|
GA
I think they are very excited, we have had a couple of games against non-league opposition, which you have to do that, you have to start off with the right sort of games. But this is one that is early because that is what Newcastle wanted, we probably would have liked it a week later but it is a terrific test to see where we are. They are a Premier League side and hopefully they are coming to show everybody what they can do and it will be a massive test for us, so it will be a really interesting one.
JP
Will your approach differ to the way you have gone about your Workington and Kendal games?
GA
Well, it is not about winning and losing games at the minute. It is about continuing our preparation, our fitness work and the shape work we do and seeing how the system that we are trying to play, whether it works or not. Trying to experiment a little bit in the style of play and then up to the first game of the season see what works, see what doesn't work and then making judgements from there.
JP
And are any of the squad that we didn't know about not expected to be involved tomorrow, any of your actual squad as opposed to the trialists?
GA
Most of the squad are available, so we have got everybody fit for selection. Everybody wants to play in the game but again it is giving everybody the right amount of pitch time and trying to get everybody involved and give everybody a workout so they have all had some time on the pitch.
JP
And at this stage in pre-season, do you have to with a few of them because it is Newcastle, do you have to say to a few of them that you think it is about time they had a little bit of a rest from the competitive stuff. Are you having to rein them in a little bit ahead of such a big, exciting game?
GA
It is only a big game in terms of the name Newcastle, it is a pre-season friendly and it is all about us making sure we get our work done properly. Having a look at how we play, seeing the fitness levels and seeing the type of football we are playing and seeing what we need to do about that leading up to Brentford. There is no disappointment or joy in either way, it is a pre-season friendly.
JP
As you understand it Newcastle are bringing a full strength squad, like you did to the likes of Kendal and Workington?
GA
I have spoken to Chris (Hughton) today and he has got all his squad coming, they are all going to play part of the game. It is a really good workout for him, it is a good test, the pitch is in absolutely fantastic condition. They are looking forward to it as we are and hopefully it will be a competitive, entertaining match where both sides will get what they need to get out of it at this stage of the season.
JP
Just a word on your pitch, I have just had a look at it, it is absolutely immaculate, how did they manage to get it like that over the summer?
GA
It is money, that is what it needs, the club have invested money in it at the end of the season. David (Mitchell) and the groundstaff have worked fantastically well, they have got not just that main pitch but they have got the training pitches to see to.
He has done a terrific job with the main pitch and it is where money goes where people don't always know where it is spent, there is a lot of money has gone on the pitch out of the funds we have had from whatever we have made last year. So, probably a really good indication that the money has been well spent because it is in great condition.
JP
What about the trialists then? Are we expecting all of those who are currently still on trial with you, obviously Jake Simpson has now left the club, but are we expecting the rest to be involved at some stage tomorrow?
GA
I think it is fair to say that they will get some of the time but I want to have a look at things slightly different tomorrow, but they will get some pitch time. They can show us again what they can do to try to convince us that they are the right sort of players for us.
JP
What have you seen from your recent two trial additions in the two lads from Shamrock (Gary Shaw and Craig Walsh)?
GA
Not a great deal really because they only trained yesterday and we did a really physical day yesterday morning and afternoon. But they have shown up well, they have shown that they have got some ability and they are younger ones, they are probably players that we are looking at for later on right down a little bit further down the line. They are probably not ready to go straight into our first-team but they have done OK yesterday.
JP
There is a bit of excitement about one of them because he starred in a reality TV show and he looked pretty good as well, Jamie Redknapp was quite keen on Craig Walsh I think it is. Does that have any sort of effect on a player like him? Is there anything in having to keep his feet on the ground when he comes in or is it just a player looking to try to win a contract?
GA
It is just another player trying to win a contract, he was fortunate enough to take part in the show and I think he enjoyed it. It doesn't mean a great of difference to me, we are looking to see in black and white if he is better than we have got or could he be better than we have got, if he is then we will think about it.
JP
It is an endorsement for Andy Hall your Media Officer there that he said we would probably see some of them about a year ago when the TV show was on, and here is one on trial with you.
GA
It is just probably a niceness to the story but the hard and fast business facts are that we just want to see if he is good enough and better than we have already got, and could he improve what we have at the football club already.
JP
Speaking of hard and fast news, obviously some very bad news this week regarding the duration of the injury to Danny Livesey. How much of a blow has that been to the club but also to him?
GA
It is just the one downside to pre-season but you have to deal with it, we have to get on with it. That has gone now, when Danny is fit, and that can't come too quickly for me, but while he is out we have to make sure we can deal with the situation and that is what we are doing at the moment.
JP
Do you have to do a different side of thing with your game in terms of managing his disappointment, because he must be down at this stage when everybody else is preparing for the season?
