better late than never....Watford Presser...
Will Smallbone back in the squad, has trained well over the last few days.
Jack back in the squad this week. Been surprised how good he is, has hit ground running.
He has added an important voice. He wanted to be in the squad 2 weeks ago, and now he has been putting pressure on the guys in front of him
Have played in-house games against U21s, he has been good. He is in a good place if/when he gets in the team
We have been incredible in the last 11 games compared to the previous 8 in defence, plus Gavin and Flynn
The aggression and intensity of the more forward players has been good and want to see that
Taylor and Jan give us huge amount of aggression and they set us off, they take huge amount of pressure off the ball
Jack knows he has a big task to get back into the team, but he is a leader and he may have to wait
We want competition and we have top talent in that position, we may have to use 3 of them at times
I think we have good competition all over, the lads are really competing, and it is getting better and better
They are all very professional with each other, we just cannot be a nice team, we have to be horrible to play against
Edozie for example has been unfortunate, he comes out of the team, and the team go on a good run
Like Ryan and Joe (aribo), they are pushing hard. James Bree is another, gutted for him, but the shape was better for Manning
Bree also has Kyle to contend with for start, and Kyle is the best in the league
If Ryan Manning does not keep his performance high, he knows we have a good player waiting to come in
We have lots of games, they will get on the pitch
We have been flexible with shape during games, and all know they have a chance
All know that from the Skipper to someone who has not played, all can get on the pitch
We coached the players hard, both those in the start 11 and those not. We coached the u21s very hard, so they are ready if needed
Watford will be toughest game of the season, given their form. They are in a really good place
their manager has evolved a lot, they are direct, physical, and play good football with good player
We are aware of their threats, they are an obstacle and we have to overcome them
we play 3 teams this week who are clear in how they play
Coventry have consistency and Blackburn are settled and will be very tough
Players are aware of what is coming the next week and ready to take them on
There will no doubt be scary moments against Watford, we have to ride them out
if we match their aggression we are confident we will get a result
We are proud of our unbeaten run, currently longest in the country and off the back of 4 defeats
it is incredible.
Our motivation is to hunt those above us. recent years, we would be top 2 with our points
Top 2 have been outstanding, but we are in the hunt and proactive
we will hunt them every days, it is not about defending an unbeaten run, it is getting into the top 2
Joke with Colin Calderwood, happy he is getting recognised for his work
we were never going to continue to concede chances and goals like we did
Colin has had limited time with players, but has observed a lot, he has been liaising with us more than the players
We speak to him a lot, and trust his thought process and observations, he will continue to grow his influence
He finds some of the stuff we do completely mental, some he loves
Dom Ballard has had surgery, gone really well, he is in lots of pain
Such a shame, he is a big talent, brilliant for England U19s.
He has an incredible support network with a long road ahead of him
Up to us to ensure when he does come back, he comes back stronger, there will be lots of ups and downs
I spoke to him the night he had the injury, and he was devastated, but the op in done now it is recovery
No way he will be back at any point this season, for any side
we put no timeline on it, probably 9-12 months
He will have a chance to strengthen other parts his physical nature
Every player wants to play more and Sekou wants to play, he knows how I feel about him
There is stuff he needs to improve on, but he has enormous potential he is powerful and athletic
we see the improvement but he needs to be more consistent
We will assess the next 3-4 weeks to see how he goes
Happy with FA Cup draw, home is great, probably get lots of stick if Walsall as spent 8 bad weeks there
Not really thought about the cup, lots going on before that
Depending on the game and how we want to build up, will depend if Bree or Manning will play
Saints have not seen the best of Ryan by a long shot. He was the best fullback in the league last season
I am so comfortable with any of the defenders now, they all offer different things
Bree has been brilliant since pre season, he was very low, but now is full of confidence and he is ready
He will be back in the team very soon, depending who/how we want to play
Ryan's performance against Cardiff was easily his best game for us. He really wanted to do it against Cardiff
He has had a dip, he felt pressure on him, big changes as this is a big move.
He was frustrated, but he worked hard. IF his performance drops, he knows there is someone just as capable
Shea has been great, he is very powerful and very mature for his age. He is a very quick learner
Fantastic technical ability, he has a huge future. He has to work hard, learn from mistakes.
He is playing a different role and is growing, we pushed to get him from Man City, and all know his potential is huge
Flynn has been great with Shea. Shea will end up as a No.6 I am sure, and he is learning from Flynn on how to develop attacks.
