 Brought to you by DIS, keeping companies connected with cloud-based solutions. Come on, City! Connor, good to chat with you again. Merry Christmas as well, and congratulations on today's news. And just how pleasing is it to get the backing from the board, from the club and from Ryan. Yeah, first of all, Merry Christmas. Obviously, good news for us. We're absolutely delighted to carry on leading the team and we're looking forward to what's ahead. And obviously, thankful for Ryan and the boards backing and the job that we've done so far and everybody really. So again, really, really, really pleased. When did you get the call? The discussions were mostly yesterday, the final sort of final discussions of it, which were positive and professional. So again, yeah, we have a clear idea of how it's going to work and what's going to happen. And again, we just carry on trying to get the best results we can. What were your own expectation levels of what would happen to your role after the victory at Tram? Did you have any expectation? Personally, no, I think, like I said, I think I said a few weeks ago or whatever, just about how quick it all goes and you don't really have time to dwell and think about things in too much detail. It's just around getting on with the job and making sure that everything's organised and planned. And that's what I've tried to do personally. And I know Max is saying we're both sort of relentless in what we're trying to do. I think I'm right in saying that this sees you promoted from caretaker to interim charge of the first team. What does that signify in terms of any changes to your existing role to what it is now? I think ultimately it just gives us more time, more time to plan, more time to be proactive in how we operate. But ultimately where we continue to do the same job that we've done. But again, it just allows us to plan ahead more and have a little bit more clarity on how it's going to look, not day by day, but more month by month and see what happens with that. I think it would be brilliant as well for us to even work with the players even more, implement our ideas in the club's philosophy and culture. So again, we're looking forward to that. What's the dynamic now then for you and Mark? Are you seen as co-managers amongst the football club? Is Mark the manager and you are the assistant? What's the dynamic in the dugout? We're just as joint and that's how it is at the minute. We've worked together for a number of years and we've tried to just bounce off each other as much as we can and try and share the workload which I've mentioned before and we feel the same pressure and we're both really responsible for what happens in the good and the bad. So yeah, that's how it looks. The statement said until further notice, which is a little bit of a loose ending in that respect. Have you been given any assurances on time scale? You mentioned month by month. Yeah, I think that would be just plan for the future, plan as far as you can. So there's no set date in our eyes of you've got the job until this date, carry on. You've got longer than it's been in the caretaker role, you're interim so you are going until it's finalised either way. So yeah, for us it's just planning for the future and we're able to plan ahead even more. Does that though at all provide any hanging doubts over your position? Is there an opportunity where the club could turn around and say actually now we want to go in a different direction? Is that still a possibility? Yeah, I think you guys knowing football and what it's like and at this level and throughout football it's kind of a business where a thing you can be quickly in and you can quickly be out. I think we can't get caught up in that and the club I'm sure will back us in taking the team forward and we'll just see what happens from there. The conversations that we have as people, as staff together, it's been discussed thoroughly to make sure that this is the right thing for everybody right now. Naturally I imagine January has been mentioned quite prevalently in those discussions that you've had with the board. The statement also says that you will have a final say on who comes into the football club, equally who departs as well. How big a factor has that been in the discussions and also your preparation for the coming end? Yeah, we've got to do the job. The job is to make sure that we have got the players who we need and obviously the news of Lee as well who we've had quite a lot of discussions with already has been in the building. It's not something that's just happened. We've been working behind closed doors to make sure if things happen and make sure that we know exactly what we're going to do in the window. How confident do you feel ahead of that window then now as interim managers? Yeah, I think we're confident that we're trying to find the right players, the right characters and we're ultimately looking to strengthen and that's what we can do. So I think we're excited by that. But as you know and I know things are straightforward in football and you've got to really monitor the transfer market and be ready and also have a package where you're selling the club and you're selling the history and how big it is and things like that. So yeah, we're really happy to be working with Lee and Ryan and the analysis to make sure that we're picking these right players for the team. Presumably that selling prospect is