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GA
It is one of those funny ones now that early on in the season it has just by coincidence thrown up a one v two top of the table game. But, I still think the table has not quite found its level yet, but the facts are there, it is first v second so it does create a little bit of excitement.
I know everybody from Carlisle is looking forward to the game because it is a big, big club again that has come into our league, and a big crowd and one that probably our fans haven't seen for a while. So, it is a good one.
JP
Going to a place like Hillsborough you could get a little bit starstruck and overawed, although you have done it with the likes of Elland Road in recent seasons. But, seeing them get humbled by Brentford just shows that they are all only human.
GA
Yeah, I don't think we are talking about anybody that is superhuman. They really are a nice club and they have got some really good people working for them. They have got a really good playing staff and a terrific fanbase. But, I think we have dealt with it, they are Leeds United's twin brother aren't they really, the invisible twin brother.
But, we managed to deal with them and we know what upsets that type of club as well. So, we will be trying to do that and give them the greatest amount of respect, but, we will be going there to try to get a really good result, and we know what causes them problems.
JP
It seems like they have got three or four reasonably to very good players in every position, especially if you can let someone like Frank Simek go I suppose?
GA
Yeah, but, Frank didn't really play under Alan (Irvine) and he didn't really find out what a player he was. So, it would be difficult for him to pass a judgement. He is probably one that we are lucky that that situation arose and we managed to get him, because we think he is a very good player. If they have got two or three right-backs better then they have got some player there.
But, that happens in football, sometimes when you have got a considerable amount of players to choose from you don't always get the right ones, or you juggle around a bit too much. But, we don't have that problem so it is not something that we need to worry about.
JP
What are your experiences of playing at Hillsborough?
GA
I can't remember ever playing there to be honest, I must have played there at some point. Oh yes, I did, I played for Bradford and we came second but we had a right good go at it. I actually remember one of the biggest memories of Hillsborough was when Coventry played there in the semi-final of the FA Cup.
It was actually against Leeds United and I was stood in the Coventry end because that is where I am from and I was desperate for them to get to Wembley because they had won nothing in the whole of their career. We won 3-2 in one of the best ever semi-finals of the FA Cup, so it was probably my best memory of Hillsborough.
JP
What about the fact that they could be struggling financially? You might even wind up being top of the table before the weekend even gets here. Do you think that will be on the mind of the players?
GA
It won't be on the mind of the players, it will be certainly something that the directors and the board and the manager might have an outside interest in. But, it is a boardroom level problem, the players can only do what they can do and that is go into football matches and try to win football matches.
It won't make life any easier, it is insignificant towards the players, they have just got to go out and play. I don't think it will affect their performance one way or the other.
JP
How do you feel about still being unbeaten in League One? How important is that? Especially after a tougher one at the weekend.
GA
We have had a look at Saturday's game and because of the standard we had set ourselves and the type of performances we have put in, we might have been a little bit too critical of ourselves.
We thought we were alright, we didn't think we hit the heights of the other games, but, you look at the big picture and a really, really tough start and we have got nine points, unbeaten, five games and we have only conceded three goals.
So, there are a lot of things to be positive about, the boys are really in good shape and enjoying what we are doing and are believing in what we are doing. Lubo (Lubomir Michalik) made a good statement, he said that we are a "very happy team", and that is in his broken English.
What he means is that there is a really nice spirit in the camp and it is nice when players come from clubs that he has come from and see that and identify it in the short spell of time he has been there. So, we think we are in decent shape, but, we have got a hell of a long way to go yet.
JP
How is he and Ben Marshall settling in? Ben of course second time around.
GA
Yeah, he is alright is Ben, he knows everybody so it is dead easy for him. The big fella is not a problem, he is low maintenance again and he just gets on with it. He comes in, trains, doesn't say a great deal, gets his gear on and has his dinner and goes home.
He just does things that are work for him, he gets on with the job, training, does it, never moans, doesn't say too much one way or the other. No problem, he is just a joy to work with, no worries.
JP
Are you working him hard physically to try to get him a slightly higher level for the weekend?
GA
Yeah, I think his game will have done him good. He worked hard yesterday, he has worked hard today, very hard today. He will need a rest now tomorrow, let him get his legs back and we go again on Thursday.
