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GA
They have got a good side haven't they, a big following, big resources, one of the bigger clubs in the league, they will be tough.
JP
In particular what do you think of the threats, I think of one that will obviously be on the Cumbrian lips.
GA
The keeper (Fraser Forster) is a good player, the keeper might give us a threat if he kicks it a long way down the field and Lenny (Pidgeley) is not on his guard. Apart from that they will have threats from all over the place.
JP
Do you see Grant Holt as a particular threat then?
GA
Who?
JP
Grant Holt.
GA
Erm, how many goals has he got this season?
JP
A few.
GA
He is a threat, he will be a threat, no listen, they are a good side obviously. Grant is a good player, he scores goals and he will be keen to do well against us. They have got threats from all over the field, they have got some really good players. They are going well, Paul Lambert is a good manager and they will be coming up here to try to do well and likewise we will be trying to put them in their place.
But it is a tough game against a really good side with a lot of attacking options. They have scored a lot of goals at times, certainly at home, so we are well on our mark to know that we have got to continue our good work. We need to keep playing the way we have been playing, keep that determination, try to protect our goal and cause them problems at the other end.
JP
Speaking of threats, how have your strikers reacted to what was a very good performance from them in the week (against Macclesfield)?
GA
The strikers are trying to answer everybody at the minute, they are desperately trying hard to score the goals that everybody wants them to, myself included, and the fans are keen for them to do that as well. So they are working hard at that, Scott (Dobie) has now got himself onto six goals which is a reasonable return and he is looking in prime nick. The others are playing OK, Joe (Anyinsah) is doing terrifically well in terms of his performance and he wants to add goals to his game as well.
I always throw the wide players in, I think when they are in the final third they become attacking players don't they. So Matty Robson has chipped in with three or four and we are waiting for Kevan (Hurst) to add to his first one he got on his debut. So we would like to think there are goals from all over the park but certainly our strikers after Tuesday night should be in good confidence.
JP
Has the performance of Scott Dobie in that game, and in recent matches, dragged up the rest of them in a way that perhaps Richard Offiong's arrival at the club did?
GA
I just think there is competition there, there has to be competition and they are all fighting with each other to get into the starting line up. They are all working hard in training, that is Richard included, and at the minute we have got four strikers and we try to select the best two or the one depending on whichever system we play. Hopefully whoever is selected will score the goals we need.
JP
And regarding strikers, some sources would seem to suggest that you have had another one training with you this week. Is there anything in this report of Vincent Pericard being with the club?
GA
I don't know, we have got a black player training with us (Manny Richardson) but he is about 5'0 so I don't think that is Pericard. He is one that Eric (Kinder) has brought in from London and he is doing ever so well actually, they call him Emmanuel.
JP
Anything in the rumour though linking you with Vincent Pericard?
GA
He has not been training with us, I have just told you, he has not been anywhere near the training ground. I don't know, I honestly don't know where these rumours come from. It is a good one but it is not quite right.
JP
I know he has not been training with you but it is a persistent rumour, is there are any interest from the club in him, is he someone you have looked at?
GA
There are a lot of players that we look at, and Vincent is a name that has been on a lot of people's radars, so we have heard of him. Our interest is in a lot of good players and if we can improve our squad then we will do.
JP
He is on your radar though?
GA
Oh yes, a lot of players are, there are normally another 30 strikers, 30 midfield players and 30 defenders. So we won't discount anybody out, we are not that club that have got that ego to us that we can discount good players. Whether we can do something about them at any particular time again is a different question, but we know about him.