 Brought to you by DIS, keeping companies connected with cloud-based solutions. Come on, City! Stuart, congratulations on Saturday's performance. How pleased were you with the response of your squad following Monday? Obviously, when you have a disappointing performance and a disappointing result, you want to bounce back as soon as you can, and we're fortunate we did that on Saturday with obviously a good three points. Any way of victory is one that you want to take, but also the performance was pleasing naturally as well. What do you put that down to, the performance? We got off to a good start, and we were fortunate that they were goal-keeping making error, but you just want to perform as well as you can. They don't put it down to any one particular thing, just work hard, and the confidence was there from the players. It's nothing what you work all week for and train hard all week for. It's for putting good performances, and thankfully we did that on Saturday. The 4-4-2 formation that it seemingly looked like you went with for the majority of the game, was that as a result of the knocks that it had last week, or was it always going to be the plan? No. Jamie, it was never a 4-4-2 in a month of Sundays, I had to smile actually, because my son sent me a text from America, he couldn't get the game, because he normally watches it on the I-Follow, but he couldn't get it, but I told him in the morning, or the night previously, how we were going to set up, and obviously he'd seen some things on Twitter that were 4-4-2, and he actually just text me why did you change your mind dad, so I had to go into a long spiel that had never changed my mind, and we played exactly the way we were going to set out to play, which was a three against three in the middle of a park, in a month with Dylan Wide, so yeah, it was a 4-3-3 if you like, different adaption, but it was never a 4-4-2. The key being to it then I guess, is the width that you had in that game, which was clear to see. How pleasing was that, and also is that something that you'll look to try and take forward now? Always. We spoke before the Harrogate game, that regardless if we're playing wingbacks, or we're playing fullbacks, we want them up high and putting crosses in, and I think over the aspects of everything, keep going back to the Harrogate game, was the fact that we didn't get as fullbacks high as we wanted to, and then I'd spoke to Woody and told him, and spoke to him and showed him clips again when we played Huddersfield the first half, even though we were playing wingbacks, then how many crosses he put into the box, and that's what we wanted for his wide men, was to give some service to the strikers. I played 20-yard further up, but we wanted them both fullbacks to play high against Harrogate, but he didn't materialise that way. It was exactly what we thought. We knew that they were going to be wingbacks, so Woody would be one fullback against their wingback, and we'd try to have two for one down the right, with Dylan taking their left wingback further back, and Bryce getting on the ball, which happened quite often. And then the times that their wingback did come on to Bryce, it left Dylan up against their left centre back. Managers, me personally, will get formations wrong at times. I'll get tactics wrong, I'll get substitutions wrong, I'll get a lot of things wrong. It's life, it's football. I'm sure Sir Alex Ferguson got one or two things wrong. But I'd like to think we'll get more than most right. For all the chat about last weekend's Harrogate, we didn't perform. The system we played didn't work, and we didn't perform individually. On Saturday, we performed well, we were happy, we played, and we've got to take on the next game. Again, we lost to Harrogate because we were rotten, not because Harrogate was very good apparently. Likewise, we weren't on Saturday because Mansfield were rotten, and we were okay. It depends how you look at things. That's the society we live in, and that's football, and that's the way things are. But we just focus on what we can affect, and we worked really hard, we were massively disappointed last week as everybody was, but that's football. I still think we can probably go on and maybe lose 10 more league games this season, and still end up getting where we want to go. For all the doom and gloom and despondency, of course we were hurting, but we put in a decent performance on Saturday, but we've got to go and put in a consistent performance against the good side on Tuesday night. Just as we weren't down and out after blooming four games, losing a home game as first league game of the season, likewise, we're not swinging from the rafters because we won in a way game. It's football. It's the business we're in at the moment, and with forums and media and Twitter and all that. I mean, the outcry up in Scotland now for Neil Lennon to be axed after getting beaten in an old firm game, which may add, I'm absolutely delighted. They did get beat. I think it's just, listen, that's what it is. That's what it is, and we deal with that, but we don't get affected with the noise outside whether we win, lose or draw. We can only focus on what we do on the training pitch, work as hard as we possibly can and to bring this football club success, and that's what we'll continue to do. It's interesting you mentioned