🎙️ Manning on Watford clash!

Liam Manning speaks to the local media ahead of hosting Watford at Ashton Gate on Saturday.

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Liam it’s Watford on Saturday how much have you looking to bounce back from the defeat against Preston in your last League match and how much have you looking to build on that fantastic performance against West Ham in the cup yeah I think it’s a combination of the

Two um as you know it the m and atmosphere can change very quickly in the space of a week so obviously we were disappointed as I said the other night after Preston uh especially second half first half there was some positive second half was a definitely a

Frustrating one which like a like I said we had a real positive meeting on Monday about that and then obviously we had the high of a Tuesday night with a terrific performance and obviously a terrific result um it’s about chasing consistency I think that’s the biggest bit um so

Yeah that that’s UL what we’ll be looking to do is you know go through the same process to get ready for it but you know try try and hit the level that we hit on Tuesday yeah what are the attributes from Tuesday that you’re looking to build on to provide that

Consistency in your team it’s funny obviously my I had numerous messages on my phone after the game and the one consistent comment from everybody was just how honest and hardworking The Lads were so we definitely starts with that you know I think if you probably compare

Second half Preston to the other night I think you know dominating Jews the you know the The Bravery to go and play Under Pressure um so there’s some of the bits but again I think it’s whatever the game throws out you have to be adaptable

In game so you know what the first half looks like versus the second half will change depending on score lines depending on you know the opposition’s game planned um you know injuries there’s so many factors that go into it that it’s actually being able to problem

Solve in game which he also think is really important so um under underpinned by some really strong behaviors and Basics and then on top of that it’s obviously then you know finding a way to win tactically in the game and there was a I was going to use the word aggression

But a commitment from your players not afraid to get stuck in and stick up for themselves sometimes and and that bit of bik can help as well can’t it yeah definitely I think you know you’re talking about Elite performers I think you have to be right on the edge um

Which you know we saw the other night I thought that competitive side was really liked it I think we have to keep that um we have to keep controll of it definitely but again I think that when you’re going in you know into any game

You know that will to win that desire to win has to to be there and obviously you know you can show that with you know in different ways obviously there was elements of tackles but I thought we showed that aggressiveness to run and get behind the ball the same as you know

At times I thought the aggressiveness to play forward and go forward I thought was there as well so I think you know you can show that will and desire to win and that competiveness in numerous ways well put forest Notting on Forest to the back burner because you got a big league

Game with Watford on on Saturday you only played them a few weeks ago and possibly the best performance since you’ve been at the club winning 4-1 what did you do right that day that you’ll be looking to repeat on on Saturday yeah it was a long time ago

Despite only being a few weeks but uh I think numerous aspects I thought you know the organization out of possession was a really good uh solid you know you think about the first goal was a you know a terrific uh setup in terms of how we wanted to regain it and then

Obviously I thought what we showed was a real clinical Edge to us um and really good elements of control and again I think that that for me is what it’s got to look like again in terms of you know they might change what they do they

Might tweak it but we have to to make sure that you know like I say we we’re run the money what we need to do and In fairness Watford are unbeaten since that game aren’t they so they’ll come and give you a tough test I’m sure you’d

Expect yeah of course you know it’s that’s this division right every single game is difficult I think um that’s the bit for me you said it before it’s about going on runs un beating runs which you know they’re doing at the moment we’ve done it before you know it’s impossible

To predict if you had to go through the you know the fixtures in the championship and try and predict them before it’s it’s near impossible possible so again I think that’s the biggest bit in terms of you know Finding consistency with what we’re trying to do how we’re trying

To play and how you know how we believe we can win games um it’s always a tough job isn’t it being a head coach and you’ve got the um the luxury of having Scott twine available on Saturday and maybe maybe not having to start him and

And if so who does he replace what what will um Scott bring to the side I spoke to John lown in the week and he described him as a possible number 10 what what role do you see him playing in the team will he be versatile or do you

Have a set role for him at in the team yeah I think I think with any of the lads to be fair it’s about getting them in positions to bring their strengths so again I think it’s you know as you see even you know with Anis with night is

Playing inside he’s playing outside he running Beyond I think it’s having that um you know that unpredictability and and finding Solutions um to you know to hurt the opposition I think you know when a he’s he’s got the ability to change a game with moments of quality um

