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JP
How do you feel about today?
GA
Well, reasonably happy, it wasn't a pretty game, the way that Tranmere set out to play first-half, we had to stand firm, we had to fight and scrap. What you have seen us do is roll our sleeves up, be determined, and we are very difficult to beat. That is our fourth clean sheet on the spin and we are pleased are the players with that.
We have had a spell without a great deal of training facilities, they have had a Christmas period to deal with and they have looked spot on. They have given us a good performance in a lot of ways, albeit not the prettiest performance but we are satisfied with the players, the way they are approaching the game and how difficult we are at times to break down and beat.
JP
Do you think they have done the best they could there because undoubtedly you are going to lose a bit of your match sharpness when you are not playing for so long? But the actual fitness, they really kept going for the full 90.
GA
They are fine, they are fine, it is not an issue, it is not even worth discussing, they are spot on, they are professionals. We look after them, they look after us and they have been terrific in terms of their fitness and the way they have looked after themselves over the period.
JP
Onto the actual chances in the match itself, you had a couple of great ones late on, but Ian Thomas-Moore with a miss not like I have seen many of in my time.
GA
It doesn't matter, he was offside anyway so it wouldn't have counted.
JP
Was the flag up?
GA
Yeah, it was offside, it was about ten yards offside so we weren't bothered, we had seen the flag go up and that was their only real attempt on the goal and it was an offside situation.
JP
I missed that one I must confess, the chances you had though, Scott Dobie with a glancing header that looked like it had gone in and then Joe Anyinsah looked like he was going to win it even later.
GA
What we said at half-time was that we have got a match the way they are playing, they were direct, they were physical, they were no-nonsense. They kept turning our back four round but we said that if we can combat that and deal with that situation then we would get chances in the game.
Apart from those two there was another chance from Ian Harte's inswinging free-kick and another corner that just didn't quite drop for us. We felt that at the end of the game we have had two really great chances to win it and these are types of games where we might have come unstuck in periods gone by. But today we still feel that with all the huff and puff Tranmere had we were going to win the game.
JP
They went into the game though in great form, they have beaten some very good sides, most recently Bristol Rovers, so you have got to be happy with the point, but do you think it could have been three today?
GA
Probably they would think they had enough territorial or enough sort of huff and puff in the game to get a result out of it. We felt we had the gilt-edged chances in the game to have won the game. So you can probably have two managers arguing their case, hence a draw probably satisfies everybody.
JP
Just one tactical question, Joe Anyinsah had an immediate impact, might you have introduced him a little earlier perhaps?
GA
Might have done.
JP
Do you think in hindsight that he possibly could have had more of an impact given a bit more time to run out.
GA
Big decisions, we are picking aren't we really on when and where, we threw Dobes (Dobie) on, we put Joe on. Remember the left-back of theirs (Zoumana Bakayogo) was getting forward a hell of a lot and Joe's real strength is going the other way. Now if you leave that exposed, the left-back might have caused us a few problems as well. But we wanted Joe to go on there and try to run him the other way, which he did, and he nearly came up with the goods for us.
JP
6.3 miles from this very spot - Goodison Park, all eyes there now for Saturday. An exciting prospect for the fans and yourself?
GA
And it will be no more difficult there than it was here today. It will be a much different type of game, but we go there now again with a bit of momentum still going, with another clean sheet under our belts and confidence through the club going well. Plus we have had 90 minutes, which is what we have absolutely needed. I think we have got some more bad weather to come this week so I think training is going to be difficult to get right again. But again, we will have to get on with it and deal with it.
JP
Two defeats in 14, and unbeaten in seven now, how important is that to you and the way the season is going?
GA
I just think it is vital isn't it, if we can go another seven or eight games in the league unbeaten and get a good first leg at Leeds in the thing, we have a really exciting second-half of the season to look forward to. I hope the fans buy into what is going on because the players need them and I think the players are earning their support now.
They have come in hundreds again today and fantastic again, really cold, they have spent all their money at Christmas, probably waited for this one. They would have liked the Boxing Day one but they are with us I think now and we are proving to them that we are determined and we are not going to give anything away cheaply.
JP
Beyond Everton, the month of January looms large now, an important month for you, some fans are saying though that with where you are with the squad you have got you might just push for the play-offs. With a couple of additions they really feel there is a good chance of that, might you add beyond the three that you are trying to tie down?
GA
You never know how that situation might go. What we will do, we will look at it, we have got to be loyal to players that are there. They are performing aren't they, they are rolling their sleeves up, they are giving us everything they have got. At the minute we have got the right type of person in the dressing-room, that is very important.
JP
And I was asking you on Boxing Day about the three guys you were trying to tie down, (Vincent) Pericard, (Adam) Clayton and (Tom) Taiwo, what is the latest a couple of days on?
GA
Yeah, we are trying and we are hopeful, that is the situation, it is ongoing and as soon as I know something I will be telling everybody.
JP
Tom Taiwo's loan does expire at midnight on Saturday so he can play against Everton if required by you, are we expecting to know something pretty definitive by then or might it drag on further?
GA
We would hope so, as soon as we know it we will let you all know. We are ongoing with the talks, a large amount of it now is down to players and their clubs and we are hopeful.
JP
The first text that we got in after the result today was let's hope everyone has come through it unscathed, what is the news there.
GA
It looked like it, they have all rolled their sleeves up, it was a battle, it was a typical League One game. It was tough but the dressing-room is OK, it is all intact.
JP
And Adam Collin, early on maybe could have come off his line a couple of times that the defence were talking to him about, but once again he came out of it and shone as the match went on.
GA
He is not doing bad is he? It is another clean sheet for him, the big man will be getting confidence in his play all the time and we are all pleased for him, he works exceptionally hard. Him and Lenny (Pidgeley) now are having a great scrap and it is a better situation isn't it the goalkeeper one than we have had for quite a while.
JP
And finally, do you see the game on Saturday as one where you can almost take the pressure off your shoulders a little bit? Because I know there has been pressure, and go enjoy that one at Goodison.
GA
The pressure is different, it is enjoyable now, we are getting people talking about the other end of the table, which is nice, and you can go home feeling a little bit more pleased with yourself now and again. But we are all working together as a group, Dennis (Booth), myself, Kav (Graham Kavanagh) and the backroom staff, the rest of the backroom staff, and all the players.
I think if you get genuine honest performances like that you don't go far wrong and to be fair that is what Tranmere have done under Les (Parry). They have just given genuine and honesty and rolled their sleeves up and had a go, it sometimes wasn't pretty but there you have it. They are getting some results which is the be-all and end-all of this game.