that noise, and it's something that we've discussed as well on air. Is it compiled by the fact that maybe fans can't get into the grounds and there's maybe a build-up of frustration and they have to sit at home in their front rooms and it all just kind of digests from there? Yeah, I think possibly. I think that is probably the case. Everybody wants to be at the game and also just where the world is at the moment and certainly is going back into certain lockdowns and things, a lot of frustration out there. So the light at the end of the tunnel is your football club sometimes and going and watching them and putting on good performances. So when we have a performance like we did the other night, there's naturally a lot of despondency, but we can't affect that. Everyone's entitled to their opinion. Everybody be a 15-year-old kid who plays FIFA, be a retired doctor, drive taxis all his life. Everyone's entitled to their opinion. Of course they are, but I've been in the game 40 years of professional. I think I know a little bit about the game and we'll continue to strive to work hard and be the best we possibly can day in, day out, week in, week out. Focusing on the things that you can control and you mentioned the hurt that the players are feeling. As a manager, how encouraging is it that they use that as a motivation with respect to both Bryce and Clayton and both have said how in the back of all the players' minds they felt that the Harrogate defeat was their main driving force in Saturday's performance? Yeah, you obviously want to go out and put the next game, you get a chance to put in a good performance. It's easy to say that naturally when you win the game things work from there because that's what football is about. End of day you want good performances which inevitably hopefully give you good results but it's about winning it to most people. I've been at clubs or in seasons where as long as you see you going in the right way the performance is good then the results will come. There's times you can nick performances without good results and that can only last so long. I said before even after Harrogate game we've had a solid start, we've lost one league game albeit in them circumstances that nobody wanted to. But we know as I said now Saturday's gone we'll take the positives from it we'll look at the negatives which were the few too many free headers in our box and set players giving sometimes something silly free kicks away but there are a lot of positives a lot of good football that we played we could have scored and should have scored a lot more we know that, we should have been a bit more ruthless but the actual way and we created openings and the goals we scored was very encouraging. Obviously now backing that up is even more important tomorrow evening. Yeah, against the side where I'm beating so it's not all Walsall are coming, you beat Mansfield the way you should win at home that's our intention naturally but they're on the back of an undefeated running result since the season started Darryl's done really well with them they've got a confident group there Kenny went to watch them last week beat Orient 2-1 and he came back and says yeah, very good obviously drew on Saturday against Exeter they're away games they do it for his green one each but we're aware of where their strengths are but again it's about what we do we always focus on ourselves and we've just got to go out and try to put in a real positive performance that hopefully gets a positive result I know you won't want to give too much away but given the fact now that we're into that Saturday Tuesday nature of the season for a short while is it inevitable that you'll have to to change things up or in an ideal would you like to try and keep it the same as it is? I don't know it's one we've not named the team this morning we'd normally try to do it because it's been a quick turnaround I've seen Walsall I've had a couple of looks at them but I'll have another look this afternoon I've watched that game back a couple of times and just what was worked well or what was right formation-wise and personnel-wise for the shape against Mansfield shape doesn't necessarily mean be the same against Walsall so it is hosted for courses but you've got there's a lot of balancing acts try to keep it winning team as much as you can without changing too much obviously a lot of the confident performance but likewise you look at not only fatigue because we're not in a massive run of Saturday Tuesday Saturday Tuesday yet but there's a couple of things we might freshen up but like I said that's one we'll discuss this afternoon and for the first time in a while we've not named the team the day before but sometimes when it's a Saturday Tuesday we tend not to do that anyway You've got Pordie back that's a definite now after his suspension how big a boost is that for you? Yeah good because I think he started the season really well in a confident manner and even in the game against Walsall I thought it was very good in the game he could play in he's trained really well he was in again on Saturday morning getting ready to be available for Tuesday but I had a good chat with Pordie when he was over in Ireland when we were locked down before we'd come back and I just need to impress on everyone really how important this season was especially