GA
I think Danny is a pretty level-headed lad, he knows he is disappointed but he understands it is part of football. It has happened, he has got to deal with it and we have had to look after him nicely this week. He was on the training ground yesterday and we made him referee so we have sort of added insult to injury because he is not a very good referee either.
Because he is only a player the lads caned him, generally the lads get away with it, I make some bad decisions but I have got that little bit of a thing with the manager's head on that they don't shout at me. But they do at Danny and it was quite funny and it got the sense of humour going a little bit, so we try to involve him as much as we can.
We are going to give him some time away from the club as well in terms of his rehabilitation work so he is not walking in and seeing the players going out training and gets himself too down. Some of the work he has got to do here and some he can do elsewhere, but Danny has got to deal with the situation now, he knows what our thoughts are and we can't wait for him to be back.
JP
His injury of course has re-emphasised the need for strengthening within the squad, are you any closer along the line with anything on that front?
GA
It is just something that is ongoing, we know what we need now and obviously that has become a bit more of a priority, and we will continue to press on that front.
JP
Pressing you on it, is there anyone who is on any sort of horizon? Is there anyone who is a little bit closer at the moment?
GA
Yes, I would say there is, I would say we are getting nearer to things, but again, time spans and me saying we are going to have someone by x, y or z date comes back to bite you on the bum sometimes. So, we will leave it that we think we are getting a little bit closer.
JP
What about the trialists? Has anyone done enough at the moment to make you think, you don't have to of course name the names, but is anyone any further along in terms of they might be a bit closer to actually earning themselves something?
GA
Well, we are going to make decisions on most of the boys tomorrow, so we can probably tell you more after the game. Because I think it is unfair to make any judgements on anybody now and get the trialists listening to this and thinking it is them or it is not them or what is going to happen. So, we will look at them again tomorrow and then we will try to make some assessments and go from there and let you know as soon as we can.
JP
And just finally, of course Newcastle is a big game and for the locals in the area they will obviously be excited about them coming and it is a great opportunity for the fans to come. How much do you need them for the season but also for a game like this just to make it as special as it can be?
GA
Well, I think the attraction of Newcastle is huge and the fact that they have got in the Premier League is huge. They are a big club aren't they with a massive following and I am sure they will bring their fair share of fans who will want to see them and one of their first games in action this season. Our fans can come and enjoy themselves and see the new faces that we have got on their home pitch for the first time.
Do we need them next season? Of course we do, so it is important that we try to get out there and give a good account of ourselves. Last season we did quite well against the Premier League sides in the pre-season friendlies, albeit we came off the wrong end of the results but we played some great stuff. I thought the Hull game was exceptional and that will be the type of standard and the quality that we are looking for tomorrow.
JP
And you have said that you want to make, as much as you can, the home side of things a bit more attractive for those fans as much as you can. Is that something that you can do tomorrow where the result isn't quite as important. The first home game in front of these fans after you have said that, is that something you can do? Try and have a bit of an exciting go at Newcastle?
GA
We will try, you are only as good as the quality of the opposition sometimes. I am sure Newcastle aren't going to let us have a free run of the ball and let us play the type of football we would like. It is going to be very hard and we have to win the right to have the ball because I would think there will be large spells of the game tomorrow where they have the ball because they have got some very good players.
So, if we don't play the free flowing football and attacking football, we will try to do it you know, but we have got to get the ball off Newcastle first. It is not going to be as easy as that, but we are going to try to play, like I said earlier, really aggressive and attacking football, and when we go forward we try to go forward quickly with an excitement and hopefully play the nice, right type of football.
But, like I said, there are going to be eleven players every week whoever we play against who are going to try to stop us doing that. So, it is not always going to be as easy as me just saying it, other teams are going to stop us doing it, but we will be trying.
JP
And just a stock question against last year, how in terms of where you are now, how is it different from 12 months ago in your first full season as a manager then?
GA
I think we are a little bit further forward, obviously a little bit further forward in what we achieved last year and where we were the season before. We start off this season having a better season than we did the season before last, if that makes a bit of sense. But pre-season, really they are only guides, the real stuff will start with Brentford.
I am OK with what is happening at the minute, I know there are areas where we need to improve and we are not pulling up trees right now, but we are not in any way in any sort of dire straits, so it is somewhere in the middle. We are always looking to improve and that will go on for as long as we are here.
JP
I must just finally ask you about the Tony Caig situation, I know the club aren't making any further comment on the dynamics of it, but how important has it been for you to get that full-time goalkeeping coach in Tony Caig there.
GA
We want Tony here as a full-time coach because we think we have got a good goalkeeper who we think needs help. I think from what I believe that has come to fruition now and as from Monday Tony will be here with us full-time, which is great news.