 Brought to you by DIS, keeping companies connected with cloud-based solutions. Come on, City! Stuart, good to chat with you again. If we can start with team news first and foremost, how are you, bodies-wise, going into Saturday? Yeah, we've got Ben, Richie's, Everton back, added to the squaders, and the same squaders the other night, even obviously, Paul, they had a head knock and Elliot got a knock and Bryce got a knock, but they're all fine, they all came through today. So, same squaders you the night with Ben added to it. And good news then for Clayton after what was in an initial scare? Yeah, yeah, forgot about him. Do you want to start again? Shall we start again? He's always thinking he needs to recover quick. I'm looking at the board ahead of me, and I'm looking at the injured players. I don't think, well, to be honest, he's not a definite about plates. So, he's still got a chance to... We decided tomorrow, but he's not ruled out, and he's not ruled in, but... Yeah. We'll go again, we'll go again. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right, yeah. Take two, take two. Right then, Stuart, good to chat with you again. We'll start with team news if we may. How are you, bodies-wise, going into Saturday's game? Yeah, not too bad obviously. A couple of bumps and bruises the other night, but Todd is fine, Elliot's fine, Bryce is fine. The one that's still a slight doubt is clear, and although, you know, he's a lot better today than he was yesterday, and we've still got another 48 hours, so hopefully just a little tweak of his hit. But confident he might be okay, and so it'll be the same squad as you tonight, plus Ben Richards Everton is back available now as well. Where does that leave you on the attacking front? Then I know we discussed it on Tuesday after the game. Austin Samuel's the only recognised striker. Does it mean that other players may have to be versatile, adapt their game somewhat to fill that role, or do you have to change the system to accommodate? No, again, we'll work obviously the news on Clayton, but Austin's out. We didn't put Austin on the other night because obviously, you know, if it looks as though Clayton were missing, he's only our recognised striker, and with, you know, 10 minutes to go, 50 minutes to go, we didn't want him obviously to get a knock and be out completely so. Dylan has played the case up there, but no, we'll just have a look at it. We won't be changing much, but yeah, we're just unfortunate this moment in time. I think we've got obviously four lads out, plus Levi who's suspended, but mainly most attacking threats, you know. And I think, yeah, I think the other night, even with Ben out, you would say the six lads that are out, will probably all make it into the 18-man squad. So we've been a little bit unfortunate of late, but as we said the other day, don't always have to be your strikers at score, and you know, the midfield lads chips in with goals the other night. So some of it will just have to balance and, you know, get through at this moment in time. Hopefully they won't be too far off returning. How's Ellie getting on? I realise it's kind of been a bit of a set back, set back, set back. Yeah, no, listen, he's had the best pre-seasoning he's had. He played the most minutes in pre-season games than any of our players did. He came off in one of the games after a halftime of the slight strain, and he was going fine, fine, and then he just tweaked something in the gym and set him back again, but he's back up to ankle joining. He's doing everything else with the physios. I think he'll probably join in maybe a little bit of football work with us tomorrow and look to join with us fully on Monday. But he's frustrated naturally because he's certainly been a player for us that would be able to first come off the bench and lighten things up. But he's getting close now. OK, just looking at Saturday in more detail and you said that you won't change too much. I was going to ask you about how you view this as an opportunity maybe for some of the younger players to get a chance, or are you looking to maybe just maintain momentum and keep the same team or similar to the one that played against South End? No, listen, we need to go there and win. It won't be tinkering with too much. It won't be an experimental side, that's for sure. If the young lads are picked, they'll be picked on merit. No, we try to get as much information and footage of them as we possibly can since the draw was made. They've not had a game, but we've got a couple of games we've managed to see. So, listen, again, it's a game where we've got to go and put a marker down and concentrate on ourselves, be as professional as we can, expect a tough game because I'm sure they'll be up for it and there's no doubt about that. I think the weather is going to be good. The park looks indecent, Nick. It's a slight little slope but nothing untoward. So, it's a mentality thing. Go out and take a group of the game like we did the other night. Given the current climate, given where they are in the football pyramid, how much information can you gather about Tumbridge Angels? How much research, how much preparation can you do when I imagine our limited resources at the moment? We've managed to get a couple of the games. The video angles are not great. Obviously, we don't have squad numbers and team sheets and things like that. But, as I said, we've just got to focus on ourselves. We're normally going to games and know who, for the