for himself he didn't have as good a season last year as he'd done previously but since he's been back in he's worked really hard he's a good type but he's good to have him back How's he found that spell on the sidelines with the three match suspension in what was difficult sending off wasn't it Forest Green for him? He's just got to get his head down and work hard and work as hard as he can in training do the extra bits because he's not getting the minutes in the games as I said we were fortunate that he could play in the competition whatever it's called nowadays AFL trophy AFL trophy there you go sponsored I don't think but it was good that he had that game and kept his sharpness in that so it's good to have him back but he's wise injury front Staunton and Sutton were out on the match day scored on Saturday is Tuesday a reality for either of those or is it maybe too soon? No, I think overall I'm just going to count up obviously Saturday we had four out injured and one suspended although the team that we played Saturday in the formation was one that we were always going to play but Evo's out running I think he'll be probably at 10 days he's a bit ahead of him out running and doing a little bit of ball work today should join him with us Thursday maybe I think Rhys will be at the Thursday mark as well after going over his ankle and rolling his ankle and Lee Vai just got a little calf niggle probably another 7 to 10 days so I'll be back in the next week or two but nobody back available I want to talk for tomorrow night and other than that everyone else came away unscathed on Saturday? They did, a few tired bodies after the game but they've had a lot of rest they've only done a light session this morning the other boys who didn't play had a ffiver side got some good work into them but finished with a bit of crossing and finishing so as you can imagine the difference in the mood since a result changes everything but it's only one result this is one decent result and we just got to get his heads down it's a long long season as I said we'll win, lose and draw as we go along but as long as we know what our focus is we'll strive to be the best we can Finally Stuart one thing I wanted to ask you about just going back to know fans being in the ground the handful that we've had of this season thus far and there's a lot of talk in the Premier League about all the goals that are flying in in the frantic start and that the home and away advantage may not be a thing given the fans aren't present what's your take on it have you found it now that you've had a bit of experience with it Yeah it's probably a fair comment that you won't have as much advantage as you do at home and there's little things that are different for example on Saturday at Mansfield like it was at Forrest Green we had to get changed in a suite Kevin Bird's suite there used to be a player for Mansfield and we're in a suite and getting changed in chairs I think Mansfield had the home and away dressing rooms normal for them but we came down the side of the park so there's little things like that different but without the supporters I think they've been alluded to already I imagine having 2,500 fans there on Saturday and putting the performance in like that would have been a great lift but likewise coming back to Tuesday night if we could have had 12, 15,000 in naturally it's in our favour probably miss it more than at this level because the massive support that we do get and only looking at the weekend a couple of derby games I've been fortunate to play Liverpool have arranged a Celtic to watch them games without any supporters and have no atmosphere at all it's massively disappointing naturally but that's where we are at the moment we've got to deal with it but as everyone says naturally we can get back to get some support and get some atmosphere in the ground the better Go well tomorrow Stuart, cheers As you mentioned the derby's there particularly the Liverpool Everton one there was a lot of BAR controversy around it again is that something you're glad you don't have at this level with the way it's going at the moment I would say on for the reason you get a goal now and you're trying to celebrate I don't celebrate goals much anyway because there's always long times to go in the games unless it's the fourth one going in or something but yeah managers are frightened to play us even it's a case of I mean I watched that's all the goal the Liverpool goal scored it last minute again being an Evertonian and I would be like they won't give him but ridiculous not to get a goal given for that but you see celebrations for goals and then it's getting pulled back for BAR I think some of the offside decisions in the handball it's miniscule you know the gun of the days when the forwards used to get the advantage because that's what pointers when they get back into the grounds want to see you want to see goals you have more celebration when crowds were in you get more celebration from fans cheering that goals not been given than you do when the goals been scored disappointing and obviously no fans and with the way it looks like it's going there could be further restrictions is that something you're already looking at and what it will mean for the club I mean we on a daily basis are still reaching about the keeping his distance because