Obviously there are still 90 minutes to go, but how would you assess the 2021/22 season?
Bit of a mixed bag really. I think we all know that. There have been some real positives for us coming out of the season especially with the number of players breaking through the side and doing well.
It's been a very important season for us as a club in terms of change. We're trying to affect change in lots of different ways, I haven't got the time to talk about all of that now.
Whether it be operational, the identity of the team. I think there have been some very positive aspects of this year, I'd have thought we have all been frustrated at times with the consistencies but the last few weeks have been positive for us. It's just important that we try to finish the season on a positive note with a really good performance. It will be a tough game for us.
I think Huddersfield will be expecting exactly the same thing, they'll know that we've waited all season for back to back wins and now it's can we get three on the trot. That's the big thing for me.
You're unbeaten in five, there are lots of positives going into the summer, what needs to happen over the summer months to ensure you continue making progress next season?
It's how we continue to shape the squad. That will be, again, there's no point making sweeping statements about targets and players. We know internally what we're trying to do and you'll hear about it when it happens. I'm not going to change my tact now to being overly transparent in terms of who are targets are because I never do that anyway. But what we will try and do is keep our fanbase updated as to what's happening.
The retained list will go out as early as we can and that will give an indication. There are also players within the club who have contracts for longer terms going forward who know they are not part of the plans so it's up to them to find their next opportunity.
I'm quite clear in my own head what we need to do with the squad and we're all working together here to make sure that occurs. But first and foremost it's about trying to finish the season with a good performance and try to win the game.
I'll stress behind closed doors, not here in a press conference, have decisions been made about the majority if not all of your players about who you want to be with you for next season?
Yea, I think I've just said that. I think I've just said exactly that. The retain list will go out when we chose to put it out but decisions have been made already. It's important that the players know that first, it can't be publicly out there first. Players need to be aware of their own situations and players who leave, they go with our best wishes - simple as that really.
I've watched Bournemouth win automatic promotion, Fulham with their riches too - is it harder than ever to win promotion to the Premier League?
It remains a challenge for clubs who have not been there before of course. I don't really see too many reasons to put it on about where the disparities are about the financial clout of clubs. I'm not really interested in that. I think the most important thing here is to concentrate on our own situation to give ourselves the best chances of succeeding and that's all I can say.
The other arguments are to be had at a higher level than a football manager. I have my views on it but it's not really important on a forum like this. I know the parameters to which we are working and we will try and get the best value that we can under those circumstances and it's really quite straightforward in my eyes.
I spoke with Scott Parker after the game, and messaged him the other night as well. It was touch and go but they got there - they got over the line.
Forest have had such a fantastic run and pushed them very close but there might be some surprises at the end of the season, we don't know and that's the big thing.
Our agenda at the minute is to finish the season as well as we can. How other teams fare is irrelevant to me. I know Huddersfield, I would expect them to go strong against us. Let's remember, we are playing Huddersfield this weekend. We'll see how we fare.
I mentioned you were unbeaten in five, you won 5-0, would it be a sign of how much progress is being made to go to a side who will be in a playoff position. How big a challenge is it this weekend?
Well they're a team in form. They've had a very good April. They've had an excellent second half of the season and put together a run since the turn of the new year and when we played them in the reverse match we were only three points behind them. Their season really took off in a big way so congratulations to them and they're in the play-offs.
But how they manage the next period, I don't know. I would expect them still to go very strong against us and try and keep their momentum. I would think playing against a side like Huddersfield who have been in some reasonable form, I think they'll be quite thankful of that actually. So it should be a good game of football where both sides can play with a bit of freedom.
Hopefully for one or two of your players it's not the end of the season, we've seen Andreas have an international recall with Austria and Antoine, very unlucky not to play for Ghana. I think the AFCON qualifiers are in June, is it a question of time that if he keeps up this form he will get to play international football in his career?
I hope so, yeah. Absolutely. For all our players who get called up for their countries, it's important that they enjoy those experiences but again my focus is totally on us. When players go on international duty I just hope they come back fit and that's really the key to it when it comes to supporting national sides.
I think Antoine to get called up for Ghana is excellent and I think that is testament to the seasons they've had.
We've had individuals with very good seasons and so the summary of the season we've had is mixed but the times that we've not done well. I would have to say it's... I read with interest the other views on our season and we haven't played badly on too many occasions but we've had more often than not the same players making the same mistakes and that's what has cost us.
We could have very easily had 10 or a dozen points more, albeit for individual mistakes and it's a bit different to looking at it in the season in those terms rather than it being. It's not always been the team that has been at fault so we just need to solve those sort of problems.
Does Nigel Pearson and his players get any sort of break because, of course, next season starts in late July?
Whatever time players and staff have off, it's important to make the most of it and enjoy the break and come back refreshed. That's what we all need to do, we need to come back with a determination to have a very good season and that's what we need to go.
Considering the performances of the back three over the last nine to 10 games, have they made you think differently about how you're going to approach the summer considering you have been open about signing defenders?
Well we do need to strengthen in that area, because as it stands at the moment. Both Robbie and Timm, they are yet to sign for us. We need to strengthen in that area anyway. Our targets, we are very clear on those and we will try and make sure that we can deliver an improvement to the overall squad.
The balance of the squad because we've had players who have had absolutely fantastic seasons. To say we're finishing 17th, because that can't change now. We've had players who have been in incredible form for the majority of the season.
I think it's pretty clear where we need to strengthen. That doesn't always mean replacing, it means to strengthen.
Is there a deal on the table on the table for Robbie then? I know you said you wanted to keep Klose after the Hull game...
Hopefully, we'll be able to secure both of them but that's not my role to do that. But we're in the process of going down that route.
