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Michael Skubala press conference | Bristol City vs Blackburn Rovers · Bristol City

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: Uh Michael, how do you reflect on the draw at Charlton on Saturday?
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um probably similar feeling to what I thought after the game.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_01: I thought um they probably had the the better start and the better finish, and we probably had the bet of the middle bit.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um but I think a draw was a fair result in the end.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think we did enough in the the final third to create enough, um, but defended very well, and I'd probably say the same about them.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_01: So um always a tough place to go, always hard.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: We knew it would be a difficult game.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: They haven't conceded many at home, haven't lost at home this season.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but yeah, so a good point on the road maybe, but we'd have hoped it's been.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely, no shame a charlton away is always going to be tough.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you mentioned the final third.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_02: Is that something you you have time to work on going into Tuesday, or can the players put it right themselves?
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think it's something we're constantly trying to work on.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, there's not much time between now and, like you say, the game tomorrow and then another game Saturday.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: So we're into the the thick of it, which is exciting.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but yeah, we there's lots of things that we need to keep working on uh over a longer period of time.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: That's our development, that's our still growing and gelling together.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, particularly we need to keep improving that those bits in the final third and how we control games a little bit more in the attacking half.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_01: But I thought there was there's some good moments to that, but just need more of them.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it occurred to me when you want the team to gel, you'd like to maybe not necessarily pick an unchanged team, but try and have a stable team.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_02: But given some of the statuses of your players, is that is that just not possible at this moment in time?
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I don't think so.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's the challenge.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you you want to keep a stable team, but I think uh at the moment with a couple of injuries, um the Saturday Tuesday, um, you know, the situations with certain players, it's it's very difficult.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: Some are some are tactical changes, some are enforced changes.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: So it's very difficult to pick a stable team at the moment.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but yeah, we've got a really good squad depth, and you see the quality of the squad that we've we've built in the summer for these moments.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_01: And I always think you don't build it for the start of the season, you build it through October, November, December, and January when you start to pick up little bits and little niggles.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, there'll be changes um to try and freshen us up as well.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_01: But some like you say, some are enforced, some will be tactical.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_02: When you look at the um highlights of the season so far, you think of Dong's goal at Birmingham.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_02: But for me, when I when I saw Luke McNally starting um after what, 20 months out, um there's just a human side, isn't it?
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_02: As well as you as a football manager picking him and seeing him not only start the game but probably exceed expectations and last the game.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think um I think credit to him, the medical team, the physical team, you know, it's a long time to be out as a footballer, and all they want to do is get on the football pitch.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but to see him at Crystal Palace do very well, to see him again at Charlton against a very physical team do very well, it's amazing.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: And it's it's what is more than you know, like you said, the human side of it is probably sometimes more important than the player side of it.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um but I thought he had a great game.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_01: I thought he looked really composed.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_01: You saw all his quality had, how well he wants to defend.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_01: You know, he's he's first and foremost a great defender.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but again, it's it's but it's our job and his job and everybody's job here in the building just to try and keep him on the right track and keep him going because we've that's now the the challenge is how we keep growing him, but not too quick.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we said on commentary maybe after 10 minutes it'd be blowing, uh the the adrenaline would get through, but it that even that didn't appear to be the case.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_01: No, he's physically worked really hard on himself, you know.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_01: He's worked really hard in the gym, he's worked really hard in his rehab.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um he's been training obviously since pre-season with us, so he's he's been growing his if you like physical capacity through the last few months.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um so credit to him, credit to again credit to Cav and the physical team because he looked in great shape.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_02: Is it too simplistic to say he won't be in the squad tomorrow, or is there a chance he might feature?
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_01: There's a chance, um, but how what that what that looks like, um yeah, it's early mornings.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_01: We're still working out the squad this morning uh yesterday and today, so let's see how he reports today and how he feels.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_01: There's lots of things that have to go into that.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but there is a chance, but probably again it's it's more managing the risk of it rather than the chance of him playing.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_02: Can I ask about the players who weren't involved on Saturday?
