Nigel, can we start with the emotion of the afternoon, it must have been a special moment to be out there?
For people who have been associated with the club and have written about the club for a long time and to see the guys there today, I met them yesterday, there’s been an appreciation over a few weeks but certainly over the last couple of days it’s been very much in our consciousness. It’s a fitting tribute to them today.
Your team performance is something we’re getting used to at Ashton Gate…
We were a bit scrappy today if I’m honest.
Effort-wise?
Yeah, I don’t very often have to question the effort and commitment, what I do question at times is our thought processes and whether that’s experience, ability or something else it doesn’t matter. It was important we got a good win.
One or two better passes in the final third might have helped our heart-rate at the end.
Yours!?
It’s something that keeps reoccurring and we can talk about it in a friendly way at the moment because we’ve got away with it but at 2-0 to concede from the corner, we should have won the header which we didn’t and it makes the last few minutes a bit more anxious.
We continue to make errors of judgment but I’m really pleased for players about the result because we responded well after last week and people like Cam Pring who wasn’t selected to start today, his performance when he came on was very good.
Someone like Dan Bentley who’s had to be patient for a few weeks because he’s been out of the side, I thought he had a good game for us.
Your front three are now causing teams problems every week here and they’re a pleasure to watch. Chris Martin is an unsung hero but what an important player he is…
His ability to make it difficult for their centre backs today, he didn’t have chances himself, but he was a part of a lot of our attacking play. Antoine [Semenyo] didn’t have one of his better games but still managed to score which is good and Andi [Weimann] has done what he’s done all season and been in the right place at the right time and it was a really good finish too.
We’re really pleased with the result and that’s the most important thing in the context of the season so far. Our away form has been very frustrating for us recently because we’ve not been able to produce the results that we feel some of the performances should have done through our own fault as much as anything.
You gave Sam Bell an opportunity as you have done with the youngsters all season…
He did very well. He was at wing-back today and I thought he was great. I spoke to him the other day and said, ‘speak to your dad. He’s played here long enough hasn’t he?'
His dad was a full-back, have a chat with him about it. Sam brought enthusiasm and even though he got caught out once or twice he played well.
This is a solid side you’ve beaten…
No, they’re a good side. They’re better than a solid side, they’re a good side.
It’s an encouraging result for us but I don’t really think about it because it’s more about what we need ourselves and we needed a good result today. The application and commitment was excellent, we weren’t at our best today.
We had players who didn’t quite fire in the way that they can do but they showed different qualities and a real tenacity and some moral fibre because other people have questioned that at times but it was a good result for us.
I’ve heard this week that other people have questioned whether you’re underachieving or not…
You can ask whatever you want, I’m very happy with where we are. We’ve done very well and we are moving in the right direction and regardless of how anyone else sees us, we are collectively as a football club trying to move forward in the right direction.
I’m a part of that, I’m the manager and I’m an employee of the club and we want to be successful. Sometimes you have to go through difficult spells to get there.
That’s four wins in a row at home Nigel…
Wow.
You’ve followed us last year here and it was as hard for you as it was for me probably. It’s not easy is it?
I suppose what that does illustrate is the psychological effect but also less easy to gage is what not having any fans here did. Everybody went though it but for us it’s a huge plus to play in front of your own fans and our players were very thankful again today.
We showed qualities which people who support teams appreciate and that is honesty and hard work as a baseline. On top of that we know we’ve got good players and talented players and we’ve got players at different stages of their career but they try to produce their best and that’s all I can ask of players.
What was Joe Williams’ role today?
What did you want it to be and what did you think it was?
At times he looked like a 1980s sweeper…
He was a front sweeper yeah.
It doesn’t matter whether you see it as being a front sweeper or a back five or back four. It doesn’t matter. However you see it is what it is. The goal today was to wherever possible be either in front of the line of between the two centre backs because we knew that their midfield players split so you could say we were a diamond if you wanted to but it doesn’t matter.
I’m not somebody that likes to talk technical terms, I get bored of hearing managers and coaches trying to explain to everybody how good they are by giving tactical sessions in press conferences.
We did what we needed to do. It was a position that I think in the context of where he is suited him because he was in a deeper role and he’s got youth and energy either side of him and in front with Andi [Weimann].
However it looked to you was right. It would sometimes be a diamond and sometimes he’d be in the back five. It doesn’t matter quite frankly. It’s what it looked like.
You mentioned his tenacity, since his return does that encapsulate what he is all about?
This is Joe’s second year here and he’s not been available for a lot of it, it’s been a frustrating time for him so what we’re trying to do is manage him and his own expectations into a position where when we use him we’re not fearful of him getting injured because he’s had some setbacks since he’s been here.
He’s a really infectious, in a good way, person to have around because he’s a box of fireworks but he’s a really good player and he’s got good game understanding. It’s good to have him back and good to have him but you might not see him again on starting on Tuesday night because we have to make sure he’s going to be available for the rest of the season.
That’s my job and our job as staff to manage that. I don’t think that’s always an easy thing to explain to fans because I played at the same time as the Ashton Gate Eight and back then the game was a bit different.
That doesn’t mean it was less good or better, it doesn’t matter. You are what you are when you are and at the moment the game is incredibly athletic and the demands physically on players is huge. I’m really pleased with where the squad is developing.
We know we’ve got a long way to go to be a constant threat in this league is going to take us to continually develop our squad. Whether that means bringing in new players or keeping the ones we’ve got it’ll be a mixture of all of that.
We’re okay, we’re doing okay.
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