Uh you know in terms of creating and scoring goals set pieces uh but now he’s all around game his Basics are a really good level you know he’s he’s really honest you’ll see him well card out of possession I think the big bit that he’ll bring to us as well is someone

That’s you know quite comfortable receiving in tight areas between the lines which I think you know something that you know will definitely add to the team yes about to my colleagues at BBC 3 counties in the week and they said you bought the best out of him in his career

Really when he was at MK Dons sometimes we talk about maybe just the 1% but your relationship and you know how he works will that be an advantage do you think you’d hope so you’d hope so I think in terms of you know him knowing what we’re

Looking for um but again even then since since since I work with him at MK I’ve evolved I’ve progressed I’ve learned I’d like to think I’ve got better um as well he have you know with the experiences he’s had so of course you know you hope the the relationship understanding you

Know certain things that we’re looking for um you know hopefully he’ll come and feel more comfortable be quite clear in what what it looks like obviously had an opportunity to see it the other night um so yeah it’s one of those I think in terms of you know he’s definitely going

To be someone that will play a key part for us his um YouTube clips wet the appetite is he on free kick Duty or um will he still share that role with other members of the team yeah again to be fair I think you know his his his record

Speaks for itself um so yeah it’ll be one of those I think obviously we’ve we’ve had a few recently in in you know really good areas and you know sort of 20 22 yards out which is I know his favorite distance so again he’s obviously definitely someone that’s

Going to add to the Quality we’ve already got and rinse and repeat the next question any Prospect of any further plays coming into the squad no well in in the future before the end of the window I hope so um but again we’re not we’re not immediately close of

Anyone at the minute so we’re still doing obviously work um you know to try and progress in those areas but nothing concrete nothing near at the moment any injuries from the weekend or um the week rather or is everyone fit from from the week yeah know everyone night night is

Feeling a bit better to be fair which is good so he did a full session today so um yeah it was obviously hindsight now obviously he wasn’t he wasn’t well before the game but actually the rest won have been the worst thing for him anyway G given how he works so um yeah

Everyone everyone seems okay Ross mccy made a very good first impression is he someone you’ll have to manage given that he’s only just returned to First Team Duty he he won’t want that but we might have to I thought he did really well to be fair I thought for you know his his

Full debut for the club is first start in quite a long while um you know in a in a terrific atmosphere in a highly pressurized game against Premier League opposition I thought he he showed some real moments of what he’s about his directness his running capacity his you

Know his aggressiveness I thought he you know he did extremely well so he’s he’s you know great to have him back I’m you know delighted for him but again it’s it’s one a case one that we need to you know a heavy period coming off in the

Next few weeks make sure that you know we we keep an eye on how he’s going and keep him in a good spot and there is a bit of cup fever around Ashton gate but you’re only four points off the playoffs are you confident that it can be a

Successful League campaign this season as well yeah we’ll do everything in our power to to try and Achieve that um again you know the team are progressing all the time for me and we’ve not always got the outcome or the performance for 95 minutes haven’t been there but for

Large chunks we’ve seen so many positive things and it will continue to get better it’ll continue to you know to progress um keep talking about days but obviously we lose another one now obviously due due to progressing but I think in terms of uh you know the lad’s

Been terrific in terms of you transferring the information that we’ve done either walkth throughs video whatever it looks like they’ve done a great job of transferring it um so yeah we we have to keep pushing we have to keep progressing but again for me the the lads have shown what they’re capable

Of is now how do we consistently hit that level thank you thank you would you say walkthroughs by the way what what what do you mean by that don’t let me ask you so to be fair so we go through a a process where we’ll show Show Bits of

The opposition show how we want to play how we think we can get success how we can control the game and then we’ll walk through it on the grass um your ideal is to be able to do it at match speed so you know where you’re replicating the

Speed of thought that they have to go through the timing of the movements are different um but you know when when you’re the physical demands from the games are so high and recovery so important it’s actually difficult we can’t do it at the speed that you want

Which is that’s B I spoke around in terms of bringing the challenges of not having training days you can’t put them in the exact situations they’re going to get in game so we you know we slow the tempo down we go through it but so that they see the pictures it’s just a

