 Afternoon Gary, it's been a little while since we last spoke to you because of the international break, clearly there's been a lot happening in the background with regards to the takeover. Can you bring us any updates as to what may have been happening and what you've been told? No, I mean Richard Hughes and Neil Blake, I'm in regular contact with and they keep me up to date on what I need to know and I'm obviously happy with that and where everything is. But in terms of updates, nothing at all from me. Have you been told that it's getting closer? No, I think, I mean I'm not going to share any private internal conversations that we have. I think just the important thing is that I'm being kept up to date, I know exactly where things are and I'm happy with my situation which has still been tasked to take the team until further notice which I'm delighted to do. Presumably this takeover happening in the background is a good thing because it keeps everything very stable and settled for the first team and you taking things week by week? Yeah, I mean I don't think the takeover or whatever's going on in the background has any impact on myself or the playing squad or how we prepare or how we feel I think there. It's made no difference to how I've felt towards this game, the other games is just we're getting ready for another game. The boys are extremely professional, ready to go, anything outside of our dressing room definitely won't affect us either way. We're just going to be relentless in how we prepare and such a big game coming against Saturday that it's just pure focus on can we get a positive result here against Brentford at the weekend? The fact that you're unbeaten and you've been in the hot seat for now a few weeks, does it make you want the job that little bit more because you're starting to get a feel for things and starting to put your identity on the team? No, my feeling towards it hasn't changed from when I first started, I wanted to be a football manager a long time ago, that's still the case. I'm feel honoured and delighted that I've had the opportunity so far to do it for the three games and however many weeks it's been and I'm delighted to take it until further notice. I think Saturday to start with is a huge game, I'm really excited about it, really excited about where the boys are. Opportunity to come back in front of our home fans, it's just been a while with the Brighton game being cancelled and obviously the first game I took was Wolves and there wasn't a lot of time to get ready for that one so yeah just really excited. Only a couple of days away now, prep and excitement ramps up with a home game coming that we're going to be competitive in. With the fact this being an international break, is this the first time as you've touched upon there that you've actually been able to just take stock and spend a bit of time on the training pitch and actually work with the players because you sort of were chucked in at the deep end and you had to just prepare for games and then deadline day and then another game? Have you been able to use this time wisely? Yeah I mean we've done some real good work since I've taken the reins so to speak I think not only the last two weeks obviously the last two weeks are tricky because there's loads you want to do but a lot of the boys are away in international teams so some of the work is you can't get done until when they arrive back so but we've got loads of good stuff done loads of good stuff not only the last two weeks obviously the Brighton game was called off so we had a little spell there where we could do some work and yeah I'm really really pleased with where the squad are and yeah as I said already really looking forward to it. And finally for me Brentford the weekend Ivan Tony got called up to the England squad there was a lot of talk about him and the hat trick he scored a couple of weeks ago and the type of player he is and the journey he's been on. Are you surprised that you didn't see him play for England and the fact that he didn't get those minutes does that make him perhaps a little bit more determined and hungry to prove that he should have got minutes by having a good game this weekend? Yeah I don't really have any sort of feeling around whether I was surprised not surprised that he didn't play I mean obviously Gareth will do what he feels best for that group and I'm not sure how it affects Ivan Tony and he's prepped for our game I think. I'm guessing as all footballers are they'll be determined to go and put on another good performance and show everyone what you're about. But yeah I think he's obviously had a fantastic start to this season scored some real good goals was a big part of what they did last season as well so he's a good player for sure. He's not too many number 9s like him around anymore either so not something that centre backs come up against as often as they used to so we'll be a test of course for us but they carry a lot of threats to be fair Brentford they're a good side not just Ivan Tony so yeah we'll need to be ready. Gary is Ivan Tony is it worth Dom Solanke looking at him as someone who scored 30 goals in the championship one season and then reached double figures in the Premier League the next season is it worth him looking at that as an example? I think they're very different I think Dom is extremely highly driven already is a real good professional works hard at his own game knows his strengths works hard on stuff that he needs to improve is massive for this group so I understand why people will talk about them together as in a comparison but they're very very different and I mean Dom's a talented young English centre forward so should you aspire to one day being in and around the