 Brought to you by DIS, keeping companies connected with cloud-based solutions. Come on, City! Good to chat with you again, as always. Have you had a chance to reflect with the players at all about Saturday's performance and result? And if so, what have you seen back? Yeah, not with the players, no. We've just let them get out this morning and go do the training. We'll do that between now and obviously the game tomorrow, but certainly with the staff, myself. The two main things from Saturday. Firstly, possession of all wasn't good enough from back to front or even into the middle of park. I think three of their really good chances, counterattacks, which they're good at. The setup for, we give away really cheap possession. Obviously, the third goal being a case in point. But even first half, we give one away and the lad gets through one-on-one and which saves. Second half the same. Really sloppy and slack playing possession. And we got punished for it. And I think just as importantly, our intensity without the ball wasn't strong enough in what it's been recently. Now, whether that was losing an early goal, they play in a certain manner, and they've got the experience to see a game through when they're on the ball and they're a good team in possession. But certainly we need to show more energy to get to the ball and stop them playing. So two things really, as much as a lot of things. Port in possession and port out of possession, which is a good ingredient to win a game of football. And it's such a short space of time between that game and Tuesday as well. How difficult is it to be able to try and rectify those problems quickly in such a short space of time? Is it even possible? Yeah, of course, because what we're talking about is not in anything structurally or tactically. It may be better on the ball and go close your opponent down. So then things should be not basic football, running about is a basic. That's an ingredient that you should give everything you've got every game, every time you go out there. But yeah, we were careless in possession. Now, did they press us more than most teams? Probably so. So you've got to take that into account as well. But there's no, I get it if we try to make 45-50 yard passes. But if we can't pass from it, it'd be over 10 yards in that game. Not, you know, which we've been doing better recently, then we will struggle to get any momentum in the game. And likewise, the other thing about just closing down and running about, yeah, that's easier to rectify. Does this at all press the reset button on the good work that you started to create going into Saturday's game? No, it can't do because as I said to before and I've said on numerous occasions, you know, football goes up and down and highs and lows and we've got to try to make things as simple as we can for the players. But what I will say probably, and that's why we've not done the team yet today, plus we don't know who's going to be available, if I'm honest. But we settled on a shape that we're going to play, but certain people in the personnel that are missing in it probably don't suit the shape. So we've maybe got to look at other things. I've said to you after Saturday, I don't want to make any excuses or give the players excuses that we're chopping the engine all the time. But sometimes you've got to look at it, certain shapes will search at certain individuals and certain people search, so personnel will show a shape that we want to go with. But listen, bottom line is once we get out there, we've got to be better in possession and out of possession naturally. We will try to keep as much as we can and best we can to a shape that we think suits us. But in that, you need your key components being available naturally. Is this current situation, Stuart, more of a test of the players' character as opposed to ability, or is it a bit of both, do you think? A bit of both, if I'm honest. Again, football is ultimately about players, and as Gordon Strackham quite rightly said, we're managing to get the better players you have, the better team you'll be. And for us, the better players we've got available, the better we'll be. So I've no doubt we'll be stronger in the coming weeks. But until that time where we can get some key players back, then we've got to do certainly better than we did on Saturday. That's a given. But we can't let it derail us from what we want to do. It was a disappointing performance and result on the back of a couple of decent performances. But we've got a long, long way to go. There's no doubt about that. But while we're in this transition, if you like, or trying to get players back or settling on a formation, then we've got to pick up points. And even if it's away from home, getting a point to start with and getting back on the road. But we just need to start putting more points on the board naturally because it's been a disappointing start. How is that injury list at the moment? Is it any worse after Saturday? Worse in the fact that one of the starters definitely won't be travelling with us. Slightly better than that couple that we're missing Saturday night. But we won't decide until tomorrow. Again, with hamstrings, which we've got, or a lot of people got problems with sitting on a coach for four hours on the way down to a game is not the best preparation. And likewise, we don't want to bring a couple of people back too soon and be out for three, two, three more weeks, which we've had with Zellie and Evo. So it's a balancing act. So we might be one shot. Well, certainly one more shot from Saturday that started the game. Will it be a race to take a couple with us and wait until tomorrow night? We'll see on that. But hopefully in the coming weeks, we'll have more available. How much does that influence then? You've suggested it already, the way that you set up. And do you look to change the system at all without giving too much away to the players that you've got available? Yeah, no, it's a fair question. No, I'm going to debate that and look at things. I've got a couple of games to watch of audience and how they play four, three, three. If you look at them, obviously, say they're on the back of four defeats from the other night, but them defeats have been all my new part in the cup two on the way, Colchester to one, another to one. And then that, I won't call it Mickey Mouse Cup, the other cup that they played. And I don't know if they've got beat three one. So they've had tight games, but they've also won it. How do you get beat? How do you get home three? Don't beat Bolton four in not so recent times. So we know how to play or we've got an idea how the formation will be. So again, we'll have a good, have a good think