But, the game will have done him the world of good, by rushing too much training he might end up being tired on a Saturday. So, he will find himself in the game we hope, but certainly bar the last ten minutes we thought he was fine on Saturday.
JP
Jason Price coming back and also Ben Marshall on the bench as well, meant that two players who had perhaps expected to feature more this year, weren't even involved at the weekend. How are Marc Bridge-Wilkinson and Kevan Hurst coping after that?
GA
They are absolutely fine, because they are both injured, so, it doesn't really make any difference. But, they have both got strains, Kevan has got a problem with his groin and hip which he has had for a while, and he has explained that he doesn't feel that he has any sharpness to his game at the moment. Then Bridgey turned his ankle on Thursday so neither were fit for selection, so it has not been a contentious issue right now.
JP
How much has it crossed your mind to maybe change things round ahead of this game at the weekend? You don't have to tell us how you are going to but has it crossed your mind?
GA
Everything goes through my mind from week to week on what type of team and what selection we should play and this game is no different. We will have a look at everything and look at what we think we are doing right and wrong.
We don't think there is a great need to change wholesale things because we think in the main we are doing OK. So, we will look at that, we will look at that and discuss that with Kav (Graham Kavanagh) and Dennis (Booth) and we will go from there. But, I wouldn't imagine there will be wholesale changes for Saturday.
JP
Just on the two players you mentioned there then, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson and Kevan Hurst, anyone else? Are there any other knocks ahead of the weekend that could render people doubts?
GA
No, they were late ones, they were done after the press conference last week. We weren't trying to keep anything from anybody. Kevan decided on Friday that he was just not right, he was just really frustrated with himself and Bridgey got the knock in the training session.
He clashed with little Tom (Taiwo), he clashed with Tom and turned his ankle. They will be fine I'm sure, a week or so will certainly see Bridgey back involved, and Kevan we are just going to let things settle down with him.
JP
Might he need anything else? It seems to be a similar problem that seems to be recurring?
GA
I don't know, we are just going to leave it a week and see how it settles down. But, we are hoping that there is nothing more serious, we don't think so at the minute.
JP
What about Andy Cook? His loan extended with Barrow, you did say that you would have liked to have seen him getting more football. Have you spoken to them about that? Have they given you any promises on that?
GA
They can't, we are not in a situation where you can guarantee people pitch time. Dave (Bayliss) has got a job to do over there and we think Andy is probably nearer to their first team than he is ours. The very fact he has not played regularly, or lots of games there tells us that that probably is the case. He has obviously got a better chance of getting in a Conference side than he has a League One side at the moment.
So, what we have done with him this month is just put another month on it with a 24 hour recall. If we think he is getting no pitch time whatsoever, or not anywhere near enough, then we can have him back with us, he can train with us and play in all those decent reserve games that we have been doing.
JP
And any news on Richard Offiong's loan spell?
GA
They're looking after him and he's trying his best for them and I'm fine with that. His loan ends next week and I'm sure we'll hear some time this week whether they want to extend that.
JP
And with the emergency loan window opening up shortly, any interest in doing anything? Any requirement to do anything at the moment or are you largely happy?
GA
I think your questions that you asked earlier will tell you that I am largely happy. We have got Kevan Hurst and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson who can't even get in the eighteen, albeit they are through injuries. But, once you have got those two fit and Danny Livesey back we are alright at the minute, so I don't think there is room at the moment.
But, that changes if situations change with ours with players that are uncomfortable at the fact that they are out of the team. But, at the minute I have got a squad that I am comfortable with and I think we are doing alright.
JP
Any interest in any of your players though at this early stage?
GA
Not as far as I know.
JP
And finally a nomination for the League One Manager of the Month award?
GA
I want to be on that list every month because it means the team is doing well. Not from a personal point of view, because although the manager gets an award, whoever gets it this time, it is down to everybody and it is a collection of efforts from top to bottom.
My name is at the top of that for that particular reason, but if it is on the list more often than not most of the months then we are doing well. So, we need to try to keep it there and just take a club pat on the back for everybody concerned, the players, staff, boardroom, that we are doing things OK, and let's hope it is on there a few more times.