made easier given the position that you have in the table and the run that you're on as well. I guess so yeah, I guess when people see that a team's maybe in form and it's like football you can be hero to zero quite quickly. So I think just like you said you've answered it there really of it is better to go into a team that is performing better and giving better performances and having better results as well. You mentioned Lee's appointment. What does he bring to the table? What have you seen from him already in terms of the scouting network that he possesses? Yeah, we've had some really positive meetings with him and the detail that it goes into in terms of the strategy of how he recruits and he probably knows every player in the football league and not just who they are, where they play, what foot they are, the strengths and weaknesses, so it's been great to be involved in and you can see why he's highly rated because his knowledge of what he wants and his knowledge of being around football knowing what positions need, what strengths, how what we need as a team as well, not just are they good enough, make sure we get in the right characters, we speak to the right people to get references etc. So yeah, we're pleased and we're excited to get in, get to work. How big a factor is the identity and culture that you're looking to try and implement with the team when you make the recruitment that you hope to do? Yeah, it's massive. Ultimately in football you need players that you can trust who are going to go out and do a job and you know that they're going to give you that extra bit when you need it and they're not going to give up. So again I think you know I said before about professional footballers all are having skills and to make them a footballer but ultimately as well we're looking for that character reference of are they good people and are they going to work for the team and not only for themselves. Just going back to Lee, I love crossover whenever it happens in previous lives and previous walks of careers. Have you ever crossed paths before yourself in Lee? No, he was from obviously Middlesbrough and I was there when I was a lot younger but no I never met him unfortunately but like I say he's from speaking to him, we came aware thinking you know we've got a really good person there to work with. Also you'll have to factor the salary cap in your equations in terms of who you bring into the football club. Does that also mean that you may have to look to try and shift some players on as well? I think whatever decision that's been made bringing in or out we've just got to make sure that we're clear and concise on that's the right decision for the club. It's like any other team there will be ins, there will be outs and we're no different. I wanted to ask you just on that point about Zeli Ishmael in particular of course has got a long term injury, three months at a minimum. Is there a consideration that because he's going to be missing for a good chunk of the season that you look to try and end his deal mutually or would you be happy to keep him on and see him still playing a significant part in this season when you return from injury? I think while we've got Zeli at the club he's our player and obviously it's unfortunate that he's got a bad injury. Obviously speaking to him is a really nice guy and he's working hard to get back in but I think we've just got to make sure that Zeli's just concentrating on his recovery rather than building it up that he's going to come back early and things like that. So you know the comment would be just for him to focus on getting back fit. I suppose the basis of my question is that of course he takes up a chunk on that salary cap and I'm just wondering whether or not that would alleviate some space. I think it's a question where it's like anything if Zeli comes back and he's performing, that's what we want as a club and if he's not performing and ultimately we have decisions to make, we can't please everyone but we'll try and make the right decision for the football club. In terms of the game tomorrow night, how's preparations been for that? Yeah brilliant. Obviously again a quick turnaround, Saturday Tuesday, Saturday Tuesday, all the time Christmas period but also trying to make sure that the players are psychologically ready and they're not finding it too difficult and that's everybody not just a start in 11. So again we're prepared again today, a lot of work behind the scenes, players are on board and again we're just looking forward to another challenge and I think it'll be another good game and we just want to just keep the run going for as long as we can but we're also mindful that football is not all positive. In terms of team news, how are you shaping up? Yeah there's no problems from the last game so to not give too much away but there won't be massive changes. I want to just get your thoughts as well if I may Conor on Ben Richard Everton and Dylan Motley Henry in particular, they haven't been involved in the match day squad. To my knowledge there's no injury concerns with the two players unless that is changed in the meantime. What is their future at Bradford City Football Club? Again I think it's you know with what's gone on in the past few weeks, the performances, the squad is really difficult to change anything. I think so for Rosy it's the players are performing and ultimately they've got to wait for their