Watch the Gaffer's pre-Mansfield interview here…
The Gaffer on whether changes in personnel will be made…
There could be one or two, but I'm not one for really making six or seven changes when you don't have to. I think we've got to challenge the lads to go again for the large part and put in a better performance on Saturday.
On Mansfield's strong form…
They've been very impressive and are the form team in the league. It's credit to the manager and the players who have showed real consistent performances over the last couple of months. What we've got to do is keep dusting ourselves down and go again, and that's the mental strength that's required. It's two Yorkshire derbies now to really get stuck into and we're really looking forward to both challenges.
These are two big clubs that will be aiming for promotion, without a doubt. We all are but at the end of the day but there is probably more expectation on these two clubs to go up this season. For us, we want continual progression.
But we also have that understanding that this is our second year in the EFL, we've got new challenges, big setups we're visiting but we all have our own expectation levels and we want to be winners.
On whether a run of home games comes at a good time…
Definitely. I think we got it wrong last week in terms of traveling down to Sutton the night before a night game and then traveling back straight after. Some lads had taken their kids to school the next morning after getting in at five and up at half six with the kids and you don't quite catch that sleep up.
I thought that probably did add to a dreary performance on Saturday, and there were uncharacteristic errors in the performance and perhaps tiredness played its part. That's not pampering the lads too much because we know we underperformed.
On preparations for Mansfield…
Today we're doing young vs old and we're keeping it bright and breezy. The suns out, which is good, and let's get smiles back on the faces of the players, because none of them have the intention of losing the game three nil or for nil.
We've had a couple of bloody noses and it hurts as we're not used to that. We're used to progression and relentless effort and energy levels but the other day, I think it caught up with a few and it can be misconstrued as a lack of effort and desire. I would never say that our lads lack the desire to do well for the badge.
The message to the group…
Be right up for it and be first on each occasion. It needs effort and desire to get to the ball. If we could have accepted this position at the start of the season, then we would have done.
We have to establish ourselves as I remember a decade ago thinking we've got it all on to just establish ourselves as a Conference North outfit and try to get to mid table. Each league is a big step up and we have to give these lads an opportunity to keep going with this.
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