listen you've seen it open down the country a lot of non-leagues side especially and in Scotland I think Forrest Green had two or three on sat there we saw Tram here last week have two it's not the one or two that get it it's the one that have been in close contact so you're having seven or eight players so it might come a stage that one or two of our lads get it but as long as we keep the social distance and keep washing keep the space keep washing his hands doing everything right I think we've only got one pair that share car share when we go on a bus or the coach there's no car tables and no facing each other when we go away to eat we're on different tables so we've got to make sure that if and when the time comes that one of us or does get this virus then it's only one or two self-isolating and not half of the team so we're on at that every day making sure because you do get a bit relaxed naturally and you want to chat with your mates and that but without doors most of the time I think the lads are doing yoga now big big gym normally we'd have all 20 lads in there it's now been split into eights or tens massive difference so we've got to be aware of that all the time I suppose for yourself and Kelly as well we saw with Harragut the opposition there couldn't have their their coach and their deputy there because they had Covid so all had tested positive where's that Pete sorry I can't remember which team it was though I think it's who Harragut were playing Barrow, it was Barrow they couldn't have their coach and the deputy there because they tested positive so it's supposed to be you it makes it more difficult for you to test positive yeah that's right I mean having said that you saw David Moyes you missed the two games to West Ham and they got two victories I suppose they were watching the game yesterday half time or five minutes to go ten minutes to go thinking I wish I was still at home with Covid David Moyes and then thank you mum three goals to West Ham but yeah it's a concern for everyone and we've all got to be aware of it obviously first and foremost you're concerned for people's health naturally that do get it but you know in a football perspective yeah it's a bit what's the word you're not looking after things right or doing things correctly if one or two get it and you've got to self isolate half or ten of your team or something then obviously that means you're not doing things right so we've got to keep the protocols keep doing what we're doing and then concentrate what we do on the park cheers good luck to you all tonight cheers thank you Stuart you said obviously about that home advantage thing I mean normally you go into this week thinking we've got back to back home games here valley parade let's get some points on the board and it's a very different sort of dynamic in the sense of the way you're preparing exactly it is and you're even stopping yourself sometimes thinking let's go out and get the crowd behind you you know you're still almost in that routine but we know that's not the case but exactly you're thinking right two on games now we're still thinking that obviously we still want to go but without having the backing of the 15,000 behind us which we know would be huge but we've come to live with it we get on with it and we're looking forward naturally to a difficult game but one that we believe we can go and press our system whichever that may be on them and hopefully do well and you say so is there such a thing as family monitor tool now for anybody? Is there a what? Sorry Simon Is there such a thing as home advantage at this current moment? It doesn't look like it like I said the only certain things is away teams maybe have not got this I mean it's after the game so it doesn't matter but from where we were on one side of the ground the other night or the other day against Mansfield and if the weather had been poorer but four of our lads had to walk down to the opposite side of the ground and then come back and things so we could only have four in in the showers at the time and it's just not normal really but it's more so from the wayside doing things like getting changed in a suite on chairs and stuff like that but listen it's what we did with kids and you just get on with it but it's certainly still strange but we're fortunate that we're managing to still go out and play football with everything a lot of things getting closed down at least the games continuing albeit with no support So I think I think there's been more away winds of home winds in league too slightly at the moment which sort of backs that up in a way that teams perhaps again the valley parade scenario what is not coming to a ground where it's going to be a lot of crowd there and thinking this is quite intimidating everything's on a level isn't it? You speak to any manager when you came after the games and chat with them the first thing you say when since I've been here the second time was here let's get the crowd quiet for the first 20 minutes it's like anyway it's like when you went away in Europe and whatever it may be you try to sign a warm crowd it's natural some stadiums are places don't have much of an atmosphere but that's one thing you can't say about our place it's been rocking in the times we've been here so yeah it's like disadvantage but it is what it is and we crack on