about on the way down tomorrow and tonight and this afternoon and what's more, more games and and see basically again tomorrow. We'll have a more idea who's going to be actually available for us, which make the selection of the shape will make us mind it really. I read your comments with Simon after the game on Saturday about the free agent market. Just to follow up on that ever so slightly. Is that an absolute flat no from you come what may or if and I realize it's a big if the right person comes around with the right criteria. You are open still to looking into that market if it was to be the right person. Of course, I must have near on a hundred agents in my phone or on getting touch all the time when there's people available. And recently, there was one with the boy ended up going up to Scotland we couldn't do a deal asking for too much money, if I'm honest. But all the other ones recently, there's been nobody out there or no one certainly that would fit our criteria. And as I said before, if they've not had a club since for eight months now, they ain't going to be coming straight and playing the tentative we want them to play at. And so it can't be a knee jerk reaction. As I said before, we're hopeful of, you know, having more bodies back available in the next couple of weeks. But I think if we take anybody now and expect them to go into a game because we've got a couple of, you know, a lot of injuries at the moment, that would be it wouldn't. It wouldn't be sensible. It won't be right. In fact, it wouldn't, it wouldn't be able to be done. You know, players can't be out eight, seven, eight, nine months and expect to come straight into a first team game. No, but that doesn't make it say we've said to everyone, don't give us any players, don't offer us any players. We're open to anybody, but you know, for them to bring them quickly in to play wouldn't be able to happen. And it leads on to the point of how big a factor now more than ever really is the strength and conditioning of players and the fitness side of things in the way that you you manage the squad. Not only the one that you've got, but any potential players that may or may not be coming into the football club. Yeah, of course, you know, and he's frustrating naturally. You know, it was only a month ago. I kept telling three weeks ago, you know, the board was clear and we're going good. And then probably over in the last month, we've had tough muscle tissue injuries, which have been people going to be out three, four weeks with them. They try to come back a little bit quicker and, you know, have a little setback. So we're more aware than that than we normally would be, unfortunately. But listen, it's a fact. And as I said before, you know, we've got a squad of 26 players in queue, including the four young kids that joined us at the beginning of season. So there's we've got the numbers. And we've just been fortunate that a lot of the players out in the moment, a key place to how we want to play. But, you know, that's it. We get on with it. And, you know, we've got to certainly do don't matter. We've got to certainly do better in possession of the football. And we've got to, you know, show more intensity than we did against Solford. You've almost answered my next question, really. And it's almost a bit of a cliche question to ask a manager. But what do you want to see from your players tomorrow night, Stuart? What's the message to them? What will you be satisfied with? Well, you know, certainly not losing the game. You know, we've got to bring something back. I think we've got we've got to, you know, get some points on the board. Just a real committed effort, you know, which, you know, as I said recently, I can never put. And I'm not pointing the finger at the commitment on Saturday. I just didn't think we had that intensity to go close down and close the ball and get about the pitch that we normally would have had. Now, as I said before, Solford, I've got good rotation in the front three in the midfield three. And they made it difficult for us. You know, they did move off the ball well and fine pockets. But we've got to look after the ball first and foremost better. So I'll be looking for that better in possession on Saturday. We've done it well recently. We've been good on the ball and made opportunities, you know, in the last few games, but certainly wasn't good enough, sadly. So we need an improvement in that area. Go well tomorrow, Stuart. Cheers. Cheers. Thank you. You mentioned the intensity there a couple of times. And despite obviously welcoming the break of the week between games, do you think that could have had some bearing on it? They didn't have the intensity of a match so close to it. I think I look at the side that we've got, we had one of the lads sort of carrying a little bit of an injury going into the game, where we probably shouldn't have started him. We had another one in Evo just coming back who's been out a long while and takes a wee while to get into the intensity. I think there's a few reasons for it, but we need to be that that was one of the. Again, we look at the GPS afterwards, the amount of the adage covered, but the intensity runs and it would just want as big as it has been. And again, as I said, you've got to give the opposition a little bit of credit for where they moved off the ball, but all in all, you know, we've got to raise it more than that and certainly got to do that on Tuesday night and a much bigger pitch. Following on from that, are you happy with what you've seen in training today then with the intensity? No, I've got to be honest with you, we haven't done a great deal. We can't do any contact without them and do what we've got. So it's just been a basic for the lads that played a bit of a passing and a bit of a box. You're the lads that didn't play, have done a bit of crossing and finishing. We can't afford to have small-sided games at this moment in Simon Forntson because we get any more injuries without the bare bones. So, you know, listen, they did what they needed to do and we've got us minds fully set now on the audience. Of course, it's not just Bradford's in this situation though, is it? Even at the Premier League level we're seeing these regularly occurring injuries. So it's something that I suppose this season teams are going to have to accept will be part of the game. Yeah, definitely so. Listen, we've just been a little bit unfortunate, so two or three of us key players. When I look back at the team that played at Bolton or the team that won at Mansfield, you know, four or five of the lads from the good performances we've had, we're missing Saturday. But as I said, it's an opportunity for other players