit more rest before we go again.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: So he's in a good place and he's ready to go.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: But again, we have to be careful with Rio because he's such a young man, playing a lot of minutes, and obviously playing great and you know, assisting and set pieces and some really good stuff for us, but we have to remember he's only still young and and and he's an explosive athlete, and you can see that.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: But he's yeah, he's okay.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: We just we're gonna keep looking after him if you like.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_02: And and I was gonna get to that bit because I I don't think you or he necessarily would have expected him to play the the minutes that he's played, and his impact fully justifies that, but he is somebody who's been playing a lower intensity football in 21's football, and it it the championship is quite brutal.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_02: How much of making sure you don't break him is is in the back of your mind.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, of course.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's probably one of the most, well, it's arguably one of the most physically demanding leagues in the world.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and he's coped with it very well.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: But and you're right, like the step-up for young players from 21's football, and they might get um minutes and they might get appearances here and there with a first team when they go away, like Rio did, and you know, you always see young players coming and dotting and out with first teams, like our young lads, but consistently playing you know in the championships is a different beast, it's a different ask, and it's it takes different tolls on your body.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_00: So as he develops and grows and keeps working hard, and like I say, he's not just that, he's combined with being a you know a speed and power athlete, which we have to look after.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, we're really mindful and really protecting him as much as we can, and but he wants to play as well.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: We have to say that you know, he wants to play every game and he's he's he's feeling good.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: So I think in the times where we can protect any of our players, we we try and do that best we can to keep them, you know, keep them going as and and keep them fit.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_02: With the uh the the break, and I'm sure you didn't get much time to yourself, but was there time to sort of take a step back and and look at okay, this little first block, this is what's been going really well.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_02: This is this is the areas where we feel that's the next level to improve, kind of thing.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, myself and the coaches when you know the lads were in, we had a few days off, and then everybody's been back in pretty much full on.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um, lads have been sometimes an extra day, and the staff have been in, and we've obviously been reviewing all the games that we've gone through, certain parts of the games as well, certain timings of the games, things that we think we need to keep improving on and keep working on.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: And so, of course, we've looked at opposition going forward as well, but mostly it's been how did we how did we look in those first parts of games, how can we improve, you know, even looking at our training, how we can even improve that.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: So that's the job, you know.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: We have to keep evolving all the time because there's some very good coaches and managers in this league that can work out things, and our job is to do the opposite, is to try and work them out a little bit more.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: And but it's a really good, if you like, take stock moment of of where we think we're at and what we need to improve on.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, I think we need we know that.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we've looked at certain areas that we think we can keep improving on, um, but we feel in a good place.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_02: Well, we know you're never sort of happy and there's always improvements there to make, but over that first block, satisfied.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_02: How how would you describe it yourself?
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, I think it's always going to be you know, coming into a new club, coming in with a new set of players, and we're still gelling.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: I I believe that we're still trying to improve certain areas, even getting to know each other, even the combinations on the pitch, um, you know, squad when we make changes, how well that goes, you know, the different profiles you have.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: So I was pleased with um where we're at for sure.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, of course, I think we could have got more points, um, we could have done a lot better in certain moments, but but that's football.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: I think every manager up and down the country would be saying that, doesn't matter where you sit, because we always want better.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, I think in the first instance it's it's a solid, I'd call it a solid start.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but we think there's still much headroom for growth in our proof in our improvements, um, especially over the course of 90 minutes of games.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: I think we've been good in certain parts of games, and in other parts not so bad.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_00: So we're still striving, and you know, we're always we're never we're never satisfied, but we won that 90 minutes of performance.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: You know, when you look at it sounds odd, but when you look at the Southampton first half, we were very good.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but the second half we needed to be better.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um but then you look at other parts of games where Birmingham, I thought we were very good and deserved three points, and then you look at other games where you think, well, we probably didn't deserve the three points, but we got the win.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: So but that's football, that's natural.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's you know, that's that's why we have to keep with our consistency and our our training and working really hard.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_02: Next opportunity to see that of course at the uh the the weekend against Charlton, who have maybe not had an amazing start of the season, but it anytime you go there, it it's always gonna be tough.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I think they're unbeaten at home.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um so they've had a very good start at home on on the road, not so good, but you always know you know against Nathan Jones' teams how you're gonna be, you know, put under pressure, you're gonna have to work hard and you're gonna have to meet that standard before you can let any technical or tactical thing come, you know, come to fruition.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: So we're gonna have to be absolutely on it, and there's no there's no easy place to go, but the valley is definitely a tough place to go.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so we're gonna have to be as as we always are, and I always say against any team in this league, you have to be on it, and we're gonna have to play very well to get the points there, and it's gonna be a very tough game.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: Very best of luck, thank you.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_01: Hi Michael, just to wrap up on the other couple of injury bits.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_01: I think when we went away, Rob Dickey, there was still a bit of uns uncertainty about how severe that one is.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: You got a clear idea of that now?
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that feels like ages ago now, doesn't it?
