 Ger IG First Question How pleasing is it to have Owen back in the building? Yea he's arrived this morning in training, he's trained with the group and you know... It's great to have him back in the building and he's fitted in straightaway as we expected him to How straightforward a process was it in getting him back? Well he got in his car and he's driving on the motorway he got to the training round Cymru, gallwn gwybod, a'r bwysig a'n gweithio i'r trawnol. Felly, mae'n gweithio. Yn ymwneud, mae'n dweud y gallwn gweithio ffanatial? Mae'n dweud yn gweithio. Mae'n dweud, mae'n dweud o'r clwb. Mae'n dweud o'r clwb o'r clwb o'r ffordd, mae'r ddechrau'n ddechrau, wrth gwrs, ond yn ymwneud, yw Mr Merino yn ystod i ddechrau'n ddysgu'r dweud, Rhaeddi'n dweud, eraill fod yn marwch am y Llywodraeth, a nid o'r gwarth창. Rhaeddi'n dweud yn ystafell a rhe sydd wedi'i arno. Dwi'n siarad wneud am y goeshwyr a'r cyhoeddi. Rhywbeth wedi'i rywbeth yn gwnaeth y gwarth miniature lle. Ac mae'r cyflwedd o ymgylchedd, ac mae'r cyflweddau yn gofynalez sawl i hoodgariaeth, a'r cyflwyr rywbeth o'r hawl yn y gwarth, dydyn nhw'n'n ysgolodau. How early then did you decide that you wanted to bring him in back? I think with the words obviously when you're only allowed to bring him back when the details of the contract state and we just kept, what's the word, we just honored that side to everybody that was involved in the agreement. Much was made wasn't about his comments building up to January about he'd be disappointed if he had to come back. Have you had to address that when you spoke to him? How was he about coming back? Well, he's in the building. He always has been. He's no different to Amari Patrick, to Sam Hornby that are out on loan and to play him. They're Bradford City players in the contracted to Bradford City. With all the players that we have that are out on loan or not out on loan, once you sign a contract with a club, they pay your wages. You can bet your bottom dollar if we didn't pay the wages that would be an outcry. From that point of view, he's fine. He's come back and gone on with it. Do you see him here for the rest of the season now because Richie Wellins has spoken on the back of his departure saying there might be some developments in the next few days and they want him back? I can't comment on Richie Wellins and what he said or what Swindon might do or might not do. We just got to focus on Crawley. That's our main aim now. With Owen back then, do you have to change your way of playing to accommodate him or does him coming back allow you to play a different way? I throw it back at you and say which way which. Well, you're the manager. I'm just interested because I see he's a different sort of striker to what you've had in the building. I think there's a lot of, what's the word? People are sort of like saying are you? You can play two up front now. That's why he's got all his goals. They didn't play 4-4-2 very often, Swindon, to be perfectly honest with you. On Saturday they played 4-3-3, which we matched them up with. We'll put him in the team and play the way that we always want to play, which sometimes you are able to do and sometimes you're not. We ain't going to be a team that just sits there and kicks it as far as possible. Ironically, over the Christmas period, the best we've played and the most chances that we've had, we've drawn. He goes into the squad and goes into contention for Saturday. How excited are you then by the potential of if he hits the ground running and finds the form that he's been on, and if you can get it right up top because you're so solid defensively about what can happen going forward? That's the whole aim of the game, isn't it? You try and keep it out at one end and score as many as you possibly can at the other. The objective of the game will never change. I'm not being sarcastic there. It's just a matter of fact. I'm just interested because obviously we've spoken before about conversion rates not being as what you would have wanted. You've got to be in now at 23-22. Exactly. From my point of view, I said it when it got released. It's up to us to keep providing him with the opportunities to keep adding to that wonderful tally that he's got. Presumably you've got a bit of a selection headache up top as well, because you've got two players in Remy and Shae who've come off the bench and Alan had impacts as well. The game changes this year for us have been really good. Shae coming on and doing what he did on Saturday. I think that's four points we've taken out of a possible six against the league leaders. The impact that Remy did when he came on, that's what you want. It's a squad game and it's not just the start and 11. It's the impact that everybody has throughout the course of a season and what we've been through in terms of injuries and illnesses over the Christmas period. Everybody's played their part and you've seen the value of a squad. Let's talk about the defensive side of things for a moment. I know you spoke to Simon about answering O'Connor. Difficult season for him last year. Maybe under the radar for some this season but he's doing really, really well at the back. Yeah, he's come back. I think when you look at the position that we're in, I said it a couple of weeks ago about the players not getting enough credit and I think you have to take into consideration the fact that the team was relegated last year and the mental scars that that could have on players and the knock-on effect it could have leading into the next season. But I think from Anthony's point of view and Richard O'Donnell's point of view, the way that they've responded clean slate, come back in and had a right to guard it and like you say, the performances have warranted. One, being picked every week and two, getting recognition for how they've