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um Joe Williams, have you any update on him?
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: Not at the moment, because it's uh really early Monday morning today, with hopefully by this afternoon we'll have more of an update um or by tomorrow uh give an update on that.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, so we'll see how that is.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_02: Should we be worried at all about Joe given the past, or um is it just a case of uh a niggle and you're not taking risks?
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think um if it if if he's out, it's weeks, it's not months.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um there's might be a couple of weeks, so let's see how that goes.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I wouldn't be too worried.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_01: Like I say, if it's if it's something it's more of a protection over Joe and keeping him, you know, to make sure it's not months uh with the niggle.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um but I think we'll have loads more, we'll be loads clearer by Tuesday or Wednesday.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_02: Probably the same with um Lauren, but any any update on him.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's something he got in training, wasn't it?
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_02: During the break.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, something break.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: He's he's close, but whether he makes Tuesday, we'll see.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: But again, that's more protectionary with a muscle injury.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_01: So we're just making sure that he's fully there because he's a speed athlete, so he he could be close, but if not, then we'll see.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_02: And was Noah an illness rather than injury?
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Noah's to be fair, Noah's not trained uh hardly at all over the um international break because he's been quite poorly, so he's struggling to train at the minute, struggling.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: He's been in and around the squad, in and around training a day here, day there, just through through an illness that we've got to get on top of.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we think we've we've got hold of it now.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, the doctor's been working hard with with the medical team to to to get that.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_01: He's on antibiotics, so hopefully, you know, probably a week away, maybe till he's fully fit, fully training, but we'll see how he he reports today.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_02: And anything else from Satanay or did everyone get through on Saturday?
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_01: At the moment, yeah, nothing nothing's coming to me at the minute.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_01: At the moment, everybody's unscathed.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_01: Of of always games like that, there's going to be some some bruises and some things that that that come because it was quite a physical game, but I think everybody else has come off it with yeah, a good bill of health.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_02: Two home games this week.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_02: It's easy to talk after a defeat.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_02: How do you pick up the home form?
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_02: But your last um home game was a win.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_02: So um have you have you had a chance?
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_02: We asked you after Lincoln to address the home form.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_02: Is it something you've looked at and maybe Watford was a step in the right direction?
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think so.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's um, yeah, of course, we want to get back under the lights at Ashton Gate.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_01: We want to get back under um in front of a majority of our fans.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: I thought our travelling fans on Saturday were excellent, um, but we want to show the you know the 20 odd thousand what what we can do, and it'll be it was great to get the performance and the result against Watford, uh, and we want to back that up with another good home performance.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_01: But we know against a very good Blackburn team, I think they're a very good side.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's not surprised me they're they're on a good run and they're coming up their league now.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but it's gonna be a tough game.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: But we think we um yeah, we want to put in performance that we we can get the points.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they won on Saturday, didn't they, against Cardiff.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_02: I think they're looking for their first away win of the season.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_02: But historically, games against Blackburn are always tight, and with with Tony Mowbray in charge, they're not gonna give you a quarter, are they?
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_01: No, he's a very experienced manager at this level, know him know him well, he's you know he knows what he's doing.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think they've they're growing all the time.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_01: You can see that.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: Like I say, at the start of the season, um you can see the difference they are now to the start.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, they've got some very good effective players, um, you know, a good ball-playing team that that can hurt teams in transition, but in some ways similar to ourselves and in some ways different.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I expect a very, very tough game at Ashland game.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: Hi Michael, um you mentioned the like squad selection and with these three game weeks.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: How with your you and your staff, how far in advance do you look?
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: Is it just a case of looking at Tuesday or when you've got players like Luke and I guess Joe in the past, do you have to cast an eye on Saturday as well?
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_01: I think you have to look at the evidence and the history tells you a lot about players.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_01: So um how far do we look?
