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" Everybody is looking forward to the start of the season, the reality of working for four weeks solid. All the work that we have done, tactically, physically and mentally, it's all got to be put together on Saturday. A few of the nerves are starting to come in I suppose, the adrenaline is starting to run and we are all looking forward to the first game. This week will be a great week, I'm sure everybody driving down the M6 will be as excited as we will be.
" He (Ged Dalton) has done his cartilage and he's going to be out for six to eight weeks, he's just nicked that so we are just tightening that up. It's unfortunate for the young lad but he was always one player that we thought was for the future. It gives us a chance to work on his physical side with weights, building him up and making sure that he is nice and strong and fit when he comes back. It's disappointing for him not to be involved from the beginning but we've got lots of patience for him and I'm sure he'll be fine when he gets back.
" We do train properly, we do tackle, we do work extremely really hard. The players are still not quite sure what the team is going to be so they are all in there knocking on the door which is excellent. When you look at our performance and you look at Blackpool's performance there was a lot of ball given away cheaply. There wasn't much tempo to the game, there weren't that many chances to be fair. They have scored with a 25-yarder and I can't really recall our defence being under too much pressure. It was almost like a pre-pre-season game if you know what I mean, then in the second-half it kicked into gear.
" Everybody started moving a little bit quicker and moving the ball on a little bit quicker. It was a great response after the first-half I thought. In a silly sort of way I suppose, if we play like that in the first-half and we are behind at Walsall, as long as we play like we did in the second-half then we'll take the result that's for sure. We've had some very, very difficult pre-season games against Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Blackpool, that's just to mention three. We've competed in those and done the majority of things really, really well and that's very, very encouraging knowing that the season only starts on Saturday.
" I spoke to Martin (Brittain) yesterday and I'll be speaking to him today, let's see what he has to say and whether or not he wants to stop a little bit longer or if he has got other irons in the fire. I'll speak to him again today and then it will be a lot more clearer on which way to go with him. Chris Lumsdon came on and scored a goal and he should have had another one to be fair. It's fantastic that probably for the first time since I have been here there is a huge competition for places. I've got a little bit of a headache on which team to pick to be fair on Saturday, so here we go, sleepless nights again. "
" We haven't got one bad apple in the football club, everybody realises that I have to pick eleven, I can only pick eleven. They have to accept that if they are not in the first eleven, but surely as a person and a professional person their pride tells them that they have to keep on trying. There will come a stage where they will probably give up, that will be further down the line. Then it will be either move on or bring somebody else in to take their place. Last season everybody got their chance, everybody got a game and that will remain the same focus, making sure that everybody is playing well to keep their place, if not then somebody will take it.
" We are still trying to strengthen of course but I think we have a nucleus of a squad that is excellent. The competition for places is good because I have got a little bit of a problem on selection for Saturday, then the games come thick and fast with three games in a week. I'm happy with the squad, we could do with one or two in just to strengthen up, obviously a defender is a priority and probably another centre-forward is a priority. We'll see how things develop with those positions and whether or not we have got any news for you leading up to the start of the season on Saturday.
" They are working extremely hard behind the scenes, I think they have done fantastically well behind the scenes to bring the players in that we have brought in so far. It's not easy, we've had success on success with the players that we have tried to get in bringing. It's not as if we haven't been trying, we have been trying, we have succeeded on five or six occasions. If we're very lucky to get one more, or even two more in, I think the squad would be an excellent size and excellent competition if we could get two more in.
" Pre-season is encouraging with the teams that we have played and the performances that we have had. It gives everybody optimism for the season coming along because we had a decent enough pre-season last year and we finished eighth so hopefully that's the same. The games are difficult of course, we've only got one home game in the first month, the rest of the games are away which makes it difficult in itself. It's something that we are ready for and something that we'll prepare properly for with the games coming up.
" My immediate reaction to the Leeds deduction was not so much relief, but if that's what it was, if they have not so much broken the rules then that is the penalty. Everybody knows the rules, it is a huge handicap that they have, I still think Leeds will be one of the teams to beat so they've got to go on one hell of a run to make up those 15 points. Rotherham couldn't do it last year so it's a huge handicap for anybody, especially Leeds because everybody sees Leeds as the huge big football club in our league and everybody raises their game against the best teams.
" We certainly have a business plan, even our budget from last season to this season has gone up, that's with recruiting players as well. The club are putting the money in financially to try to improve, we've got a new training area as well which is excellent so they have spent the money on that. For people to turn around and say that we haven't spent any money is quite frustrating and bewildering really. We just ask that they can see that really we never made any changes last year but we added through the season and that strategy worked, and that strategy will probably work next season as well. "