gone about it. In terms of the season, I know when we've spoken before you've said it's been a bit too early to assess what's gone on. We're just over halfway now. What's your assessment of this campaign? Yeah, we're just over halfway. I'll get that answer now when he goes in. No, it is. It's exactly where it is. We can't fast forward anything. We can't rewind anything now. We've just got to look at the next game, which is Crawley. I know that sounds rather dull and boring, but that's where we're at, I'm afraid. In terms of personnel, how are you injury-wise at the moment? I've got that, I'm just thinking... No, the only possible one would be Calvin Meller. But it might just be a bit too soon for him. Jamie Devitt is very close. Needs a game, which you're trying to get the next week, which will help him just push on a little bit further. I'm going to go from there on that. Apart from that, for everybody's fit. Crawley, tough on that valley parade a couple of months ago. What do you expect from him? Well, they've got a good squad. They've got a new manager that's gone in there. So he's trying to put his stamp on it, and obviously there's been three weeks, so he'll be able to get more of his ideas over in training than possibly over the Christmas period, where it's game after game after game. And like I say, there are no easy games in this league, so we know that we've got to go and build on last week's performance, second half especially, where we've gone and had a lot of possession. We've worked a lot on creating chances this week, and we'll be looking for that. To continue this good run that we're on, we're eight on beaten, everything becomes a habit, and so we're looking to carry that going. Just to find out on Chris Taylor, I think his two-month deal will be up in the next seven days or so. We're in negotiations and we're talking with him now, so hopefully there'll be an announcement shortly. Thank you. You say about Crawley having had the week off last week. How important has it been for you to have this full week of training? I think it's always good when the amount of football that they've had, that you can give them a little bit of a breather, because you hear the Premier League bosses going on about the fixture list, and we're no different in that sense. We're probably a little bit harsher, or it's a little bit more harsher on us, because you can't carry the size of squads that they can carry. But everybody's in the same boat, so it was good to at least give them a little bit of a breather, and then spend some time, like you say, going again and getting them back on the grass. You mentioned the size of squads. Is it a case in the transfer window, as we are, of looking at who might be leaving, or who other teams are coming and asking about, as much as it is about who you'd like to bring in, and trying to keep the squad as strong as it is now? I think it's something that you have to manage both, like you say. The experience always tells you, you can't just say, oh, that's it. I'll just crack on, because then, all of a sudden, something comes out of the side door that you didn't see happening, so it's constantly looking and constantly being in contact with people, both, like you say, for ins and then not necessarily outs, but reactive if someone's coming offered, like I said earlier, money for one of the other players that the club couldn't turn down, then the manager can throw his toys out of the prime course he can, but doesn't achieve anything at the end of it if the deal is that good. Chris, have you had any inquiries or any interest in any of your players? No. Because obviously you've got players who've not played on the team at the moment. What's the scenario with it? Is it just a case of... No, I think that, you know, it's the same all along with the competition. We always want competition, we always want competition, and you've seen the value of the squad this year, the amount of injuries and illnesses that we've had. And obviously going back to, I mean, we've seen that coming back in, I mean, you know, when you've got a player who's done some well at one club and now he's come back to another club, you know, regardless of that, this is parent club. Is it a case of a little bit of, how to put a little bit of an arm around him and just sort of saying you're as, you know, wanted here as you perhaps wanted here? Yeah, exactly. And the conversations that, you know, took place today and, you know, I think once we get to the weekend and you go day by day with it and get to the weekend, then all of it just then just all concentrates then on the football. I was going to say football is perhaps like critches of habit once he's playing again. Exactly. In a game that's perhaps moves on a little bit. And for yourselves, and presumably the club is nice, not like this sideshow of it, a bit of a word. Yeah, I understand what you're saying. And that's it, and it's the same with anything once you get going. The other players, obviously seeing him come back, it must be great news for them. The band has been great, as you can imagine, you know. So the players are a good set of lads, no matter who comes in, you know, when we've had people on trial that always take them in and look after them properly and then it was the same today with it when he come back in and on the training ground. So he's coming back into a club, as you say, eight games unbeaten, so it's not like it's a complete culture shock to do well to another team who weren't. No, exactly. No, no, next week hopefully he gets back on the grass. He's had, like I say, he's had a bit of treatment this week. So he's been told that he can step it up a little bit. So this time next week I'm leading into the scumfort game. We certainly expect those two to be a fit for available for selection.