I wanted to pick up on Richard Gould's comments, he mentioned there have been plenty of positives but should be performing higher up the table. Have those expectations changed throughout the season?
Not really. There is the notion of underperforming. We haven't underperformed at all. We've actually performed very well for most of the season but what we haven't done is picked up the number of points.
If you want to equate the two things as the same thing, that's up to you. I don't because I know we've performed very well. At times of the season where it's been very difficult, I don't forget how the season has started.
It started in a way where we finished last season awfully, really bad and there were difficulties in shaking that off and we didn't achieve our first home win for a couple of months which is.
That doesn't give us a positive start but I wouldn't say that we were playing badly. We had a good away record at the start of the season. I don't think we've underperformed, I think what we haven't done is pick up the points that we should have done.
If you want to say that the two things are the same then, it's how you look at it but not in my eyes. I have to evaluate performances based on what we have and unfortunately, the balance of the squad hasn't always been what we would have liked it to be but I know there are a number of players among our squad who have performed at a high level throughout even when we had a difficult time as a team, we've still had some good performances within the squad.
It's how you want to look at it. People can say what they want. I understand the situation that we are currently in terms of where we are in terms of trying to build that is more competitive.
I don't think we have been far away for long periods of the season. We've had some poor performances but they've normally coincided with individual, very poor decisions so if that continues to happen then obviously players need to be changed. And that's what we'll try and do this summer.
We'll try and give the squad an injection of new blood that will again give us a better chance of being more competitive next year because we will have much higher aspirations next year. We need to set the bar as high as we can and hopefully that will give our fans more optimism and players should play under pressure. Players that can't play under pressure shouldn't be professionals.
Do you feel like you've got the right balance at the moment in your squad between youth and experience?
Well, we're getting there but we are very thin on the ground. We've managed to avoid too many injuries for quite a considerable time now.
That's one of the things when you operate with a smaller squad you have to be prepared for. We're going into the last game of the season where we'll take 22 players with us.
They'll be some that miss out but I think it's important for the players to be together on the last day of the season. Disappointed players... I like to see disappointed players to be honest with you. Because it means, it means something to them so I don't want players happy not to be selected or be left out.
Do you still hold hope that Massengo will sign his new deal?
I don't really give it an awful lot of thought because my perspective on it is, what he's been offered, he has been offered so he either takes it or leaves it.
So if he decides not to sign it then it's in our interests to try and get as much money as we can for him because, it's not about individuals and agendas. He's a lovely lad. He's played really well for us, he's very committed.
I don't have a problem with him at all. There doesn't have to be a time limit on it but there needs to be clarity on what the situation means to us and hopefully, he will re-sign, but if he doesn't, then we'll look elsewhere because we have to.
I don't think it's in anybody's interest for it to drag on and on and on because everybody needs a little bit of clarity.
I can imagine when you're trying to plan going into next season...
I'm delighted honestly, he's a super lad to have around the place, he's a decent player. He's got room to improve even more. What I can't do, is I can't answer the question on his behalf. What I can do is only answer it on what I think is the best outcome for us.
For players who run the clock down, we've invested a lot of time and energy and money in his development and so, in our situation, it's right that we get a return on that. That's the way it is.
With Massengo, he does so much for the community, gives merchandise to children less fortunate, invites members of his old team to the club - it must be so refreshing to have a player of his age giving something back?
Yea very much and he likes to be quiet as well which is a very decent thing to do.
Like I say, he's a good guy. During the pandemic and lockdown he was very active in terms of working within the community, taking out food parcels etc. He wasn't alone by the way. But he is someone who recognises the humility of his humble beginnings and he's not lost track of that so hence of what I said, he's a great guy.
I have to detach myself from great guy and what's right for us. We've had conversations over the last few weeks and I've been very open with him to say that if he's not committing his long-term future he can't expect to start either. He accepts that because the team is more important than individuals.
I wanted to ask you on Dan Bentley, when we spoke to him in September he said it was down to the club in regards to his contract situation, has there been any change in regards to that?
Why's it down to the club, what do you mean?
He said he was happy to stay, he's loving his time in Bristol and settled with his family and ultimately it's down the club if a contract offer was on the table. I wanted to know if that was still the situation or if there has been any movement in that regard?
Dan's situation will be like everyone elses. His agent has been in contact with Richard (Gould), which is fine but I won't disclose what does on behind the scenes compared to what you hear publically. There are always different perspectives.
But Dan has done exceptionally well since he's been back in the side and he's our captain.
On Tyreeq Bakinson, just completed the season at Ipswich - does that bode well to his return to Bristol City because he's played well for Ipswich?
No, not really.
He was sent out on loan to Ipswich, you'd mentioned his attitude. Have you perhaps spoken to Ipswich about his attitude?
No, no. I was pleased that he went out and I've said what I've said about him so I won't say anything else publicly about him as far as I'm concerned.
One of your younger players Will Buse, for a player of his age to go out and win a title (at Taunton), that's really going to be beneficial in his development going forward. Do you see another loan move for him perhaps?
That's something I haven't had a chance to speak about in depth with Pat (Mountain), in terms of goalkeeping situations but he's had a very postive situation and so has Harvey (Wiles-Richards) going out on loan as well. I think we've seen with Max's (O'Leary's) situation that goalkeepers are the last line of defence and mistakes that are made there are very costly normally.
Goalkeepers need to get out and play so this season's been good for Max, he's got a number of games because I certainly wouldn't have wanted him to go two years without having appearances so it's good for him and good for Will.
With the U23 season being extended, would you perhaps consider lending any experienced players for the play-off game?
That will be a conversation with Tinns (Brian Tinnion) but that's something that goes on internally. If we decide that, if they are made available they are made available but we'll see. We'll see what happens this weekend first of all.
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