Different Tempo going back to Scott um I’m just curious why do you think it worked so well for him at MK when you were there I think um you’d have to ask him to be fair though probably should yeah you’d have to ask him I think you know

What I’d like to think and um I think how we how we challenged him how we work of him but I think we with creative players like that you have to find the right balance of you know discipline and structure but also Freedom um you know

Even with like ananis he steps on the pitch and he plays the role in the position we’re asking him to but he still brings creative freedom to it which again I think is really really important um and again I think what don’t want to compare here to to MK but

Again I think what we’re you know why it doesn’t always look right is you know we’re trying to educate The Lads that we give you four or five Solutions but you have to think and see the pictures in the right order rather than it be and

Robotic it’s you know the game for me is it’s fluid it changes it’s cat and mouse you know so that’s why sometimes it can look a little bit chaotic a little bit messy but again I think that once you come through that and they understand what they’re looking for um you know I

Think then then what you find is that you hurt the opposition in every way possible which was close first half against Preston right Dwayne Holmes didn’t know you know what whether to jump whether to stay um and it’s been able to then you know throughout the game you know sustain that asking those

Questions was it Scott’s first training session today is that Pand out or did he have he did a bit on yeah he didn’t train Monday he did an individual session Tuesday a physical session but on the grass with footballs as well and then today yeah we had a group of 10

Training so um he trained today and obviously there’s no given how many games and minutes he’s play for whole there’s no sort of physical catching up he has to do in that regard no his minutes are high to be fair he’s obviously 20 plus games this this year

For H so he’s he’s in a good spot physically he looks he looks good he actually looks better than when I worked with him previously to be fair which um yeah i’ hope for and expect given what he’s done in the last obviously since I

Last work of him so he he looks in a better spot um and yeah he trained well on the transfer window uh have to ask one question at least uh you mentioned about hopefully more additions um would that still be in towards the final third of the pitch

Yeah towards the top end I think someone that can again have impact and bring competition in those areas so it’s it’s tough everybody’s looking for those those position so it’s it’s not easy um but yeah we like be that area of the pitch do you I’ve seen quite a few

Actually John mentioned it on the uh Rich’s show the other day I saw John MHO talk about it as well um how the African Cup of Nations and kind of what Premier League clubs are doing at the moment is having a little bit of an impact because

Certain players are being held on to and that may not be the players that you’re going for or other clubs are going for but it’s just the market is a bit static because of that I just wondered if you have any sort of um view point on that

Yeah I think combination I definitely think that that brings challenges right I think you know the and rightly so clubs want to make sure that they’re they look after themselves first which I think 100% we’d be exactly the same uh so again potentially holding bodies back

Might be one I also generally think it’s just it was the same in the summer I think ac across the game I think there’s a you know everybody’s after similar profiles everybody’s after attacking players that can score goals um and and there just seems to be less around I

Think in terms of the volume of quality um available so um yeah I wouldn’t say it’s just afon I’d say it’s the bigger thing in terms of the the challenges of finding and recruiting players for the leveling you know across all levels of the game Tommy uh spoke off the game on

Uh Tuesday I don’t if you saw he said that you would been up to you would be up till 3 in the morning clipping uh for all the players to see today um I just wondered what time you were up till after the game yeah it was up to quite I

Actually didn’t watch it I’ve watched it back but I did it uh I didn’t do it when I got back I dve back U to see family so I didn’t get back too late but I I have done it Stitch he’s me though yeah he’s

Killed me no yeah I’m I’ve said to you before I’m obsessive I’m terrible for it um so yeah I can’t I can’t not watch it and clip it the team and the individual stuff uh I think you have to I think you know we have to we have to role model

What we want in the be you know the behaviors to be in the players so if we want them to to be obsessed if we want them to be driven if we want them to learn and get better um we have to live it ourselves me included how many times

Do you tend to watch a game after it’s finished quite quite often once to be fair um and then and then watch the full game once and then I’ll obviously go through all my clips and filter those and edit in trim and organize those so yeah I watched the full game once but

Then I’ll spend another few hours watching back the clips and the things I’ve pulled out and is that usually the next day yeah yeah yeah across the 24 hours after the game right okay and and I’m players so today I’ll be pulling a few players individually to bits or

