 Brought to you by DIS, keeping companies connected with cloud-based solutions. Come on, City! Stuart, hello. Good to speak with you again. How are you doing, bodies-wise, firstly, after Monday? How's Gareth Evans? No, Gareth, he'll be a couple of weeks. He'll be similar to Zellie, just a tightening in his hamstring. I think speaking to him there, the workload we do Monday to Friday is a little bit heavier than what he was used to at Portsmouth. So that might be a reason. It's nothing major. If I'd have spoke to you this morning, as I said, bodies-wise, we were fine, but incredibly much we've had four pull-out training this morning, which probably shows the intensity it was at. So, yeah, it could be better news. I don't think any of them are serious, but a couple might miss Saturday, unfortunately. Can you tell us who those are? No, I can't, Jamie Norvigsley. I can't tell you who they are. A couple were Knox, one rolled an ankle, and the other one, as in shooting, tweaked his knee. So, them two were Knox, you can get over, but if it's a ligament and a knee or an ankle, it can be different. So, we'll just have to wait 24 hours and see how they are. How big an influence then does that take on your team's selection for Saturday? Yeah, exactly that. It's waiting to see. We've got an idea how we want to play. We were having the 11V11 as the injuries occurred, unfortunately. So, we had to change things a little bit about. Football, that's what you've got to deal with sometimes. Very rare, you get a 40-minute session of two, 20 minutes each way. But, as I said, hopefully a couple of them might be okay. If there's a couple that miss Saturday, I'd like to think they're not going to be long-term anything serious. Other than the obvious disappointment of today's Knox, how has training been since Monday? Yeah, okay, a little bit. As you can imagine, we were in Tuesdays straight after it. That was a bit of a, you know, the lads who didn't play trained. They were bright enough. But, you know, naturally, when you're putting an under par performance, you know, there's not going to be a vibrancy. It takes time, you know, it's been a long couple of days. You know, disappointment still lingers when you, you know, do as well as you'd like to do naturally. So, but, you know, as I said, that's in the past now, we've got to move on and we've got to look to Saturday. As a manager, how do you address that disappointment? Is it a case of putting it behind you straight away? Or do you look to learn from those mistakes and use it as a building platform? No, yeah, you've got to look to learn. You know, you've got to be doing lose or draw and analyse, you know, every game. So, we went over this morning with the lads, things that we'd like to have done better and should have done better. I think you always listen, you should do as a manager and coach always be, you know, self analytical. And I went home that night and thought things I should could have maybe done better. And I think when you look at a system, you know, we decided to go on the diamond system. And I think if any system is suited for the diamond to work, it will be against the 442 because you've got, you know, a dominant area in the middle of the park. That didn't really materialise. We got Billy on it a few times, you know, Billy was first to admit, you know, he won top of his game, but that would like majority of us if we're honest. But you've got to get from your fullbacks. As I said after the game, you know, we didn't get Woody or Tyler higher enough enough to put any danger of pausing. Our biggest chances and three good chances came from probably direct player down the middle with the two centre forwards and runners off them. You know, their two best chances is the goal and obviously across from stable two good crosses, which we've been actually doing well throughout the season. So that was a key area. Stopping got to do better to stop crosses coming in, firstly. But then I just thought, you know, listen, we always get plaudits if you pick the right system and you go out and, you know, play managers and play people. So the game plan worked, but I think the game plan can only work if the players can carry it out and do it on top of the game. I think our game plan would have been okay. Certainly, you know, the diamond can work if effective, as long as everyone's on top of the game and we weren't. And in fairness, I think the other night it was two decent sides. One played really well in Harigut and one underperformed in Bradford. And I'm not just saying it's as simplistic as that, but you know, I knew all along and have done the same thing in Harigut a couple of times. They're a good, well-dulled outfit and they played on top of the game. Most of their lads were, you know, high marks performance-wise. Unfortunately for those, we never. But it's one game. Yes, of course, we've got to learn from it. I've got to learn from it. You know, tactically maybe in different systems that we play. But if I'm honest, like I say, I think, you know, if you're playing against a 4-4-2, as well as that is, we've still got in areas that we could have hurt them. You know, first half we got, you know, in there. But we never. And obviously straight after the half-time. I think we, as much as they've had a lot of shots on goal, maybe from distance and whatever, and certainly put pressure on these earth-to-beaters, we've