opposition, is the best headers or the best at set pieces or things like that. We've just got to make sure we're meticulously prepared. Certainly set piecewise on where we go and what we do. And then just go and play the game and take part in the game and be the best we can be. I asked Pordia a similar question. Everyone outside of your city bubble will be looking at this game as a cup upset, a big shock horror, a David versus Goliath situation. So, how do you, as a group, avoid that narrative, do what you need to do, remain efficient and get the job done? I think that's it. I'm sure there will be upsets this weekend. You can look through how many games, there's lots of games, isn't there? I'm sure there will be upsets. And some we've just got to make sure we're not one of them. But I will part of the Bradford side that got beat itself for a couple of seasons, well, a couple of seasons. 20, 30 years ago, I should have said, early on in about January time. Thankfully that stage went and got promoted. I think it was 84, 85. So, yeah, I mean they happen, but obviously you don't want to happen to yourself. We've just got to be mentally prepared, first and foremost, to know what to expect and then make sure we're on our game and playing it as best we can and keep the standards high. You've kind of led into my next question as well, which is that football did exist before 95 when I was born and the FA Cup did hold, I would say, probably greater significance than it does now. Are you still a romantic with the cup? Do you hold sentiment towards it? Certainly the FA Cup, definitely, without a doubt, yeah. I'd like to be managing Bradford when we come in at the third FA Cup, third round rather than the first round, but that might be a couple of seasons away. But yeah, yeah, of course. When the draw come out, you want a home tie. Obviously we didn't get one. And then to find what we have to do or try to find those home economics have been difficult. But again, it's a game of football. We've got to go out and be a professional and as clinical as we can and get the job done. I just want to dwell a little bit on Tuesday's performance and Tuesday's results through it, if I may, and just to kind of really get an idea of how that's had an impact on you as a squad from a morale perspective. Have you seen a change of emotion or atmosphere amongst the group given how successful you were on Tuesday evening? Yeah, I don't think it's a secret we needed victory naturally to lift everything. But I think we'll go back to, like I said, a couple of weeks ago about trying to stick with the system, believing the process, what we're aiming to do. And then on the back of the, when we did that against Bolton, I think we certainly deserved more than what we got and possibly could have won the game. But we went to Barrow and we knew the conditions. It wasn't going to be a game of football. But we were determined on Tuesday night to come out and play through the thirds, which having watched the game back, we did very well at numerous occasions. As I said, so much so they changed the shape early on to come back what we were doing. But we still managed to get as good players on the ball and create opportunities. So it's just about sticking with what we're aiming to do on the park, knowing his roles and responsibilities naturally. Things will change at different times against different formations. Result being different, we have to change things on the ball, but in the main, just have a said fast approach to what we're doing. Yeah, finally as well, Stuart. I don't know if you're aware of this, but there's a Bradford City fan called Johnny Carrington who has set up a Just Giving page, which has actually raised over £5,000 for Tumbridge Angels, given the fact that they're not going to have any fans there to compensate what would have been a big day for them. I don't know if you're aware of that or not, but it just shows, doesn't it, how even in the toughest of times that we're in with lockdown now back into full force, fans still see the importance of the FA Cup and what it could have done for Tumbridge Angels as a football club. Yeah, I wasn't aware about it at all. I've been trying to concentrate, trying to get as much information on the Angels as I can, but it was a lovely gesture and that shows that there's good spirit in the football world. Stuart, thank you and good luck for Saturday. Stuart, just following on from what you said there, when the draw was initially played, there was a lot of fans saying, who are they? Anyone know anything? Was that pretty much the same for you? Yeah, I've got to be honest. I saw a lot of non-leaf clubs come out and I thought that would be difficult, and that would be difficult when they came out. I think when my daughter went on the website or whatever to tell me where they were. I knew which area of the country it was in, but I didn't know what league they were in or anything like that. So, yeah, and ever since then, it's been a case of trying to get his homework run on them. I suppose with the way the lockdown is, as well as that, had to change the way you had to build up to this table, how you planned to travel on everything? No, the travel would be the same. We managed to get a booked into a hotel 25 minutes away from the ground. Obviously, it's another kick-off. We'll go down on Friday on the same coach that we used probably most of the season now. No tables on it, no cooking facility, et cetera, but that's what we're used to