Might pull the backline to show them certain bits so it’s it’s constant um and we spoke about before I think we we’ve definitely got better at how much I think sometimes you just need to leave them alone and go right no video today given you know when you’re especially

When you’re in a heavy period I think sometimes less can be more so then uh yeah it’s always driven by the player and not necessarily me and what I think I want to show them and has that been since you’ve been here as well you’ve kind of worked that out or is that

You’re talking care I’d say over time I’d say over time um Huggy to be fair did his Pro license project on it in terms of cognitive overload okay so it’s something he’s looked at so we we spoken Lots around that and and everything has to be driven

Around where the players are at so much work goes into physical overload but sometimes it’s it’s near and impossible to go on psychological overload so again it’s not it’s the hardest bit in terms of how much is enough um and what you prioritize is is key as well I guess

Because there was such a sort of surge of data into the game I don’t know five were in the last say 5 10 years that almost everybody’s sort of gone to it very quickly and now it’s becoming more considered would that would that be fair

Yeah I look at the data we we use it sporadically it’s not something that I I use with the group a lot to be honest it’s more video for me okay I think it’s more the video um it’s it’s the most impactful stuff cuz then you’re not it’s

It’s not emotional it’s not this happened and you know you’re actually showing him the picture and having a discussion and and going through it um and then taking it back out under the grass and you film training as well is that watch it back and clip it is that

On the ground is that is that drone like how drone yeah okay it’s the conditions are low which as you know up here we yeah in one day we can get every uh every cycle of weather so um yeah it tends to be in the Drone yeah uh Tommy

Obviously sort when he was speaking about this talked about his sort of uh development how he’s learning off the ball how he scored his goal on Tuesday I appreciate there was instinct to it but it also there was a premeditation to it as well wasn’t there because there’s

Been times in games where he’s I’ve seen you directing sometimes when he should go and when he shouldn’t and it seemed you’re directing him almost less now he seems to be doing it more naturally I think he’s it’s probably the biggest part of his game that’s improve for me I

Think in terms of I said it after the game about our front players being the best defenders and I think what he’s what he’s done a terrific job so we do a lot in terms of you know the shape and the positions they take up and and then

Quite often he s secondary action so once you come out and you go and engage then recovering back in and he’s he’s I think like I said our job and their job so our job is to give Clarity on positions where we when to press how to

Press where to block how to block um and we give a real clear trigger on it and the players then jobs to understand where when and how to do that and again he’s he’s done a terrific job grasp it really quick I think even you know watching the game back there’s there’s

Numerous opportunities or he’s close to nicking things or he forces the goalkeeper to kick long so rather than you know when we first came in was very much just Chase everything I think what he’s doing a really good job now is understanding when to Chase and being more efficient with his

Energy invariably because when you score goals on BBC One and people talk about you then you’re going to get a level of interest that goes beyond kind of Bristol there’s been some rather obvious sort of transfer Links of Rangers and Celtic and all that um he is in the last

18 months of his contract uh which may create a sort of element of anxiety within the supporters but I just wondered if if you could offer any insight in regards to that if it’s if there’s been talks going on that I would imagine there’s a will to to extend that

Yeah definitely are and we we we really want him to stay I think we’ve you know he’s he’s in a good place I think you know I think in terms of you look at since I’ve come in definitely the number of games he started you know even in a

Sticky period sticking by him I think the I think he he sees the culture he’s quite clear in terms of how we work and and again I think that’s the biggest bit now we we want people that are rolling in what we’re doing so he’s uh he’s

Definitely someone that we want to you know keep at the club just finally um Mark Sykes you said might be close is that still the case yes can today to be fair just as an update so hopefully he gets cleared today and then we can start speeding things up quickly great stuff

Thanks Liam uh just on Scott obviously things haven’t quite worked out for him as of yet at Burnley he’s obviously a regular at ho uh probably without playing at his best um I just wonder what gives you the confidence that he can come and have a a big impact here

Yeah I think he’s knowing his qualities knowing what he’s capable of um knowing the level he’s that he can achieve and there’s different reasons why it doesn’t work out right obv see a few injuries at Burnley and then they’re winning so then to get in the team can be quite

