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JP
What sort of game are you expecting at the coming weekend then from Brighton?
GA
A good one again, they like to play, they like to get it down and pass it and play attractive football. We are trying to do that, and I think if they play open football and don't close us down, and we want to play our game, we are going to I would think try to play the way we have been playing, then it should be a really good, exciting game with a lot of attractive football.
But, I can't guarantee how they are going to play and I don't know what they are going to do, we will have to wait and see. But, if it is an open game then it will be fantastic for the fans, and I know that is the way Gus (Poyet) likes to play his football, and we would be OK with that.
JP
I know that you have been having a bit of a chat with Gus Poyet recently, learn anything about his team? Anything more that you didn't know from that conversation?
GA
He didn't actually tell me his tactics or the side he is going to play this coming week. But, he did have a bit of an admiration for what we were doing and likewise the job he has done since he has inherited it. A tough job certainly at the Withdean, it is a tough stadium to work with. It doesn't, what is the right word?, it doesn't sort of inspire, inspire is a decent word, inspire people.
I think they will be desperate to get to their new ground and that will be fantastic, because the Goldstone was a great ground at Brighton and their fans I think are desperate to get to a new ground.
But, he has done well enough there and I think this season if he can get up and around it then he will be pleased to move himself into the new season with a new pitch. You expect probably good things from them, they are probably a big club in this division as well.
JP
He may not have told you his tactics and personnel then, but I am sure we can expect Glenn Murray and Kazenga LuaLua to be in, who were very potent again at the weekend, are you ready for that sort of challenge?
GA
Well, all we can do is deal with the problems that teams have and try to do our best. We coped with (Clinton) Morrison and (Marcus) Tudgay who are terrific players, and (Paul) Heffernan that came on as well, and Tommy Miller and people like that.
We managed to deal with them and we dealt with Charlie Austin, albeit he might have helped us to contribute to his own downfall, but he didn't score so we take that as another prolific marksman that hasn't scored. So, we try to do the same with Glenn, another great kid, I have got a lot of time for Glenn and we had LuaLua on our radar for a considerable period as well, and he is a good player and makes things happen.
Sometimes his end product isn't what it should be, but he makes things happen and he is a terrifically exciting player. I hope he does play because the game then will be even more stretched and open and exciting.
JP
He is considered one of the stars of League One isn't he as a young prospect at least, but you handled him in the first-half against Newcastle when you had a particularly good game?
GA
Yeah, but we didn't handle him last year when he was playing for Brighton. He tortured Richard Keogh, it is the only time I have seen Richard come off second best to be honest.
He knew he had been in a game, but the problem then was that the little fella couldn't find his cross or his goal, but he certainly was electric on the day. We did do alright in the Newcastle game against him, but he is a terrifically exciting player and one that we know all about.
JP
How did Frank Simek enjoy his return to Hillsborough?
GA
He is a not a vengeful sort of person is Frank, he is a really, really calm organised person. He got a terrific reception and he gave a typical Frank Simek performance, unflustered, uncomplicated, does his job, gets on with it, no problem. I think you are going to see that from Frank and I still think there is more to come from Frankie.
We think he has been terrific, probably one of our most consistent performers through the first early stages. But, he is not vengeful, he is not going to do stuff to ignite the crowd or excite the crowd, like maybe a Joe Garner would. He is a bit like Vincent (Pericard), he has got a really calm sort of authority about himself. He handles himself great, he is another terrific person to work with.
JP
I must mention as well Sean McDaid, seeing as we have mentioned Frank there. I know that there is not so much the link, but your full-backs at the weekend really handled some very attacking wingers at different times, including when they pushed Giles Coke onto the wide area as well. They really handled those and I guess that was an important part of the formation at the weekend?
GA
Our full-backs with the way we play are very important, and let's try to put one or two arguments to bed if we can without criticising anybody. But, the block that Sean McDaid made in the first-half when the ball went to the far-post is exactly the reason that that kid is at this football club.
Because he will get smashed to pieces rather than concede a goal. We know what he is and we know what he isn't, but defensively, and with a gritty-ness and a dogged-ness and a determination that we need, we need in our back line. His block in the first-half was for me the moment of the match, and I have to say that, people will wonder what I am talking about, a block is the moment of the match?
But it typifies what we need to be all about, to defend and to give ourselves a platform to go and win games. Because if those types of challenges aren't made and you concede goals then you are on the back-foot completely.
But, we have got players in the team now that are willing to do that. James Chester did one, Lubo (Lubomir Michalik) did one, Paul Thirlwell did one, Tommy (Taiwo) would throw himself in front of the 726 inter-city train to London if he had to do, and we need that. I am not so sure there is a number 726 but you know what I mean.
JP
I think my moment was James Chester's diving header tackle in the second-half.
GA
That is exactly what I am talking about. We think Adam (Collin) has had not a lot to do because of that. He has actually dived into a challenge with his head, now he is either deluded or brave or he is a very good defender, and we think he is the latter.
JP
What will you work on this week then after that? Is there a degree of tempering enthusiasm? Is there a degree of keeping their feet on the ground?
GA
We are not going to temper enthusiasm because that is wrong, the enthusiasm has got to keep where it is. What we have got to do is that we have got to keep reminding the players of how they have got there. Not let them go easy on the training, tomorrow (Tuesday) is going to be a really tough day in training.
They won't know what has hit them tomorrow because we need to get the message out to them that we got there by doing this, this and this. That will be the message tomorrow and I have already told them that we will be starting early and we will be finishing late. We need to keep the momentum and the enjoyment of our work going, and our first defeat will stop that, so I don't want that first defeat to come.
JP
What about the injury situation? We know for a fact that Paul Thirlwell was playing through the pain at the weekend, how is everyone shaping up after it?
GA
We are short to be honest at the minute, we have not got Bridgey (Marc Bridge-Wilkinson) and we have not get Hursty (Kevan Hurst) and they are taking slightly longer than we would have liked. They think Hursty might be back in training by Thursday, and little Bridgey hopefully by the end of the week, maybe too late for this week.
We are worried about Thir (Paul Thirlwell) because he is still a bit sore, but he got through the game so that gives us good hope. But he is sorer than I would have liked today, and we will have to have a look at him over the next couple of days and see how he is.
JP
And just finally, Richard Offiong's loan is coming to an end, or it has finished with Darlington, what is the situation with him?
GA
Richard is in the treatment room at the minute with a thigh injury and he will nurse that until it is better, and then we can get him back on the training ground.
JP
What does the future hold for Richard? Because he perhaps didn't get the game time or the goals that you would have wanted at Conference level with Darlington.
GA
The situation is the same, Richard's future is down to himself, if he works with the same attitude and determination as the other players then he has got a chance, if he doesn't then he won't have any chance.