right now. No, nothing's really changing that. Other than that, if there was an opportunity normally with there being to use a pool when you get down on Friday just for any lad that's a little bit stiff and that, they're good, but you can't do that now. You can't use the gym naturally. So, it's a case of... No, it's almost the same. Thanks very much. Good luck on Saturday. I was like you with a man, Google, Stuart, that Monday night when the draw was made, trying to work out what was going on. Yeah, just to flip back a south end really quickly before I go on to Tombridge. You mentioned, didn't you, obviously, briefing to me on Tuesday night about the lads from midfield. That must be a real boost for them for all three in the score. I could see that they were all almost going up when they scored. That must be delightful for them for them three. Yeah, that's right. We talked about it at Mansfield, and I said before, I had a really good game at Mansfield, but it could have scored three. Cookie should have had a couple in other games, and obviously Elliot got one with his free kick, but he has got a decent shot on him. So, yeah, I mean, again, I'm looking at the two old corners when they go for set pieces. They've got good aerial strength and the deliveries we've been putting have been very good, so I would expect them to start chipping in as well, but we need to chipping all over the park. I expect and hope when Gareth Evans gets fully fit from midfield, he'll be a goal scorer in midfield, attacking player for us, and obviously we've got the likes of Noah's top scorer out at the moment. Zellio can create things, and Big Curtis will just need a goal to get himself up and running. So, yeah, there's a lot of, hopefully, goals. More goals to come, but yeah, I'm sure the three lads got like anytime if your score gives you a chance with that, don't you? Definitely, and obviously, you're still on the tombridge now, then, on Saturday. I don't know if you know this, but they've got a lad that has got a champions league winners medal. He played it into Milan, the winger. He won a reality TV show 10 years ago, so he's trained up with Patrick Vieira's and he might be managed by Marino. I mean, is he someone that you've maybe, you might have been able to do much, perhaps he's someone that maybe I recognise the lad's name, and I've just been in with the analyst now, and he's just exactly told me everything you've told me, and I remember watching that TV programme, so I do remember him and recognise him, but I think he's got a couple in the last, I think they won the last cup game 5-0, I think he got a couple. Again, I'm going to watch another game this afternoon and get another look at them, but regarding them, they played a back three and they played a flat back four as well, again, it's something we're not really sure of, but we weren't the other night against South End, they flipped from a back four to a back five, if you like, for the first 20 minutes, so again, it's not, it's being aware and doing your homework the best you can, but fully focusing on the way we want to go about how we want to play. No, definitely, and obviously, Jerry mentioned it there about the FA Cup being special. I mean, for you, I'm particularly after the 89, it means a hell of a lot to you as a competition. You can almost tell the last look I've been there, done it, got to a cup final, this is what it's all about. Is that almost a benefit in some ways? I do like talking about myself a lot, but I've got to say, I've not mentioned it, no, I don't think any of the lads knew I used to play that we've got such a young side, do you know what I mean? We talked about things, football, and someone struggled to remember who Paul Gaskind was, that's how young they are, but no, it's not so much. Now, if we can get to the quarters and that, we maybe start talking about things, but no, no, no, we'll just let the lads fully focus on the job in hand and, as I said, come Saturday they'll know what they need to do, but it's going out and producing and that's what we need to be aware of. Great stuff, and just finally for me, Stuart, obviously, Steve McKinn was chatting to Simon last week in the car park at Boulton, I think, and Steve had said then that obviously he sort of told his players about you guys playing against Chelsea and obviously when the league up, when they beat Arslan Villa in that run, is it a difficult one sort of being, and he's quite confident, he's like, look, if they can do that to those teams we can do that to Bradford, is it difficult one being there, the hunted rather than the hunter for a change? Yeah, probably so, but that's what cook football is all about, isn't it, you know, and if we can progress and get to the third round, then we might become that, you know, as you say, the hunter, but no, at least what Phil and the team did a few years ago was unbelievable, incredible, one of the best FA Cup rules in football in history or football in the FA Cup to win at Chelsea. But it's a different era now, different, certainly different team, different squad, different mentality. So, but no, we just focus on this. Yeah, we're going naturally, we will be, as most league clubs will be expected to win in favourites, but history shows you there's been loads of cup upsets and again, I'm sure there will be some on the weekend, but we just got to make sure we're not one of them. Brought to you by DIS keeping companies connected with cloud-based solutions. Come on, City!