Challenging obviously getting getting promoted then brings different different challenges and then to be fair to I thought his level was good at H it was just in terms of you know tactically where he was playing for me in terms of you know I spoke a lot about getting

Individual players in positions to bring their strengths you know that was I think a big thing in terms of quite often he was out wide which for me I think his qualities are more inside the pitch so um for me that’s that’s a big part in terms of why you know getting

Him into areas and then you know I think putting real purpose to our back players to look forward to play forward into into people like him that’s that’s their job so again I think he’ll he’ll definitely you know fit into the team well yeah and obviously kind of Jason

Knight’s been occupying that kind of position where Scott would probably want to be playing I just wondered if him coming in will impact Jason’s role potentially dropping back or well no if if you look we to be fair it’s more around the structure we we we occupy

Both pockets as well so it’s not just night I think it’s and again it’s it’s on everybody I think the competition we’ve got now is that people are you know you got to be at your level you have to you have to make sure that when

You step on the pitch that you know you achieve the standards that we’re going to push you know here um continuously to make sure that we find a level of consistency with performances and also results so again I think that you know them outcomes them outputs will you know

We’ll make sure that you know people people hit what they need to yeah and you mentioned the kind of frustration after the Preston game um kind of as a manager having those two really good performances against West Ham with the one against press not so good in the

Middle just on like a personal level how do you channel that frustration into kind of motivation and positivity to improve yeah I think the the biggest thing has taken away and been through those experiences at Preston before where you go out and I think we surprise

The opposition with how big we make the pitch you know we asked the what we try and do is cause indecision which you definitely saw in the first half and then I think what you then get at half time is opposition coach come in changes things whether it

Be Preston Personnel or shape like Preston or style where they go out let’s be more front footed let’s more aggressive and the coach solves the problem at halim the game then comes out and it’s a different completely different half of football where we then have to be smart and uh intelligent

Enough to go right we need to do this now or change to do this um which is really difficult cuz I can’t preempt exactly what they’re going to do so that’s where you know the players have been incredible this week in terms of stepping up and taking accountability of

Elements of going we need to solve that on Pitch we need to do this and again I think that’s the culture we want we’re all in it together it’s not them or us I think it’s the collective of going right how do we how do we learn from the

Experience at Preston how do we make sure that we come out and um you know the the control and the dominance we showed first half how do we now shift it after the first 5 minutes of problem solving second half to you know forcing them back into you know controlling the

Game how we want it to look yeah and um you mentioned earlier about the competitiveness against West Ham obviously there was a couple of uh instances with Taylor and Aaron CR Creswell you mentioned last week about how that kind of Edge and fire sometimes missing in young players nowadays and we

Spoke about obviously Joe Williams that he’s got that I just wondered if you think Taylor from playing alongside Joe recently is maybe a bit of Joe’s kind of rubbing off on him in a sense what question how do I answer that one if them two L if them two Lads

Listen to this definitely I think you’ll see it culturally in terms of that edge is important but it’s controlled it has to be controlled cuz otherwise you know what you can’t afford is people being sent off or you know massive lapses in discipline where people are out the game

Because of you know being too emotional so again the fire is really important that Competitive Edge is really important but from a controlled State um so yeah I’m sure seeing it out there we want it where culturally The Lads Drive each other and learn off each other and

And you know challenge each other and again I think if if Tails has taken some of some of that off Jo no problem but again it has to be controlled yeah and obviously Hayden Roberts has been back on the bench last couple games obviously cam been um so impressive at left back

So far I just wonder what you’ve seen from him on the grass said you were looking forward to working with him has that kind of come true yeah the bits I’ve seen in train he’s done really well to be fair I think he’s uh yeah’s he’s

He’s he’s obviously going to play a part I think you know positionally it sometimes brings different challenges um you know in terms of the changes you make especially pringy levels been good so again I think in terms of that it’s about now being patient and making sure

When you get the opportunity you grab it yeah and just on Rob Atkinson is he still uh making uh strides forward yeah he’s he’s he’s trained today so he’s he’s definitely heading in the right direction um again the big bit we can put him in certain sessions or large

Chunks of training uh where you know certain physical actions are controlled just because of the area size or the type of practice um and then at the minute he’s still building up his his longer distance stuff away from the group so it’s that balance of he’s reintegrating into training but still

Still got bit of work today