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_01: I think I always look at it as a bunch of games, but don't preempt the decisions because I think every decision you have to have sort of a plan, but then every decision then has to have the ability to tweak, and the strategy has the ability to tweak after the game.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: So we might have a certain plan because we'll look at not just the next game, but the coaching staff will be already looking at well, they've already looked at Blackburn and then already looking at Sheffield United to see a some kind of framework and structure that we think we will need in the game, um, and then selecting the the the team or the profiles of the team that we think can win the game.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but again, that that that twists and that change with with things on a Saturday and injuries and and and and things like that.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it's looking at it as our block of games, um, but also knowing you have to go and you know win the individual game.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: Is that easier or harder to do when you've got this sort of really congested block, isn't it?
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: Between breaks of seven games in less less than a month?
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_01: Uh yeah, I think it's um probably a little bit harder.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um it's very interesting coming back off the international winning having a three-game week all of a sudden, but um that's football.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um but yeah, I think that's that's the challenge of every club, though.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_01: It's not it's not unique to us at Bristol City, it's the it's the challenge of every championship club um to manage the minutes if you like, or not manage the minutes, manage the rotation of players to keep the freshness and the tactical nuances of each game.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_01: And I do think the exciting thing, you know, even my short learning about the championship over the time, you know, I'm still new to it, is that the every opposition is a different challenge, uh, a tough challenge, a different challenge.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_01: You have different styles completely, um, which is a challenge for players because if you come and can come up against the same challenge every week, it makes it easier.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_01: But for sure, you know, Charlton's a different challenge to Blackburn, and Blackburn's a different challenge to Sheffield United.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: In terms of Joe personally, how is he?
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: Because I know he's spoken quite openly about the frustration he's had with injuries.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: Is it do you have to like work to help him mentally when he's in these sort of moments as well?
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_01: No, I think he's in a good place.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think he's in a good place.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I don't think, like I say, it's nothing too serious.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, it's just a niggle, but again, the best thing for Joe sometimes is because he's always raring to get back out there is to like hold him back a little bit and and manage him.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um but he's in a really good place.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: Like I say, if it's anything, it'll be weeks, not months, which is good news.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_01: But again, I don't want us to put us in a situation, I've never done that where at this type time of the season, risk players and lose them for months.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_01: If we think something's going to be weeks, I'd rather it be that than force them through when especially when we've got a good squad, a deep squad, um, force them through and then all of a sudden, you know, you lose a player for months and in on end and they don't get going.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_01: So that's mainly us managing it.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but like I say, I think it'd be weeks rather than months.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's a good time to have, I guess, Brian into the fold as well.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: Is he in a state position where he can play the three games in a week if he has to?
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_01: Uh yeah, I think so.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_01: Just um again, he's been out for quite a while and not been playing, so again, that would you know risk him a little bit, but I think he he'd do that no problem.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so that's why again, another reason why not to risk Joe.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because we know Brian's in the building now and and he's up and going as well.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_01: And same again, that's probably the reason when Joe was playing and doing very well, not to risk Brian at the same point.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: So, because we need to keep the the troops available in certain positions for as long as we can.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: I know we asked you on Saturday, but just his performance.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine you've been able to watch over it again.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: There seemed like there was an awful lot to like about his first Bristol City start.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I thought he did well.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um you can see his technical quality, uh, you can see the way he you know manipulates the ball, gets on the ball.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think he he he was good in there for us.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_01: I think there's um some really good competition in there, especially when everybody's fit in terms of the middle of the pitch.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but they're all different, they're all unique, and I think they all offer something different.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: I was gonna say that must be really nice as a manager as well, because I think we spoke about the summer window and you said that was something you aimed to do, was bring in those different profiles.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: But it does feel like every midfielder you've got is completely different to one another.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think that's the that's a good thing.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_01: It's also probably a challenge for for the lads to really grab one of those shirts and hold the position down in terms of how we play and at what we want from those different roles.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_01: So I do think it's really competitive in the group across all the units, um, and the players as we go now, and we're starting to get into you know nine, ten games into the season, how they start to hold a position down because they they know more over what I want them from that position, um, and they're getting you know clearer with the identity of how we want to be.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: Well, let's ask you about Sam Tickle as well.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: I think he's got plenty of praise, especially for that free kick save and the a big uh double save in the second half.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: How have you felt he's adapted?
