|
" I'm just going to watch another game tonight, there aren't enough games in the week to go and watch, so let's go and watch another one. It's a big test for us this weekend but we're full of confidence, we're unbeaten in a few games and Forest have had that invincibility smashed so that gives up everybody a little bit of hope considering that they are probably the strongest team in the league. That's why they are top of the league.
" I think we'll get a galvanised Forest without a shadow of a doubt, but they are coming up against a team who are difficult to score against and who are playing a different system to everybody else, so let's see how they cope with that. He (Chris Lumsdon) has got himself in a situation where he gives himself a chance of scoring and that's all that we want. We want players to put themselves in situations where they can score and if it comes off their chest, their knee or their bum then good for us.
" We go into tomorrow into good heart, the players are full of confidence, we changed the team for Bradford, I'll probably change the personnel again tomorrow and everybody is raring to go. Everybody is trying to get into the first-team and that just galvanises all of us knowing that, I suppose if you don't play very well them somebody is ready to take your place. That's a fantastic pressure to be playing under because that's what players want, they want competition and that makes players play better because they have to stay in the team.
" When I first came to the football club I wanted us to be exciting going forward and scoring goals and I think we've done that, I also wanted to put a marker down that Carlisle were going to be difficult to score against. We've done that as well so far, I think that Forest are the only ones who've conceded four *, we've conceded five so that probably tells you that there will be no goals on Saturday.
" Everybody is available, Chris Billy was on the bench on Tuesday so he is available and Simon Hackney is fit now so he is back in the squad, so we have a fully-fit squad. It's a great pressure to have, you have to try and man-manage players who aren't in the team, which hopefully we're doing. If they put pressure on the players that are in the team then everybody should in reality perform to a higher level.
" He (Paul Thirlwell) has come along, he hasn't played for a while, he's adapted to our style of play very well, the players know how good he is and what he is good at. I think he kept everything going in the second-half (at Bradford), he's not an eye-catcher, he's a players player and the players have been very happy with him so far. "
*(editor's note - Tranmere have also conceded four)