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GA
A pretty unspectacular journey down to be fair which is good on a Friday, we have had worse than this. We got off to a good start, they were early at Ferrybridge and then we got to Peterborough in good time, and enjoyed a session there and then we just coasted down. So we are just getting ready for a bite to eat then an early night hopefully for the boys and they can get off to bed.
JP
Of course we will talk all about your trip and the match tomorrow, but we must touch on the breaking news of course. England's group, United States, Algeria and Slovenia, Group C of the World Cup, as an Englishman what do you make of that?
GA
It is a dream draw, we were coming off the bus when all the draws were taking place and you have just put that in front of me. I think if you could have handpicked it yourself you wouldn't have picked much different. So I think (Fabio) Capello, sometimes you can be a lucky manager as well can't you.
You need that little bit of luck and he has had that in the draw and I would think they will be now thinking certainly that they need to get through that. And very confident of progressing through to the next stages which is the vital thing.
JP
Do you think that in the group stage you need a tough team in there maybe to make sure you are playing at the right level? Do you need one tough team just to make it a bit more competitive going into that knockout stage?
GA
I think you will find that will be tough enough, but I think that the games will be tough enough for him to give players time and get his gameplan together. By the time those three games are out of the way, and if they have won all three I think it breeds confidence. I think he will then have a good idea of what his strongest team is. We are talking quite a way off even in June, so he still probably won't know his best eleven.
He will have a rough idea but in those three games in that short space of time he will make sure he gets his tactics right and his teamplan right. I just think that is a perfect group for him to be honest, I don't think you need to have anything too difficult in there, I think that is just spot on.
JP
Onto tomorrow's game, how ready are you for Gillingham? For the first time in quite a while a team below you in the division.
GA
We always think we are ready, we don't prepare much different, we make sure that players are up for what the job ahead is. We just go into tomorrow's game off the back of some really good results and with a lot of confidence and belief within the camp again.
It is a game where we are possibly now thinking about winning rather than hoping we don't get beat as was the case early on. But we are getting the rub of the green at the moment, we are scoring goals, confidence is high and I think tomorrow we need to press on and make sure we keep this momentum going.
JP
We talk about foxes in the boxes, in a way Gillingham, I mean Simeon Jackson and Febian Brandy almost have two little stoats in the box don't they. They are very quick, very small, very effective strikers, how do you handle that sort of forward line?
GA
It is something slightly different to what we have been playing against. They are dynamic aren't they, they have got good movement, they are pacey and they are lively around the box. So what we have got to probably do is try to stop the ball getting into them, into their feet in and around that area.
But we have worked on one or two things to stop that happening and hopefully tomorrow that will come off and then the players we have got in our side that can cause them problems come to the fore as well.
JP
You have been very diplomatic so far in response to some comments from your former player Josh Gowling this week. Would you in your heart of hearts though like to put one over on him and his team tomorrow given some of those comments?
GA
No, absolutely not, I just want to win the game, I want to win every football game. I have no problem with anything anybody says or does, everybody is entitled to their opinions. I just want to come tomorrow to win the game, that takes us three points nearer to where we want to be in the table, it is absolutely as simple as that.
JP
And unbeaten in three, three wins on the trot as well, what price would you put on staying unbeaten at least going into tomorrow's game?
GA
I wouldn't gamble on your team and say things and come out with stupid statements. We just think we are in a good shape to go and progress and keep the momentum that we have got going and make sure we don't gift anything to Gillingham.
That is the key I think, is make sure if they are going to do something they have had to work very, very hard to get anything out of the game. We go into it in a tremendous frame of mind and the players should now be showing that belief and that confidence built up off the back of some really good performances and some terrific results just of late.
JP
And if you can win tomorrow you could wind up closer to the play-offs than the relegation zone. How psychologically important could that be for your squad after some of the tricky times you have had this year?
GA
Yeah, I mean I think the 12th position after Tuesday night was a big boost for everybody to see us in the top bit of the table. But we know we are only just in there and we know there is a lot of work to be done because a couple of defeats sends us spiralling down towards the bottom end.
But on the other hand a couple of results tomorrow and Wycombe at home could see us right on the fringes of what I call the really exciting stuff. So a lot of hard work ahead to be done and a lot of results to be got yet. But we feel that the boost of going into the top twelve has meant a lot to everybody in the town and certainly us as a club see that as something nice to look at rather than looking over our shoulders.
JP
And it is well documented that you weren't at the Wednesday press conference because you were speaking to Vincent Pericard and his people. Are there any developments on that situation just yet?
GA
Not just at the moment but we are trying desperately hard to tidy up the three players that we have got. We have not got a massive squad, and certainly in depths of quality we haven't got loads of numbers. But those three players have come in and done a terrific job and we are now as a club fighting to see if we can convince them to extend it a little bit longer.
JP
The other two of course there, Tom Taiwo and Adam Clayton, are they exactly the same position basically?
GA
Yeah, we have had good talks and hopefully as December progresses, which is obviously the key time because the beginning of January the two young lads. We will be able to convince them that this is a good place for them to be playing football.
I know they are both enjoying themselves but I won't be contented until that is done and we can crack on then to the end of the season with two good players. Vincent again, he has had something thrown at him and we are awaiting feedback from that probably early next week.
JP
And just finally, you have trained at Peterborough today, what shape is your squad in fitness-wise ahead of tomorrow's game? In terms of injuries, knocks etc.
GA
We have got near enough a full squad, we have got a problem with one of the players who is carrying a knock, but we are going to leave that under wraps until tomorrow and hopefully he comes through it. At the minute he is not too happy with himself but apart from that the boys are in good shape and they are ready to go again.
JP
And we are hearing that there are going to be three rowdy parties at the hotel we are all staying at tonight. What great preparation for you?
GA
Yeah, well there won't be a rowdy party as far as we are concerned. This is work, we come away here to do a job and we are going to try to do that job. We will have our dinner, the lads will have a bit of crack together and they are generally in their rooms for half nine, ten o'clock.
I know they have got their computer games and all that sort of nonsense they play these days. But hopefully they are in bed nice and early getting ready for, we think it is a really big game and a really big period for us leading up to and just through Christmas. So we need to make sure we are right with our preparation.