Lee Grant and Marcus Harness press conference ahead of Huddersfield Town Vs Peterborough

The Terriers boss discusses his likely team selection for the weekend

This is a rough summary of the press conference with the answers to some questions collated together for easier reading.

Please accept my apologies, but for reasons beyond my control I was unable to attend today's presser in person as normal. Instead I joined on Zoom on a desktop computer for today's press conference. The bit with Marcus Harness was fine, but my entire neighbourhood was then hit by a power cut midway through Lee Grant's section. That left me unable to get back online to rejoin the presser - the internet wasn't even working on my phone at the time (which is where I'm writing this now as it's gone off again since!).

As such I'm unable to provide audio of today's press conference as it has been irretrievably lost to me, but I did manage to get down about half of Lee Grant's presser in this transcript before the power went out and I thought it was better to send you this than nothing at all. I understand the Yorkshire Post are likely to run the other half tomorrow morning.

Lee Grant

How approach Peterborough?

With caution, for sure. They have an experienced manager who has seen it all and experienced all the highs and lows. We can expect a team that will set up well and may have a few new faces in their ranks. They’re difficult to plan for having played one way and just recently changed to another. As a group we’ll approach it with caution and with respect.

We’ve tried every week to draw on the experiences from the weeks previous. We’ll look to take all the lessons we’ve learned from Blackpool [who were also winless when Town played them]. Peterborough are going to win a game this season and we want to make sure that’s delayed by at least one more week. We have to be guarded against it but we treat every game with full respect and Peterborough will be no different this weekend.

We try to be ruthless every week and off the back of a game on Tuesday night where the external expectation will have been to put on a really good performance, it was nice that we were able to do that and get the rewards for all that intent, aggression and intensity in our play. We want to carry that into this weekend as well. I’m sure we’ll need that.

Might Joe Taylor start?

It’d be daft to tell you, but every week I make sure to think about which team gives us the best opportunity from the start and how the game is going to look at the end from the bench because both things are important to me.

Joe’s working really hard and knows I know that as well. I’ve told him as such. I’m really pleased with his work in training and how he dives into his duties when he gets on the field, whether that’s from the start or from the bench.

That will always go in waves and cycles for everybody, but the whole group is really dialled into the fact they aren’t going to start every game. The fact we have the quality we have, we know that’s going to be the case.

Is Taylor happy with that?

You’d have to ask Joe on that. He’s a player who is as the whole group is, giving me completely what I’m asking for. His performances tell me he’s hungry, he’s willing, he’s desperate to show he’s ready, and I can see another 23 guys doing the same thing as well.

For Joe specifically, he need to keep showing he’s working as he has done and he knows there will be opportunities for him.

Can Taylor and May start together?

Pretty sure they have already. How did that go [against Reading]? Yeah, we did alright, didn’t we? I think that answers the question. They can, they have, they will, they probably will again at some stage.

Marcus, Joe, Alfie, Leo, Will, Ben, Ruben, Zepi..all of the have the ability to play in several positions, and there’s other names I should have mentioned as well - Bojan and a couple of others. They all have quality and that’s why I’ve brought them all in and I’ll looking forward to see them all playing together.

Could Zepiqueno Redmond start on Saturday?

I think he needs a bit more time. He’s younger so that’s something we’ve got to be mindful of. His pre-season has been not as well-rounded as Will’s just by nature of the situation at his parent club, and players can spend one or two days in limbo when they don’t know if a move is happening or not.

We’ve got to be mindful of all those things and whether or not that puts him in a position to be involved at the weekend, I’ll need to think long and hard about, as I’m not willing to put people in situations where we’re putting undue risk on them.

He’s training and training really well and enjoying himself.

Marcus Harness

Thoughts on win over Newcastle U21s

It was good. We got some good minutes into the lads and Will Alves looked sharp when he came on. It’s six goals and three points so we’re happy.

It’s difficult for academy lads to play against a real experienced opponent and it’s not nice being on their side, but it’s a difficult game that needs to be respected. They’ll have a lot a talented lads who will have really good careers.

First goal

It’s been playing on my mind a bit and it feels a bit cheap when it’s a penalty but I’m sure more goals will come.

There’s a few things I’m focusing on to try and contribute to the group, but goals and assists in my position are an easy one for people to see. I’m always trying to contribute in that way, but there’s other things I highly value so I’ll not kill myself that they’ve not come yet.

Leadership role

With the experience I’ve got now I think it’s something I can really grow with and help some of the younger lads a lot, and being familiar with the system already I think I can help in that way. Sometimes it’s about talking to the other lads as well as trying to put the ball in the net — though I’m trying to do that as well!

We need a bit of both. I need to be one of the lads to try and put the ball in the goal but all the successful teams I’ve been part of have been group focused. If we go and get promoted or win games we all win. I’d rather that than be the one who scores in a 2-1 loss.

Is Lee Grant different as a manager than as a coach?

I don’t think so, it’s been very similar. What you see in the media is just the same, it’s just him. It’s been an easy transition for me and I think the lads have really taken on what he’s trying to put across and I think it shows with the football we’re playing and the results we’ve had so far. We’ll keep pushing to try and improve and keep winning.

We work on scoring all types of goals really. We try and build from the back a lot, but we’re not too proud if they’re really pressing us to hit a ball straight over the top to create an opportunity. There’s no goal we’re not trying to score and I think that’s why we’ve scored a lot of goals already this season.

Hopefully we’ll only get better and that and come the end of the season we’ll have a good goal tally and that will put us in a good place.

Similarities and difference to Ipswich

I obviously understand things that we’re trying to work to, and having that relationship with the manager already I can maybe try and help in different ways as well. Whether I knew the manager or not I’d be trying to do that anyway, it’s just I already have a picture of what we want to do.

I think the principles are the same in any football team, but the way you get the that in different games against different opponents is where it changes a bit. We’ve changed game to game and tweaked little things along the way.

I think the amount of investment that’s been put into the stadium, the squad, I can definitely see some similarities. It’s a really good place to come into work and that does come with external pressure, but all we can do is concentrate on doing what we do from day to day and the rest will land where it lands. I think that will land where we want it so, so it’s hopeful.

Work off the ball

In the summer I’m not a big fan of running! But when there’s a game on I’m just trying my best to help the team. Whatever work needs doing for the team I’m happy to do it.

With the lads we have on the bench, if you give it your all and go off on 65 minutes, you know you’ve got a good chance of going on to win it. We’ve seen it already that we’ve scored a lot of goals late on and got goals from the bench, and it’s something the lads have really taken on.

Thoughts on Peterborough ahead

We have to respect them and their qualities and why they can be dangerous to us. We’ve just got to try and do our job as best we can to try and give them no hope in the game, but obviously it’s not going to be that easy.

Playing against teams that people on the outside say should win on form, it kind of takes the pressure off and makes it a free hit for them. We need to try and limit that for them in the game.

We’ve got to try and do what we’ve been doing. No game is going to be easy, we’re not naive enough to think that.