Preston joint caretaker manager Graham Alexander spoke to his club's official website ahead of his side's League One Boxing Day clash against Carlisle at Deepdale, Alexander so far enjoying his week and a half stint in charge alongside David Unsworth :
“I am really enjoying it, I am really enjoying the whole responsibility of the job, the way the players have reacted and taken on the encouragement that we have shown towards them, and what we have asked of them, the effort and commitment and the freedom to play football. They have taken it all on board, there are some very good professionals throughout our squad and there is a lot of experience in there that will look after the squad as well, so it has made our job a lot easier.
“The lads have been buzzing in training, they have been flying about in tackles, they have been getting the ball down and playing, they have just followed on from their performance against MK Dons. That is all we can ask of them and that is all we are asking of them, we just want them to show their qualities, whatever made them professional footballers just bring it to the table.
"That is from matchday, through the week and right through to the next game and they have done that, they have thrown themselves into training, there is a great spirit and atmosphere about them and they are all training for each other and competing to be in the team, and that is the way it should be.
“I have really enjoyed taking training, this is the first time for me at a professional level in taking coaching and training. Obviously, David (Unsworth) is more experienced on that side of it than me, he has been a coach for three years now or so.
"But, I have really enjoyed it, the lads have been great and they have been listening to what we say, but we haven’t been demanding too much that they wouldn’t demand from themselves. We have just got to encourage them to do what they feel is right and just guide them in how we want them to play on matchdays. But, all the hard work really has come from the players and it is great to see.
“Confidence comes from within and it has got to come from within as well, we can’t give them confidence, confidence comes from doing the job right yourself. They are doing that this week and to be fair they have been doing that before, it’s just that they haven’t had the fortune that you need to win games and they have lost their way a little bit. But, they are all good players, they have all got great attitudes, they all want to do well, they all want to win games and that is the main thing that we can work with, and they have been fantastic this week."
“I haven’t really had time to think about maybe playing myself, my phone hasn’t stopped ringing from so many people, and there is so much to think about and concentrate on behind the scenes that I haven’t really considered about playing. I know I am going to be out injured anyway for a good few weeks, so it has not even crossed my mind, I am just concentrating on helping the lads to do their job right, and it has been a pleasure this week and I have really enjoyed it.
“I have been lucky enough to experience a full Deepdale on many occasions, since I first came here over ten years ago the team was flying high then and the crowd was right behind us and it was a fantastic atmosphere. If you can get everyone together and believing in one cause then it is a great atmosphere for everyone to be involved in, whether you are a supporter or a player or a member of staff.
"We are all looking forward to the two games (Carlisle and Sheffield Wednesday at home), they are big games for us and the players are really looking forward to it, that is the main thing. We can only do so much and even then it is quite minimal compared to what the players have to go through and do. But, I have got every trust in their abilities and their mental strength to show what they can do for this club.
“It goes without saying that the team and the supporters exist for each other, and that is the way it should be, there should be that link, there should be that support system. The players have to take on the responsibility of what they need to do for the club and the supporters want to see players that want to play for the badge and play for the club as well.
"So, if we can somehow marry that together, but we know the responsibilities once you cross that white line that you have to play for each other first, that is the main thing that we are trying to instil in the team that it is a one team game, it is not about individuals, it is about the team. Hopefully the supporters will see what we are trying to do on the pitch and what the players are trying to do, and buy into that and give them every support that they will need.
“We know the target that we have set within ourselves, and the expectation levels within ourselves of where we want to be, and we are not far off it. So, it is a carrot there that we can chase and go for, but we are going to take it one step at a time and all our concentration and focus on this week is on Carlisle, and hopefully we will get the result that we want."