Town Head Coach Luke Williams addressed members of the local media earlier today ahead of his side’s vital Sky Bet League One clash against Chesterfield at The County Ground on Saturday. Here are the key points from his pre-match press conference…
ON TRAINING AT THE COUNTY GROUND TODAY:
“It was actually recommended to me by someone who gives me advice from time to time - I won’t reveal who it is - and he said maybe it was an idea to put the boys on the pitch and give them a little lift.
“We’re not blessed with the best training facilities day-to-day and as the winter months progress, those facilities get worse and worse so it was a boost for the players to be on a great surface.
“It wasn’t such a boost for the Groundsman but he’s fantastic and he took it better than I thought he would.
“He’s put the pitch back fantastically well, it plays great and the boys love it.
“Training has been very good and I’m aware that the players all love the fact that they can walk straight out of the changing rooms and onto the pitch and have a great surface.
“It was a nice experience for them.”
ON COMPETITION FOR PLACES:
“Everybody is desperate to play and it is part and parcel of football. Not everybody can play, I would love it if they could, and I need to try and manage that process and the players need to take it upon themselves to be responsible with how they handle it.
“That way everybody can be involved and be ready to step in.”
ON NOT GETTING COMPLACENT:
“I would like to think that they are not silly enough to think that anything has been achieved, because it hasn’t.
“There is certainly a lot more work to do and what they’ve done is given themselves a chance - that’s all they have done to this point.”
ON JAMES BROPHY AND BEN GLADWIN PLAYING OUT WIDE:
“Both players pose a big problem because they can come inside and the way they are set up at the beginning of games is that they can come inside the field and they can make passes into the box on that angle or they can switch the play and find the space that has been left on the far side.
“But, and particularly with James, he can run down the line and show you the ball which is very unusual.
“Ben is capable of using his left foot and shielding with his body and he’s happy to do that.
“Both players can cause a problem either way and they both back themselves to go in-field. James had an effort at Coventry that he made by coming inside the pitch and shooting and he did it against QPR earlier in the season.
“They are very capable and both players are very difficult to deal with in a one-on-one situation.”
ON CHESTERFIELD:
“They were impressive on the day when we played them earlier in the season and we did have a few injuries that day and we didn’t do ourselves justice.
“I certainly didn’t expect both teams to be at this end of the table and so far down.”
ON CHESTERFIELD BOSS GARY CALDWELL:
“I like Gary very, very much and I was very impressed with his Wigan team last season. I would say that it was his team because he had the time to work with that group of players.
“I am very impressed with how he carries himself as a man as well and I expect Chesterfield will always be looking to improve and Gary won’t throw the towel in.
“He’ll be doing the work and that is a concern for us.”