chance if that comes and look to take it and grasp it so again with the squad and with the team it's looking, it looks quite similar week in week out and you know they've rightfully kept the squad, kept in the squad and the team so that would be just how it is at the minute. Yeah for you and Mark you still see there is an opportunity for them to get back into your thoughts if they prove themselves in training. Yeah I think you know you don't want to write anybody off in football, that would be the wrong thing to do. I think where the opportunities comes a different matter, we'll have to monitor the situation and see what happens but again the squad is doing really well at the minute and they're working hard behind the scenes and they've got to keep doing so. Another player as well I meant to ask Mark about after the Tramir game was Curtis Guthrie and he wasn't involved in the matchday squad, was that injury based or something else? He had a little bit of an illness, we didn't want to get him around the squad just precautionary, went for obviously a test and things like that and it was negative but it was just something that we couldn't risk. How big a factor is that at the moment just that the COVID situation, the COVID climate, having to be more aware of what is a heightening picture across the country? Yeah, yeah of course it has its challenges and obviously the people at the club you know Paul, Ryan haven't worked so hard at protecting everybody and obviously with a new strain that's come around as well. There's a lot of, I'm not sure what the word is but there's a lot of sort of maybe fear that this one's more contagious so we're having to up sort of our measures even more. Just to show that you know if one does end up getting COVID then everybody doesn't have to isolate so we've got to be professional in what we do to make sure that it doesn't mean cancelled games. Final one from me Connor, forgive me for being sentimental but your story within its own right is a very very encouraging and positive one. Yes people will say that you're an experienced, they'll look at your age and put two and two together but what does this signify for young coaches and young managers, you and Mark getting the opportunity to perform and show what you can do at first team level? Yeah, obviously it's, again we've been quoted on it just about the opportunity and how grateful we are as two young coaches and young managers, you've got to believe in yourself and you've got to put yourself in situations where you're under pressure to perform but you also stick to your beliefs and you know who you are and you don't try and be somebody that you're not, you just go out there and you try to give it your best in everything that you do and that's what we try to do with the academy players and we try to do with the first team players, you just be humble and be respectful and just give everything that you've got because everybody's needed in here. It's not just me and Mark, there's people around the building working so hard. The last time we spoke you said you were buzzing, does that still maintain that feeling? Yeah, yeah, really happy buzzing if you like. But yeah, we get to continue our jobs in a different vein and gives us a little bit more longer term vision which we appreciate and we again keep saying it but just want to keep it going, keep our feet on the ground and hopefully the results will be positive but again we're not naive enough to think that it's all going to be plain sailing and I think that's important that we have that approach as well. Well congratulations again and good to chat with you and go well tomorrow. Thanks, yeah, thank you. You mentioned Lee there and Ryan and with both you and Mark, you're quite young and new to this sort of role and Ryan is very young and new to his sort of role, is that where important to someone like Lee comes in with dealing with agents and the like? I think Lee brings in a wealth of knowledge and experience and contacts, he's gone through stuff that he has at his disposal and is quite impressive. The amount of detail that he can go into the connections, the agents that he knows, profile of players, it's been really good to see and I think we appreciate it and I'm sure he'll do a great job for us. And the appointment of you and Mark and some other young coaches around the leagues, are we finally seeing a move away from the way football used to be when you had say a Ferguson or a Wenger who controlled the club from the top down and they were the dictator almost. The management side is becoming more of a team effort. Yeah, I think you always try to say, you know, two brains are better than one or three are better than two, so it's good to have people involved. I'd be wrong to sort of comment and say whether it's the way forward, we've probably got to monitor not just me and Mark but a lot of young coaches around the country. Everybody's different, everybody will do different jobs, everyone will have different challenges. It may be right for some, it may not be right for others. You know, so it's hard for me to comment, you know, there's been a lot of successful managers who have been more experienced but there's also been some, you know, people have maybe not had a great career but still been top managers. So I think it's just, it can go either way, I don't think there's maybe a set way of how it works. And obviously 10 points out of