had three really, really good chances and we've not taken them. So that's what we've got to work on naturally as well. Is it better than to have that performance and I suppose that learning curve early on in the season so you can rectify those wrongs for the longevity? Listen, Jamie, I'm sure we'll go, what have we got 40 games left? You know, we won't be perfect in every game. They'll be, you know, we look at Cheltenham the other night, get beat home at Grimsley 3-1. They were going to be a banker to win at home, you know, where they've been going. They've lost it on to Markham, but they've won the three away games. You can look at many results. You know, teams are not going to be on it, you know, week in, week out. So there will be times as much as we'll learn from a defeat and like to improve on it. You know, there's not a lot in this division. You know, you want to have consistency. You need to be on your game more often than your opponents, naturally, if you want to succeed. But it's not a case they have one disappointing performance and that's the season finish or anything like that. It's, you know, you have to consistency and we know we can be better and, you know, hopefully we will be. Do you stick with a diamond then going into Mansfield or do you size them up and change accordingly? Yeah, we always look how we can hurt the opposition. As I said the other night, I thought if we could go Billy Clark on the ball in behind their midfield to going at the back line and the full backs high up, it, you know, in theory, it could have been a good system. I was going to be making a different change for Mansfield who play three big centre backs holding midfielder sat in front, which, you know, would eliminate the number 10 really. So now it's always horses for courses, but not in a way that we're looking, we're looking how we can get the best out of our players that can inflict the most damage on the opposition really. I was seeing the comments of one of your former players, James Perture was speaking about an hour ago actually from a Mansfield perspective. He was reckoning a pretty open and expansive game between you both. Would you agree with that? I don't know. I mean Perture is the one who sits in front of the back three and, you know, does a good anchoring role. And it's, I was at their game last week. It was a nil-nil against Stevenage. Tight, tight game, which most games are at this level. You know, we started off, you know, solidly, I would say. But every game's been tight. And every game's been tight. Even had a game through the night, even though we accept they were better than us. You know, we still have some good opportunities, you know, to maybe got a better result. So, yeah, again, I think it'll be, I think it'll be a tight game against Mansfield. They really do. They've probably not got off to the start. They would like to get off to, you know, but as I said, they had a good solid performance last week against Stevenage in a nil-nil. You referenced the Grimsby Cheltenham result midweek, which, you know, to my own admission, was quite a surprise as well. But is that then a reflection of where this league is at this season? And I suppose to caveat that, does the salary cap at all play a part in what we may see this season? Does it neutralise it somewhat? I honestly don't know about that, but I just think there is a lot of similarities in a lot of teams this year. I think it's tight. I watch one game one week and think, wow, they're a good side. They're watching the next week and think, not as good. You know, even again, last week, Salford at home to Tamiya. You know, Tamiya without ten players, two and a look with five minutes to go, and they come back and get something there. But I think there's been lots of results like that. I mean, more commos at the top of the league at home at Cambridge 5-0. So it's on the day. You've got to be at your best as much as you can. As I say, you can't be for every game, 46 games. But as long as you're at your players on top of the game, you will come out winning more than you lose. And you've got to have a mindset of, OK, we got beat the other night, disappointing naturally for all of us, for everybody. But it's not the end of the world. We've got another game on Saturday and we've got to go. And if you get selected, you know, make sure you keep the jersey. Final couple from me. I wanted to ask you about Project Big Picture, which has seemingly been and gone now. And then we've got the new development from the Premier League, that there will be a rescue package for League One and Two. What are your thoughts and how that's developed? And did you have any fears or admiration for Project Big Picture? I didn't have a lot to do with it, to be honest, all thoughts of it. I think obviously it was the day of our game it broke, so I was more concentrating on the game. And plus it was just proposals. So, you know, I'm never going to be involved in the decision-making of a proposal. So when the proposals come out and they happen, then you deal with it. A lot of things I could see were never going to happen. So I didn't take a great deal of interest in. But obviously, since that's come out, the Premier League have got together, and the PFA I think, and put them in another package to help Division One and Two clubs. Obviously that's helpful, and that's what, you know, as long as no clubs go out of