to come in and certainly as a group we're better than we did on Saturday. So the only way we can put that, you know, we can't change the result. We've got to make sure we're putting a strong performance on tomorrow night, obviously. Yes, Stuart, good luck tomorrow. Hi, Stuart. And obviously, you know, as you said again on Saturday and as the way you like to approach games, I mean, you're a positive manager, likes to have a go at things. I mean, would you take a very sort of ugly scrappy point down there just to, as you say, come back with something? Well, I never like to say that as a manager, you'd take happy with a point. But I think when you're travelling the distance we are with injuries we've got on the back of audience, you know, positive home results recently, a three or four-nil victory over Harry getting Bolton. But we want a better performance, obviously we want a better result, but I want a better performance than we got on Saturday. I don't want to go down there back to the walls and nicky-nil-nil and be dreadful. But first and foremost, we want to really put in a performance that gives us an opportunity to get a victory. And after the game, if we take a point then, you know, it won't be a disaster going to orient and getting a point, that's for sure, as I said with some of the results I've had at home. But we'll never look at it like that. But we need an improvement on performance first and foremost, and hopefully, you know, if not get a three, make sure we get one. Yeah, because I mean, you know, some managers might perhaps go down there and stifle things and just, as you say, make it bitty, break it up, just grab something and go on with it. But as you say, that's also, that's not in your mindset anyway, isn't it? And you don't want the team to be playing like that there. No, I always look at how we can hurt the opposition and we've got to be at a carrier threat. Listen, I've managed sides before when we've had to go to places, go to Miss Scotland time or whatever there, we've had to set up, you know, to really defend and sit in and try to hit on the counter. I don't think we've really got a side that we can do that at the moment in time. And it's not something, you know, I'm comfortable doing. We've just got to defend better, first and foremost, not give the ball away in dangerous areas that lets teams counterattack on us, which we did both in the, certainly a lot more against Solford, but against Exeter as well. We've got to cut out, limit the opportunities the opposition are having against us. I mean, even, you know, things like set players where we've been OK on, you know, Henderson has two free headers, Richard makes a fantastic save and then he has another one that second half. There's good movement by him. It's good delivery from them. But we've got to restrict the amount of saves that Richard are making at the moment. So we've got to be better defensively, but that comes from all over the pitch. As I said to you, you know, on the other day, you know, Clayton's back in there for the second goal looking after Clark. He switches off and the score to go from it. So defending just doesn't come from the goalkeeper. Defending from all around the pitch. And we've got to do his jobs better to make sure we, you know, we can get back to try on some clean sheets. And as you said about also that the players coming in now, they've got to take this opportunity because, presumably, it's in a sense, it's like this is their chance, if not, you say you've got January coming up in a couple of months time and you're going to have to look at it and perhaps think, you know, player I or player B, well, they've had their opportunities. They've not taken it. You're going to have to look for someone else in that area. Yeah, that's football. That's, you know, up and down the country ever since I've been a player, if you take your opportunities, you'll get chances. If you fail to take the opportunity, it's not a threat. It's just a fact of life, isn't it? You know, it's like in anything, any walk of life. It's unstable. You still there? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry. Sorry. You know, if the opportunities are there, grab them. If not, then somebody else will do. So I think that's just in every most walks of life anyway. This season more than ever, because obviously the opportunity is the player because every manager's got to sort of shake things up and you've got the subs. No one can really say, well, I wasn't really given a chance to show what I can do. No, we've had certain games and I've always said, listen, when it's not just in the games as well, you know, day-to-day training attitude, where to go about your work and that, which, you know, I can't point a finger at anybody that I'm not part of it, to be honest. But we do certainly need our more influential players back on the park. And, you know, when we get that, I've no doubt we will be stronger and look them all to pick up more points, actually. Cheers, Joe. Best of luck in the morning. Thank you. Hello, Stuart. It's Leon at the YP. Hello. I've just got one, really. It seems to be one of those situations where your backs against the wall, you've got injuries. You've got a long coach, Stuart, a bad result on Saturday, but sometimes it can turn, kind of, with some result, if you can, you know, dig out a result. Yeah. It could be the, you know, the lead-on to something a lot better and turn things around. That's certainly what I believe in and the staff believe in and need the players to believe in as well. Yeah, naturally, without a doubt. You know, it's a game that once we've had, you know, the disappointment Saturday, then, yeah, we want a game on Tuesday. That's what it is. No excuses. You know, we go down there and we've got to put in a far brighter performance than Saturday. There's no doubt about that. And I'm confident we will do. But as you say, a result and a three-pointer down there changes. I mean, I look at so many teams this season, you're going through highs and lows in one minute or they've got beat here and got beat there. And next minute, you go get a result. You know, there's a lot of league, a lot of teams in our league, a lot of teams in every league, to be honest. You're looking at things and thinking, you know, you get something that changes things. And that's football. But yeah, it's, you know, I say we might not be the highest one on people's coupons tomorrow to get an aware victory. But when the tips are down, that's down to us as characters to stand up and grasp it and put in a performance and hopefully can get us a three-point. Brought to you by DIS, keeping companies connected with cloud-based solutions. Come on, City.