the 12 you've played for since you came in. Does that increase the pressure every time you win again? Is there sort of almost more pressure coming on you to keep that run going? I think it's good pressure and I think it's a target for the players and for the staff to continue that positivity and keep the run going. That's why I keep saying about, you know, it's always going to come to an end with results and we've got to, you know, if that's five games, if that's one game, we've got to make sure that we have things in place to make sure that we know what to do if that happens. But again, yeah, I think it's good pressure because, you know, everybody wants to win every game. So again, you know, we're not thinking all the pressure to win. We always got to win anywhere, you know, we'd like to have an underdog mentality to go out there and want to prove people wrong. And that's what we'll keep trying to do. When we spoke to Billy, he said the key is to keep doing what you've been doing because it's working rather than trying to elaborate and become a bit more fancy and things. Is that what you've been saying to the players as well? Yeah, and I think, you know, the longer that we're here, you know, however long that is, it allows us to get more working with the players. We get to know them more, they get to know us more, you know, what's our ideals, what's the things that we non-negotiables, if you like. But again, we don't go from having the information that we've been giving the players to doing something totally different. We'll just be layering that detail on. So it just gets more and more in terms of, you know, of how to help them even more and a little bit more information. And then it should be easier because it's not anything new. Thanks very much. Good luck tomorrow. Thank you very much. Connor, obviously you were sort of saying about, you know, the announcement today. I mean, gives them a little bit more certainty with everyone. That's probably very important with the players as well. Because often players can have, you know, if they can find an excuse, if things aren't working, they'll find one. And presumably knowing what's happening with the, you know, with the people in charge, certainly in the short term sort of alleviates that a little bit, doesn't it? Yeah, yeah, of course, like you say. It's obviously nice as a player to have a little bit of stability in the managerial situation. And I think this does provide that. So I think, yeah, there's no excuses for the players. You know, if somebody's caretaker into a more manager, they've got to still do the job that they pay to do. And that's for us as well. Because I mean, obviously, it started off as a short term thing, but I mean, you can only have a game to game sort of existence for so long, can't you? Because otherwise, people sort of, you're always going to be a little bit on edge, aren't they, thinking, well, what's going to happen next week? Yeah, yeah, of course, of course. And it just sort of takes a little bit that off and it allows us to plan ahead. And even more, and it allows us to speak to the players in a matter of, you know, it's not going to be just game by day, we'll see what happens. And, you know, we've got it until told otherwise in the actual future of month by month week by week, whatever it is, but it's going to be longer than game by game. Have they started calling you gaffer yet? Have you changed anything like that? I really had the discussion earlier and, you know, we'll see what happens with it. I was going to say, the relationship with the players, you know, you speak to players and obviously they're always going to say, yes, it's great because, you know, no one says anything otherwise. But you can just sense that it's a very sort of comfortable relationship and the players sort of respect in what you're doing and they seem to be responding to that. And I think that's probably a lot of way behind this decision, isn't it? Because you've got that sort of smooth scenario at the moment. Yeah, it's like anything. I think me and Matt know the club and the staff here know the club. We've been here a lot of years. And so we know, we know the challenges of being here with even the pitches and things like that at times. And, you know, we've been in this situation a lot so we know there's people to speak to and the right people in the club to speak to. We're in a position where, you know, nothing's new to us in terms of the training ground or anything like that, where, you know, we're experienced in that matter. But again, with the players, it seems quite smooth. I think, you know, having conversations with the players is important and making sure that they know we're human as well as them. And we're here to help them and to support them. And that's what we can do. And obviously, you know, it's been a well-win few weeks, but you've obviously had, you know, four games already. Has it sort of sunk in finally that you're sort of stood there in a football league dugout in charge of a team, you know, as big as Bradford City on this stage? You know, has it finally sort of, have you had that chance to sort of realize, picture yourself and realize this is actually happening? No, I wouldn't say so. No, I think it's obviously brilliant to be going to the stadiums instead of training grounds to play teams, to have fans in there. But I think what we find is it's a game of football. It's 11-11. You