business, that's what is needed. Again, I think some of them are loans. But I think it's common knowledge and common sense really. You know, clubs will struggle if we can't get fans back into the stadium. It's natural. It's like every business, walk alive, be it pub, restaurant, whatever you're doing. The arts, cinema, you know, if you can't get people to come in, then you're going to lose money. And that's what's happening. So again, without knowing in too much detail, but I think, you know, they've decided to help out the lower level clubs. And obviously that's a positive. And finally, as well, we're 24 hours away from Deadline Day Version Two, as I'm going to call it for this domestic window anyway. I mean, are you, it's all in the market still. Can we expect any more business from a Bradford City perspective or is that you, you done now for this window? I think it's probably done. Yeah. Again, at this stage, I think we've got enough numbers, even though we've had them few injuries today. I would only like to bring in some, if they can improve us. And it's a guarantee improvement. I don't want to just bring another body in for it. We were, you know, again, we're in close talks over the last week or so with the Premier League lad and club. And I think it would have been a good creative one to bring in. But unfortunately, the club have decided it's done that well this season that they want to keep me around the first team. So, but other than that, I don't see anything happening. And, you know, but again, if something came up, that was going to really improve us and make us better. Then obviously we were open to that. So, never say never, Jamie, but, you know, I was a little bit more hopeful yesterday, but that's gone by the way on that one. Another couple who might have a little sniff at, but if not, listen, we've got a squad that I think is more than capable to be competitive, you know, out with the other nights, you know, disappointment performance. And then it comes down to a manager and coach is getting the best out of what we've got. And we believe we'll be able to do that. Just on the flip side of that, we've spoken about this before, but potential players going out on loan at all. And I know there was a couple of concerns given the current COVID climate that we're living in. I mean, is there any scope in that, or are you much far happier keeping them in in-house? Yeah, in-house at the moment. I think they'd still be able to go non-league. I don't know. I think they'd be able to still go non-league, but they still better go out in the league. Somebody help me. I'm sure on that. No, I think you can still go out of the league if they go into, for example, the younger lads. I think we did that last year. I think that would be a case. But at the moment, again, you know, it just shows you can be going along comfortably with no injuries and then you have four. So, you know, we need bodies about at least a minute in time. Stuart, thanks for that. And good luck for Seth today. Yes, thank you. As you said, you weren't really involved with the Project Big Picture and you didn't really have anything to do with it. But you have played at the highest level. Is there a disconnect between that level and the grassroots of the game, really? Yeah, it's funny because I've just read a little bit there about, you know, Premier League clubs, as we see, listen, we know the money that they pay out, the fees that they pay, the weekly wages that they pay, the money that the income they get in from, obviously, the TV revenues and sponsorship and everything is massive, obviously, compared to where we are. But just like us and teams at our level, they're losing money, you know, monthly. They talk about 100 million, a lot of clubs are losing. So you've got to have a balance of that. You know, everyone initially wants to look after their own, their own, getting their own house, you know, to get the best players they can and look after themselves. But I think there's a feeling towards keeping the pyramid strong and hopefully that's going to be the case in helping out the lower leagues. Obviously, initially the lower leagues needed helping out. I think it was the chair of the EFL that said that he could see several clubs going out of business in the next few weeks. Is that, that's got to be a major concern, particularly at league two level? Yeah, league one as well. I've seen some comments. You don't know if it's scaremongering or if it's true, but listen, I think, again, it's common sense if there's no money coming through. You know, the turnstiles or other revenues you get from, you know, opening your, you know, doors up to get public back into watch and spend money and around the football club, then it's the only, our only real source of revenue. So, you know, we don't get big bucks from the TV companies, like maybe the championship do. We don't get as much money up there and being in that level. So, and every penny counts. But hopefully, and I said it last week, it's okay saying there's money there, then it's being responsible with it, you know, nobody wants to see any club go out of business naturally, but you've got to spend within your means and look after your football club. And presumably the practice city, a private example of that now, they are living within the means of what they have. Yeah, yeah, I mean, I think, you know, there's still money there, you