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: Now you've said that.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, we're a bit clearer on that.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's not as bad as we first thought, so that's great.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: He's um he'll be on the grass, or he is nearly on the grass, starting to get back on his own.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: So that won't be season ending at all.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we're really happy that we think we'll see him before Christmas, maybe even earlier.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so that's good news.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: It's not anything too sinister that we thought.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: So it's in in a way that's turned out as good news, even though obviously for Rob it's not good news, but a lot better than we thought.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_01: Imagine for him as well, he's still not good news, but it must be a bit of a relief because we could all see the like the pain on him when he left the theatre.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, for sure.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I think everybody f feared the worst.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um but you know, he's in a good place.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's definitely for him is it's better than we first thought.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and sometimes you get, you know, I don't even know if it's lucky or unlucky to get injured like that, but you know, like you say, I think everybody thought this could be his season over, so we're really happy with that.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um and he'll yeah, he'll be back in the foreseeable future.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: But I don't want to put a time scale on it yet because we're still not sure about that.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I think I'm confident to say before Christmas.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_01: I need to ask you about Tolly as well.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_01: Was he not involved at Palace?
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_01: Is he okay?
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: Well, we've had a few niggles in training, um, but we also had a few illnesses actually, um, a few babies as well, actually, for some of the for some of the players.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_00: So we've had it all going on.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, Tolly's um he had a little bit of a niggle, um, so we'll see how he is, and hopefully, uh, we'll see over the next few days how he gets on.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_01: Is there a chance then not gonna give away chance he could be?
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, there's a chance, and there's one or two others, and there's a bit of illness.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: So again, like Noah has been quite poorly, so we'll see where Noah's at as well with his with his illness.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um, again, yeah, there's probably two or three that we um we need to keep.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: But we've got a really strong squad.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: You know that we've got the depth to cope with this, and I think we're in a in a good place because of course this time of the year, um illnesses, injuries, and the amount of games we have now coming up through Christmas, you're gonna get this, and this is why in the summer we wanted to plan to have the depth.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I'm really pleased because if anyone gets injured or you know ill, then when we have good players to come in, which is exciting.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: In terms of everyone that's been away, is everyone back in the building sort of today?
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so we've got everybody back.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: So Lee Saf is back from his travels, Nighty's back from his travels, Rio and Tommy Horvath's all back from their travels safe and sound, so it's good.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_00: And they've been training today.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: How much of when they're away do you get to, I guess, touch base with them, especially when it's for that length of time, or is it kind of go off and do your thing?
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think because I've done the international setup, I think um it's a really busy time for players and coaches, you wouldn't think it, because the international coaches don't have much time with them.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: I always you know ring them or message them or speak to them good luck before they go, and then if there's any incidents that they want to call me, then be there for them at the phone and then just see them on see them when they're here.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: I think when they're away, the international teams just give them good luck messages and hope for them all the best because it's uh it's obviously an honour to play for your country and we want them to do well as well, and we want more players to play for their country because I think it it shows the you know the quality of the squad when more players get called up, and we had a lot of players on like the longer lists as well.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but we definitely want more players to be international players because it shows the depth of and the strength that we can keep growing into.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: But to answer the question, yeah, I try to leave them alone because I think it's important and they have a strong relationship with their coaches while they're there.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_01: Do you get to watch it all right?
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_01: And then that's a bit of a stupid question, but at the time I imagine there's players playing at so many different time zones, thinking real in particular.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, how does that I didn't watch them at two in the morning, but I do watch all the games back.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I've seen all their I've seen all their clips, so our analysts' team are brilliant.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: So either I'll watch it live at home over a cup of tea, uh or um or the analysts will clip me the game.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I've seen all of their clips um when they've come back, I've seen all the good stuff, and then we also we sit down with them, and if they want to chat about anything, can because it's also a challenge if if we see something that we don't think that we want to see, but their their coaches have tactically asked them to do something, then it's important to understand the context because I think it's always interesting when you think, oh, why have you done this or why have you done that?
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_00: But we need to understand the context of what was being asked for them as players.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: So we'll try and have a coffee with them and sit down and see see where they're yeah, see how we can help them with it.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_01: I guess when you mentioned the amount of football played over that brick, do you see it almost as a positive when you've got someone like Jason who maybe before he's gone away and played 90 minutes every game?
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: Is it a positive actually that you know he's had the he's played two games, come off the bench and one?
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_01: He's not been, I guess, can like constantly playing.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think it was a really interesting um window for the international coaches because four games in I can't remember how many days it is now, and quite far, you know, quite easy.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: I think a lot of national teams took extra players, so I think what you saw is a lot more rotation in this uh in this window because they needed to do it.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I think they you know, and I do think a lot of the international teams try as much as they can to look after the players, but you know, even for those international players they don't get much days off.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, a couple of the lads that have been away, I'll give them another day off here and there so they can be fresh mentally and then back into training with us all together today, ready to go.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_01: You mentioned Elijah and Sam Plem for the 21, so just with Sam as well.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_01: Is that just a case of keeping him fresh?
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_01: Because obviously he's not played an awful lot of football so far.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, it's just I think sometimes you know it's good for footballers just to play football, right?