England squad? Yeah of course I think all all young talented English footballers do and and Dom would probably be no different but yeah he's I mean I'm delighted to have Dom as part of our group he's massive for us. You mentioned Ivan Tony's nothing like their only threat have you done any extra work on set pieces in this break as they see those as a as a big weapon Brentford don't they? Yeah I'm not going to discuss what we've worked on but Brentford are a real threat from set plays they are they're a physical side they play forward a lot they look to gain set plays they look like they do a lot of work on them and what they're well organised so of course as with every game I look at every team's threats and what and how they how I feel like they'll they'll look to hurt us and what we can do about it. You said you wanted to be a manager and you've done coaching badges and everything I've never done so I've no idea but do those badges have they prepared you for every element that you've come up against so far? Like an international break for example I know you can put on a session and things but all these elements that you're being faced with are you drawing on coaching badge experience just experience of being in dressing rooms as a player how do you approach it all? Yes it's a good question I think the coaching badges are great they give you some real good knowledge and also you get to be around groups of people that have similar goals and have real good knowledge as well so you spend some real good time with people that are all trying to get to a similar place but as in the experiences of being in a Premier League changing room as a leader of a group I mean more on my playing career to be honest and experiences that I had as a captain or as a senior player in a group or even as a young player in a group and how they sometimes need help so I mean yeah I've been in around first team football since I was 16 so loads of experiences that I can draw on and yeah so probably more the real life experiences of being in and around it. And have you had any sort of flashbacks yet where you've had a particular situation with a player or something and you've thought oh I'm not going to deal with it like the manager dealt when I was in that position as a player or the other way a positive way sort of thing? Yeah I don't consciously feel that way about anything but I'm sure my experiences in the past will shape how I deal with things yeah definitely I think always looking at every situation I can trying to stay on top of stuff whether that be tactics, whether that be the mentality of the group so yeah just trying to be the best I can be for this group of players is just solely important from the moment I wake up to the moment I go I bet is how can I help this group. And how what sort of shape is the squad in have you had any players returning from injury over this time? I think that yeah the boys that are on their way back are doing really well Ben Pearson and Joe Rothwell are getting real close, Ryan Fredericks has made big improvements, Lloyd Kelly won't be available yet trying to think who else we had for the Newcastle one that's probably a pretty much full update on where we are but I'm delighted with where the group are as a whole yeah obviously Lloyd Kelly being missing is a massive blow, it's huge for us as you saw at Newcastle the boys that come in and the back line and even the team spirit and the work in front of that back line was massive for us and yeah we'll be looking to make sure we're solid and resolute again. And how has he reacted as captain to be there not being involved on match days is he still taking an active role in the dressing room and you know how everything you'd expect from a captain as he's sort of stepping up? He's a great lad, Lloyd I couldn't ask any more of him whether he's injured, whether he's playing, yeah obviously I played with him for a short spell at Bristol City and knew he was going to be a fantastic player so yeah and as I already said he's a real good guy so he'll always want to be around it, always want to help the boys so yeah really I'd rather him be on the grass but pleased that he's helping out when he's not. Afternoon Gary did everybody come back from international duty fighting? Yeah we're all good really pleased with where the group are excited for the game excited to see what the boys can produce again on Saturday in front of our own fans. Covered the injuries there with Paul, can I just ask you about last week's Premier League Cup game I know that you were watching that what did you make of that? No it was a good game, yeah it was a good game. Si Chong, Cooper did well to get the team back in it from 1-0 down, some good performances. It was good from our point of view as well to get a couple of the lads some minutes so yeah and I enjoyed it and obviously the boys winning was big for them. Just going back to the captain's seat Gary you captain virtually everybody you played for annual and the England under 21s as well how important a role do you see it on the picture or is it everyone's a captain if you like? I mean there is an importance to it definitely I think everyone does it in their own way but also you're right the group everyone needs to play their part in making sure the group's in the right place so although the captain sort of sets that off for you we're fortunate here that the lads all they all drive each other really well whether that be in training whether that be in game whether we have to respond to difficult moments whether we need to manage ourselves in good moments they're really good at that as a group so yeah so the captaincy is important but I mean the mentality and intensity of the group is the key driver really.