have the same challenges at different age groups. And I think we're just really happy and, you know, humble in what's happened. And we're just trying to work as hard as we can and, you know, keep our feet on the ground and just keep doing the work. Obviously, you're talking about Lee. I mean, you know, he comes with great experience. Presumably, that's an area of the job you're going to have to learn pretty quick in the recruitment side, because obviously that's something as coach is that you've not really experienced this level before. No, not at this level. It comes from a lot younger when you're looking for potential in players and you're looking at certain things and you've got to start thinking about how players grow and maturation and all this kind of thing. There's just a lot of detail in working with younger players and making sure you pick the right players. But again, we're on a different level where now we're talking about professionals who have played league games or it's maybe low moves from other clubs and potential free agents if there are any out there. It's worth getting. So it's a different ball game and we appreciate all the work that Lee's going to bring in the knowledge that he's going to bring as well. Obviously, it can be a pretty good cutthroat business, particularly when it's the January month, which is always a pretty hectic market. And there are probably some people, again, no disrespect to probably look at younger coaches and think perhaps we can pull the wool over their eyes a bit. So presumably having someone have got recruitment background like that will help, won't it, with the negotiations and things? Yeah, yeah, of course. Of course, I think as well as the managers, we've got to have our own beliefs as well when you talk about putting the wool over his eyes kind of thing where we've still got to know what we want as well as Lee and work together. But you know, we're looking to do right by the club. And you find, you know, from what you've learned with him before so far with your meetings you've had with him that you're all sort of, you know, on the same page sort of thing that your ideas of who you'd like to bring in and the type of players sort of matches. Yeah, yeah, certainly. Obviously, there's a lot of different types of players in different positions, which, and it's which one would you, which type you want, you know, which type is going to make us better. People have different opinions on what types will make us better, but we've got to provide evidence and clarity of why that would work for us. And that's, you know, that was what we're trying to do at the minute, but again, we're working as a team and to make sure that the decisions are right for the football club. And ultimately we go into the window just trying to strengthen, trying to strengthen the squad and make sure that we've in his best position that we can be. Obviously, with that strengthening work, the fact that you've had these good results of late and you know the positions look healthier than it was a couple of weeks back. Does that sort of make it a bit less once I say frantic in terms of the window but you know in terms of your targets perhaps you perhaps could you know reduce the numbers slightly in terms of what you need. Well, it's just, again, it's just the transfer window we've we've got to operate in the best way we can. We've got to make tough decisions, easy decisions. And we've got to we've got to go and make sure that at the end of it we're happy with what's with what's happened. And that's all we can do just be true to ourselves and to make sure that we work as hard as we can alongside the football, which is relentless as you know. But we're going to have to continue to work even harder to make sure that everywhere you know the support when it's needed and we do what we can. And presumably once you get this this week out the way you've actually got three I think three weeks the next three weeks you just sat in Saturday games. Yeah, which point of view of either recruitment side and be the fact you can get on the training ground and actually do some work. Yeah, obviously gives us more time with the recruitment, you know, and just allows us to add on on what we've been doing already with the players. In terms of the tactical stuff and the information but again yet just gives us an extra day or two to even work on even more so. And in which which would be brilliant and it allows players to recover and get to kind of a normal loading period where it's it's game once a game one game a week kind of thing. You know it's not the spiking loads not high anymore and and we can and we can start to get more more more through the plays and training. Dangerous to say the word normal these days I know but once you get this second half of the season it actually maps out like a it almost maps out like a normal football season doesn't it in in terms of the other workload. Yeah, yeah and I think everybody knows a Christmas period is is why the foreign the foreign teams do it differently and they have two weeks off and stuff but over here we go flat out and it's football is a part of Christmas. And so you know we've been fortunate in their position and and what a fast sort of two two two weeks I think it's been having four games and and we're in a place where you know we're looking to improve further. 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