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_00: And um, Sam and Elijah for different reasons.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's Sam just to get some minutes, but he's definitely you know part of our plans.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: And again, we we have a really strong squad at the moment that that can cope with injuries, that can cope with that's coping with competition and selection.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and it's not easy to get everybody in the team, and that's my challenge, that's my job, uh, and not just the team but the squad.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I thought you saw the benefits of that in the Watford game where we made so many changes, and I thought a lot of those players stepped up and um and were very good in that game after the changes.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: So we know everyone's growing, we know everyone's trying to improve all the time, but it feels like we're in a good place with the the squad depth for the academy players as well.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_01: You mentioned the experience of going to Palace.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_01: I imagine if you're Josh Campbell's slow and you've got Brad Collins behind you as well, it's a good experience for them to have those senior players around the game.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think to be honest, like over my time, you know, in working through football, I think the one thing that the 21s is a great programme for young Academy players, it probably misses the opportunity to play with senior players.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: So, like you say, having Brad Collins behind the front behind the back two and having Elijah on the pitch to talk to him, I think is invaluable experiences.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm I'm really uh a pro of having senior players play into under 21s.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we at my old clubs that was really important.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: So it's not just about the the unders, so it's not just about the senior players getting minutes, it's also about helping the the development of our younger players in a in a in a competitive game.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_01: Can I just ask about Elijah Morrison um the new contract over the break as well?
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_01: Can you just talk to me a little bit about what's impressed you about him?
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_01: It feels like he's been around at Bristol City for such a long time as of how young he was when he broke through.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Elijah and Freddie obviously getting contracts, which is great news for us in their development.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: We we feel like they've got more to give, more to grow, and can keep improving.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_00: But specifically on Elijah Morrison, I think you see his speed and his power and his pace.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: He's working hard to keep developing his technical game in in definitely the the top end of the pitch, where you know we've got great coaches here in Borley and Ian and Banners that that support him, and he I think he's got lots of improvement he can make in that.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: And if we can get him there, I think he can be a really exciting player.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I think he he does need senior football.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I don't know what that future looks like for him in terms of the windows, but there's no doubt in my mind that he's been training with us and he looks like he could be a real talent.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: I guess that's when you talk about those challenges in ideal world, you'd love to throw him in, but you've got so many options in so many positions, it's hard for those youngsters to break through.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but that's their challenge.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: That's football, isn't it?
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um if he can keep him through.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_00: I thought when he came on against Crystal Palace, he looked really exciting.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um so you just want to see more moments of that, and we see it in training.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_00: And then when he gets his opportunity in games, like all the young players, they have to make the minutes count, if you like, rather than counting the minutes, I say.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: So I thought in those in that game they did that particularly well.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_01: I just wanted to ask about Joe Williams as well.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um I saw the video of him in training running man, like we all see him every Saturday.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um before the break, he was obviously kind of not playing the two games back to back Saturday to Tuesday.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_01: Is that something he is able to do at this stage?
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_01: Do you feel probably not yet?
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: We're probably still working on that and see what that looks like.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um because yeah, we've still got to work that, see how that goes.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: So but I but I don't think it's Joe.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: I think there's a lot of players in the squad that you have to manage in different ways.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: The thing you see is games, but the thing you probably don't see is when we manage them in training.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: So that's normal in a squad, is how you look after the individuals and try and manage them, and you try and do it to the best you can to get everybody player available on the Saturday or the Tuesday, but each player is different, they're all different makeups physically.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but our physical team and medical team are working really hard with myself and the coaching stuff on that.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_01: Just finally on Ben as the appointment as set piece coach, how important an appointment was that?
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_01: Did you feel when you yeah?
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: I think um at any level, and particularly in the modern game, they're not new set pieces, are they?
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: There's nothing new about set pieces because it's always been an important part.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_00: But I think when you shine a light on it, the the the attention that Ben can give and how he can help us develop in that area.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_00: And again, it's not just for now because I know we've been quite successful in in terms of scoring our set pieces at the moment, some great deliveries, we're scoring some good goals.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, I've introduced quite a lot in terms of how we want to be, and we'll continue to do that.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_00: And Pat and Luke are going to continue to work with Ben, so it's more of a set piece team.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but Ben will definitely lead on a lot of the intel and the the behind-the-scenes stuff that we'll see and then deliver it as well.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it just cements the the staff team.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it wasn't something that's just happened now, it's something that happened in the summer that took a bit of time.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and we thank Sheffield Wednesday for that, but it was something we wanted to do in the summer, we couldn't quite get to it.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_00: So um, yeah, it's happened now and it feels like the last jigsaw puzzle puzzle for the the future.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_01: I was gonna ask that just because you mentioned about always wanting to develop the staff.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_01: Is that kind of at a place now where you think this that's how it's gonna be for a while?
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yep, that's it.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's that's the last jigsaw puzzle I think that we needed um to make sure that we feel we're really competitive and really strong.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_00: Like you say, going into a really you know demanding championship league with with lots of different and bigger staff groups in other clubs, but we're in a really good place and we're we're yeah, we're ready to go.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_01: That's the nice attitude.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.