With pressers no longer being live-streamed. This season we intend to bring you the highlights of each press conference as they happen — this will be a rough summary with the answers to some questions merged together into one block for easier reading.
The full audio from the presser is available at the top of this page on our website or in the podcast feed.
Lee Grant
How’s Mickel Miller?
Not great unfortunately. He has a hamstring injury. I’m so disappointed for Mickel. Everyone has seen how hard he’s worked but the results have come back and he’s going to be out for a while. There’s still some work to be done on that to find out whether it will be four, six or eight weeks. Of course he’s disappointed.
Other than Mickel, we’ve come out the game in good shape.
Thoughts on the Reading game
I thought it was a good professional away performance. We know we have room to improve but we’re not too concerned that after week two there are still one or two things that are a bit clunky. The lads have the mentality and hunger to improve. The good thing is the lads see the same things I do and are working to improve on it.
Encouraging to have buy-in already
It is nice, but I’m not surprised at all in honesty. The way they’ve responded to a new staff and a new way of doing stuff, they’ve really got on board with the work. I think anyone coming to our games can see the lads are working really hard. They’re trying to implement what we want, and the things that still need work they can see it themselves and want to try and get better at it.
I think the guys have got a good picture of what we want and we can keep growing and evolving.
What kind of side to face Leicester?
We don’t expect to play the same team. We have options and want to make sure we’re giving people opportunities, and we have lots of people who are deserving at opportunities.
At the same time it’s another game we want to have an opportunity of winning the game, so those things will be in mind when I’m picking my team.
We’re talking about smart guys and the likes of Murray Wallace, Leo Castledine and Marcus McGuane are really capable and really smart in terms of their football brain. Everyone has had a good opportunity in training to see them for themselves, but there’s no better opportunity than them being out there in the thick of it. Over the next few weeks hopefully they can get those opportunities.
I have a group of around 20 players to choose from and there will always be players who are disappointed not to have featured.
Thoughts on Leicester
They’re a really good side. Anyone who saw them at the weekend will know they like to have the ball and they’re able to do that against really good sides. We’re under no illusion about the size of the test.
Regardless if they make changes, we still expect a really hard level of opposition. All the subs they sent on at the weekend were talented and experienced players, so we expect a tough game. Their principles are really clear so we know what we’re going to be up against, but that doesn’t make them any easier to decode.
But it’s always great to test your wits against a team from the level above. It’s a good test for our lads early in the season.
How important is the League Cup?
I don’t want to speak for anyone else, but it’s always the next game and right now this is the one in front of us. It’s a chance to play against a really good team with a talented young manager who plays a style of football I admire. So why not get excited about it and enjoy that opportunity and go out and try to win the game?
Every club will have different contexts for the cup but for where we are right now it’s a great opportunity to show where we’re at. You have to enjoy these ones. I’m sure there will be periods of the game we don’t enjoy, but we have to be comfortable within that. We know this season is not going to go all our way so having to suffer at times in games, it’s great exposure for our group.
Where are we on transfers?
Nothing to report.
Posing a set piece threat
We’re trying to throw out some fundamentals about how we attack and defend set pieces. It’s great for us to have that pat on the back in both camps, but if we are honest about where we’re at we also know we rode our luck a bit at the weekend and there are areas we still need to tighten up and work on.
We have a dedicated set piece analyst, Lewis [Dunwoody], who is about as much of a nerd as you can get for that kind of thing. We’re blessed with a great analyst team, and I’ve pushed them hard but I’ve loved their response and the way they’re doing things so far.
Two of our coaches have within their remit their roles for attacking and defensive set plays: Paul McShane for the defensive and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson for the attacking set plays. We try to make it as collaborative as we can, but we’re really pleased that we’ve got results from it so early in the season.
Lee Nicholls
Reflections on start of season and mood in the squad
It’s very good at the moment. We’ve won both games and that’s hard to do. We’ve kept two clean sheets and scored multiple goals in both games. We’ve still got work to do but it’s been a good start
Thoughts on Lee Grant
I think it’s hard being your first job and we’ve brought in so many bodies, but he’s kept everyone involved and I’ve been really impressed with him.
Challenges will come and we don’t want to lose games, but if we do I’ve got every faith that he’ll handle it.
He’s massive in training. He wants the standard to be high and he’s brought good people with him. Everyone’s bought into it and are pulling in the same direction. He wants us working hard and being good people.
I don’t think he particularly reminds me of anyone I’ve worked under before, but the way he wants us to play does remind me a little bit of Carlos [Corberan]. He wants us in possession and using the midfield. It is a new group so there’s more work to be done there.
Him being a former goalkeeper, I was intrigued to see how he was, but it’s not really any different. He’s got a really good command over the lads.
Competition with Owen Goodman
It’s frustrating because you want to play. Every footballer in the world should want to play. But it makes no difference to how I am around the building. I’m employed by the club to win games. We’ve won the first two so as long as we’re winning I’m happy.
I’m not made up to be sitting on the bench, but at the end of the day I’m happy because this club doesn’t deserve to be in this league. If we go up I’ll be happy whether I’ve played 46 games or 6. If my name isn’t in the starting eleven it’s about supporting the lads however I can.
There was a conversation about the gaffer wanting two number ones and that’s fair enough. Owen got the nod and it is what it is. I’m just trying to keep showing what I can do in training and keeping ready. I’m not the kind of lad to throw my toys out of the pram. It’s just about me working hard and driving standards in training and help us keep winning games.
I don’t think I’m the type of person that needs a lot of conversations. I understand football and how it works. I know a week is a long time in football and it’s not like I’m never going to play again. Football’s the greatest job in the world whether you’re playing or not and I’m grateful to be doing it.
Thoughts on Goodman
He’s done very well. He’s a hard worker, he listens, he gets the way the gaffer wants to play, and hopefully as a unit we can drive each other and keep turning out clean sheets. With the squad we have we’re going to score goals, so hopefully that brings us success on the pitch.
Goalkeeping unit a tight knit one — taking on a leadership role?
All through my career I’ve done that. I’ve always helped anyway I can. That’s what it’s all about. Owen has come in and I’ve noticed a few things I’ve tried to put into my game. It’s something I like to do, just to help people. That should be the case in every position.
I think we’re in a unique position as goalkeepers that we last a lot longer, so it’s about being ready. I sat on the bench for a season at Milton Keynes before I came here. Football’s a weird game, you just don’t know what’s going to happen.
Will you be playing against Leicester?
I don’t know yet. I’d love to play and hopefully I get the opportunity and we can get a win, but they’re a great team and we know it’s going to be a big challenge.
Team spirit
I’ve said a few times this club does not deserve to be in this league. It’s a big club and deserves as a minimum to be in the Championship. I think we all have a role to play and it’s about leaving something something behind to build into next season, but still going for it as much as we can. If we build on what’s happened so far I think it’ll be a good year.