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: Because I think with each week he seems to be growing in confidence as well.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think um I think Sam is an exceptional shot stopper.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_01: I think you can see that in the game.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_01: I probably expect to see that from Sam.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_01: I think he's um he's adapted quite well.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's been uh definitely an upward learning curve for him as well.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_01: The the physicality of it, the quality of the level, um his decision making and the the intensity of the games is a step up from League One, it's no doubt.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, his decision making is you know sometimes the thing where he's learning all the time, and we have to help him with that.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_01: But I think he's adapted very well.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um and like you say, some of the saves the the free kick at the end of the game against Charlton was you could argue, you know, a point saving uh save.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: So I think in those situations he's been exceptional, and I think he's still growing as a young man into the championship.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: Rightfully so, we've asked you a lot about Luke McNally as well, but Rob Atkinson alongside him.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: How impressed have you been with how he's I guess in a way supported what was quite an inexperienced at times back line in the last few weeks?
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think Rob Atkinson is first and foremost just a legend of a guy.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um love working with Rob every day.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_01: You know, at times he's not in the squad and not been in the team, and he's been the ultimate professional.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_01: And I think when you have um young men like Rob who uh are just great people and great for the youngsters to be around because he knows and is experienced in championship football to know that there's there could be things around the corner that gets him in the team, and I think since he's got in the team, he's defended very well and and and you really you know took that shirt, and that's probably the competition I'm talking about is like being ready when called upon to put in a great performance.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_01: But you're right in terms of what he does around him on the training pitch in the leadership group, he's he's a great leader for this team and a great leader for this club.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but but moreover, he's um putting on some really strong performances.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I thought yeah, with him and Luke against a very physical Charlton team, they defended exceptionally.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: Do you feel like that competition competition's having the effect that you wanted when you built this squad in the summer?
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_00: Because I think speaking about Rob, we spoke about Scott at the weekend, it does feel like when players are coming in, they're desperate to fire and keep that shirt.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think that the the challenge is you want the competition.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um the challenge is with the comp which we want because it's I think it's more healthier that way than not having it for sure.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_01: And then I think the balance with that is getting the rhythm for each player in in the competition, if you know what I mean.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_01: So it's like how does the the player get the shirt enough to get a rhythm in the team?
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and that's what our challenge is as a group, as players and coaching staff, um, because you want the competition because otherwise, if you don't have the competition, then you're not going to move forward.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but like you say, you can definitely feel a thirst for everyone getting in the team.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_01: I will say this though, the the competition is really healthy, they really support each other when someone's in the team and someone isn't, um, and they train very well to make sure that they try and get you know the opportunity to get in the team as well.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_01: So it's not only what you see on the game day, it's what I see on the training pitch, which is a really healthy competition and a group that's striving to not only move forward but move forward together.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: You personally and the players must be looking forward to getting back to Ashengate as well as it feels like every time we ask you about this, there's been a long gap between end games.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_01: It feels like that, isn't it?
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it feels like we just get going there and then it stops.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: So no, it's it's obviously our home ground, you know.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: We want to get back there, we want to put a performance on that that warrants the three points, and we know we're up against a very tough Blackburn team on Tuesday night who have who've picked up form and doing very well, but we know it's gonna be a tough game.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but there's no better feeling than getting under the lights at Ashton Gate in front of a a packed out crowd.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_01: And again, I thought the travelling fans were exceptional on on Saturday, and we just want to you know put performance on again that the fans can be proud of.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_00: I think you mentioned it on Saturday as well.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: I think points tomorrow night probably makes Saturday's point look even better as well.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think you know when you when you feel it, when it looks like that, it does.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um and if you can go and get some points on Tuesday night, especially three points, then Saturday looks a great point on the road.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_01: But in isolation, I think a point away at Charlton's great.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we've just got to make sure we've got our home form in a position where we think it's strong.