know, to look to the cap if and when, you know, looking like they're more January now. But yeah, it's, it's an hours being here. The times where the club has gone into administration and just left the time it did. So, you know, but no, I think the club, I'd like, you know, I've looked after the, how the, you know, COVID is affected as well as we possibly can. And we've got to continue doing that naturally. Okay, thanks very much. Good luck on Saturday. Yeah, thank you. Hi, Stuart. I know, I know you're a big fan of the England football team. He said about the, obviously keeping the pyramid strong. I think it was, was it the other day that there was only Jaden Sancho was the only player who'd not been involved in the EFL in that, in that team at the time. I mean, that's only a selling point in terms of, you know, backing up this support, isn't it? Yeah, and I think they must have acknowledged that themselves, you know, when they've had the meeting. But again, you know, it depends who's making the decisions. The owners of the club, if you've got a lot of foreign owners of the, of clubs in the Premier League, are they really that bothered about bringing players through for England national team? Probably not, but no, I, yeah, it's a good point. I think it's football, it's your community, it's in the country, you know, every, a lot of football clubs are the lifeblood of the city or the town or whatever it may be. So I think it's naturally key to do that. Yeah. And I mean, obviously in terms of the transfer windows, I mean, presumably there's also the free agent market, which they're still a lot out there, aren't they? Yeah, and I find that, if I were a player now in the free agent market, I'd be thinking why am I still a free agent? Have I outpriced myself? You know, there's no clubs wanting me. I mean, we're down many months into the season now, you know, we've been back training since, what, July, August, September, October. So yeah, there possibly are, but it's, I find it, unless there's specific reasons, you know, a mentality for a footballer should be to get to a club and play football, because that's what you love doing, not sitting about waiting for the best deal or coming and adding. Now there might be odd occasions, you know, that people for certain reasons, I might have only just been paid up last week or been cut short to become a free agent, but for a lot of them, you know, if you've got a desire to play football, then why are you sitting on your backside for the last three or four months? I don't understand that. Yeah, I suppose there's a manager that probably goes into your thought process when you look at the list of names and sort of think, yeah, he's a good player, but when did he last play? Why is he not playing? I suppose it probably does hold you back a little bit, doesn't it? Yeah, unless there's, you know, there might be, you know, specific reasons for that, but you know, you can look at the desire to go and play, you know, because you're waiting for the next few queries, because you don't fancy that team or that league or whatever it is, but surely it comes as time within yourself. If your class is felt as a professional footballer, having been out for six months and you want everyone going back here, originally training, then playing, then surely you want to get out and be involved in what you're supposed to get paid for and being back in the dressing room. So, yeah, it's, it would have to be somebody, you know, with a reason for being like that. I won't really want to take somebody on board now because, you know, there's nobody else left in that. Again, you know, we've got no bodies. I don't want to just bring a body in for the sake of bringing a body in naturally, unless we've got, you know, I hate with loads of injuries, which hopefully won't happen, but we've got to be bringing somebody in that's going to try to make us better if that was going to be the case. And also, as you said before, you know, there's the January window, which let's not forget we're in October, mid-October now, it's not like before, you're talking five months, you're literally talking, well, two in a bit, aren't you? Yeah, exactly. That's a good point. And, you know, again, I'm not going to get all beat up about a disappointing performance the other night, yes, and people might think, we need this, we need that, but we'll work the best we can with what we've got at this moment in time and what we've got. So it's down then to us to get the best out of them. I'm putting, you know, performances like we've done OK up to the other night's game, taking, obviously, the 45 minutes against Lincoln out, it's been a solid start. But there'll be ups and downs, as I said, in the season, there'll be some results you look at. But I think it was the general performance that was disappointing because we know we can be better individually and collectively. There are a lot of disappointed people after the game and, you know, running into Tuesday and Wednesday, if I'm honest, especially it's the first time you've got a chance to be on the telly and obviously your family's watching, et cetera, et cetera. So there are a lot of disappointment because it happens in life, you know, you want to be your best, you weren't. So make sure next time we go out, we are better. Brought to you by DIS, keeping companies connected with cloud-based solutions. Come on, City!