Bobby, what a point that was. It was almost a perfect birthday present, wasn’t it?
It was really nice to hear the fans sing “Happy Birthday!”
It’s great that we have that respect for each other, but, for me, the most important thing was our fantastic performance. That was my way of thanking the fans.
You said before the game that we needed to “take the game” to Braintree Town, and we certainly did that, particularly in the opening minutes with the chances we created.
It was an onslaught for 35 minutes. A solid, solid performance by an upcoming side who wanted to prove they could go to one of the big boys and dominate them. Like I said after the game, one of Braintree’s directors came up to me and told me that I’ve put together a great side. That meant a lot to hear.
Brandon Goodship created some dangerous chances in that game. He’s already known for his goals, how exciting has it been to see him be equally effective creatively?
I’ve had to move him into a different position because of some injuries that we’ve had. You always depend on your most experienced players. You talk to each other and go through all of the details together in training. Luckily, since I’ve shifted his position he’s created a lot more chances, although he’s been brilliant off-the-ball, too. We may have taken away a few of his goals because of his new role, but hopefully we can get him back to where we want him, scoring.
I think there were a few question marks when I brought him in, over whether I could get the best out of him, but hopefully now people are seeing what I can do to certain players. I know how to man-manage, and I enjoy getting players back to their best and enjoying football.
Does this show his level as a player, the fact that he’s been able to adapt to a new role so quickly?
That’s down to his experience, isn’t it?
It’s the same with someone like Jordon Thompson. At the start of the season, it was a learning curve for him, in and out of the side. Now, he’s been one of the best centre-halves in the league over the past few games.
We’ve had a lot of challenges with having to change our line-up. That’s why the lads deserve a lot of credit. We’ve had to adapt to everything that’s been thrown at us, but I’ve enjoyed every moment. This is how I challenge myself as a manager. I try to show people my experience by adapting to situations beyond my control.
With the idea of adapting, did the fact that we have to bring Charlie Rowan off early make our performance all the more impressive, as we were managing another injury to a key player?
We brought on Harry Jones. Not many people would risk putting a right-back in central midfield!
But, it was something that we had worked on in training. He’d never played in midfield for Swansea City, but I sensed that he had a good enough understanding of the game to be able to adapt to different roles. I played him there a few times in training for him to be able to get used to his new role, and I was really pleased that it worked, and I was really pleased for Harry. For such a young player, he went to a very tough ground and yet played extremely well.
How’s Charlie’s progress been since Tuesday?
We’re hoping he’ll be fit for tomorrow. We’ve made sure he’s had extensive treatment, as he’s such a key player, especially with injuries that we already have. It would be a big boost to have him back, as he’s been one of our best players, especially in the last 10 games.
When you remember that he was out for the whole of last season, he’s really taken himself to another level. You can now see a very hungry player, dominating the midfield.
We mustn’t forget that Harvey even made a save with his head!
What was going through your mind when you saw that?
Catch it will you!?
It made me chuckle, and it made me understand what a character we’ve brought into the side. He will do whatever it takes to keep a clean sheet. That’s why I love working with him.
It was a risk to bring him in, but the decision has been proven right. I’m here to make big decisions, especially at the business end of the season. Gerard Benfield has been a pleasure to work with, and he’s done nothing wrong, but I just felt that it was right to bring Harvey in.
I’ll take you back to something you said after we beat Weston-Super-Mare, where you said we put together a nice team goal in a way you wouldn’t have expected us to do a couple months previously.
Is earning a deserved point away to third-place a similar example?
To what extent does this continue to show we’re moving in the right direction?
What I want people to look at is our back-to-back performances. We’ve just gone to Aveley and Braintree with two unbelievable performances. It just shows how unbelievable we are as a team. Just imagine how it will be in the future!
It’s been incredible to see them develop the way they have. I watched a team of players, all doing their jobs. The photo of us all together out on the pitch after the game just shows that we’re all together.
One key change this season appears to be the attitude going into the big games. Our players look eager to show the opposition how good they are.
Angelo Harrop said we were a very good side. I’m an experienced manager, so I try to bring my wealth of experience to my group of lads. At times it can go wrong, but, as of now, it seems to be going right. They deserve a lot of credit. They knew this would be a challenge and took a huge gamble to come here, but they took the challenge on.
It’s important, though, that we build on what we have, and not destroy it. That’s why we need to make sure we keep these players together next season.
Moving onto tomorrow, we’re up against Havant and Waterlooville, a team with different objectives, in terms of where they want to be in this league.
When facing two teams in very different situations so close to one another, is that message to the players about staying switched on more relevant than ever?
Looking at their squad on paper, this team has underachieved so much that it’s a joke. They should be much higher in this league. This is a very tough game; everyone will be expecting us to win. But, we know that they will turn up tomorrow, because they have to. This may be a cup final for them tomorrow, but this is a European Cup final for us. We don’t take any team lightly.
It sounds like this weekend will be a different type of pressure, with us now being the favourites, instead of the underdogs.
Pressure is a privilege. I love pressure; I’ve had pressure since I came into the club. But, I won’t be telling the boys that they have to win tomorrow. That won’t solve anything. I’ll just be telling them: Go out, put on a good performance, and wear the badge of pride. Then, we’ll see where we end up.
I gave them a similar message on Tuesday night, as with the Aveley game. I didn’t tell them they had to win; I told them they had to put on a good performance.
As always, what has been the key message to the players going into tomorrow’s game?
Don’t take them lightly. The way we trained last night showed that we are not taking this lightly. We worked extremely hard on Havant and Waterlooville, with our philosophy and attention to detail. We won’t underestimate how important this game is for both teams.
But, I also have a message for the board, the club, my coaching staff, and the fans. I’d like to thank you for your constant support.
