Summary
PRESS CONFERENCE | BRENTFORD | STEVE COOPER nottingham forest news uk football soccer video premier league interview
because suppose your team looking any fresh injuries or anybody yeah unfortunately um Julian bianconi picked up a serious knee injury uh which is ruling him up for the season all right so really uh really difficult news for for him and obviously a blow for us as well as I know as a player that’s not featured too much but as a player that was making good progress and that we really like um so uh yeah we’re all obviously gutted for him because it’s a serious injury um and um and yeah it’s a blow to the group as well a couple of days ago in training yeah so uh when it happened we feared that it was something serious and scan scan confirmed it um other than that yeah apart from that it’s um nothing’s picked up from the weekend there’s been a few uh normal sort of knocks and things like that but uh um as we were really in terms of selection apart from Julian um so that was a blow and obviously a disappointing result last weekends as well for you to contend with how have you reflected on that where did it go wrong do you think well it was that it was a disappointing day and um performance result and everything else I went around it was um a lot that we expected and not uh not something that we um we intended to happen obviously um and um like the thing has been addressed clearly but like any game you know you have to um you have to draw a line under it once that you’ve you know reflected accordingly and let the players know you know how I feel about it how they feel about it and um you know obviously had some grown-up conversations around that but at the same time you do have to draw a line and move on and like anything in in life you have to you have to live and learn and a name to do to do better going forward so um yeah even you know the game the week before which was obviously you know a positive result and a good performance we still looked at that thoroughly and the process behind it and that’s done the same for the Arsenal game but all focus and All Eyes now we’re on on Brentford and um you know it’s uh it’s time to go to to back to the city ground and uh and uh hopefully put in a good performance and get the result that we really want so how do you stop performances like that affecting confidence you’re concerned that it has at all well I think it’s always good to uh to talk through exactly um how it is I don’t think you should ignore things I don’t think that you should shy away from things even if they’re difficult conversations and that’s including the players having their say um so um so that’s what we like to do and um like I said difficult moments are thinking about sticking together and to really talking it through and like I say aiming to draw a line and move forward and um you know we’re not like I say we’ve reviewed and dealt with it but you know we’ve not dwelled on it because like I said the most important thing is now we’re a couple of days away from the next game and um we’re just all committed and prepared to to playing at the level as needed to go win a game and you’re playing at home yeah um seven of your nine points to season have come at home what do you think is the difference in terms of playing at the city ground is it all about the atmosphere and well we won’t take it for granted that’s that’s for sure of course you know A lot’s been said about the atmosphere in our ground and the the support that we’ve um that we’ve been getting which are obviously we’re very grateful to and has helped us for sure uh on the days but we have to as I’ve said numerous times we have to not take it for granted and we have to make sure that we try our very best to keep it at that level because that means they play the supporters are supporting the team that they they are connected with and um if we get that right it means we’re playing well it means the support is a a right behind us and you know the stronger that we can make that connection the better it can be on on a match day but that doesn’t mean you’re going to win lose or draw a game but it can help you and um and that’s what we’ve got to aim for but I go back to we’ve got to really focus on on our bit and that’s that’s performing well and and showing the right level of attitude and commitment and and concentration um you know to to play at the required level and um if we do that like I said we don’t go we don’t get just give ourselves a chance of having a good atmosphere we give ourselves a chance of winning the game and that’s what we need to do what’d you make to Brentford they’ll be without either Tony does that make your task that a little bit easier well he’s obviously you know I haven’t Tony’s been a you know become a really top striker in in the league and um you know on a great journey to to be coming coming that you know working his way up but um so it’s still going to be a really tough challenge you know brentford’s um or a squad that um I know they have added over the transfer windows but they have a squad of players that have been there a while and there’s you know a lot to be said for that and obviously Thomas has been there with his coaching staff as well so they have good continuity and um I like all squads in the Premier League you always have to plan four players not being available in any position and I’m sure they will they will be the same but um um whatever team Brentford put out or any team in the Premier League is going to be a you know a tough Challenge and we’ll be planned for that but particularly after last week we have to really focus on our performance levels and um how we approach the game at home hoping that that’s the biggest factor in the game we’ve got to learn that of course but um now we need to um we need to be ready yeah well like as you said um the answer to that is yes um and and okay we had there’s a lot of Defending to be done in in the game I mean without going over all ground too much of course we had a bad start to the game going one little down in the first five or six minutes but we actually did okay after that until half time not perfect and but you know recognizing you playing top of the league away from home you know we were we were okay in the game and we started to have a few moments at the end and obviously the start of the second half was the bit that really needed sort of looking at and addressing and talking through the players um so to answer your question like I said before you you reflect and review and deal hopefully deal with things but try and learn from it and improve going going forward and um what I would say is just as we didn’t get too high after the the result the week before against Liverpool um we’re not going to get too low after this one um at Arsenal because that’s completely counter counterproductive we have to um as I said review the game deal with it um but then move on and focus for the next one and you know we’re sitting there two days away from the next game um and I’m not thinking about the last game I’m only thinking about the next game and that’s where where I think it is with Jesse lingard was a lot of Hope and a lot of Buzz around the fans at side Institute a big name um you want him to bring confidence to the dressing room but sometimes you know the result last week and you watch him in the game do you sometimes think that the pressure is diminishing I think it’s difficult really in in a game like last week to talk about one player and because that was a collective effort just like it was the week before against Liverpool you know it was never and it’s not going to be any one-man show uh or even two or three it’s gonna be a real Collective and and not not just the players I include myself and staff and and even when we play even the supporters and anything that we do uh we we lose or draw you know we want to do do it together I understand around Jesse because of where he’s played his football before and international stages there’s always maybe a bit of extra thinking but we we don’t think like that we have to treat them for um for what it’s worth like every everybody else and what I do know is is that Jesse is is um working really hard on the training ground um he has a very positive influence around the place in a professional way and like everybody else we’re all aiming to improve to improve our situ situation and and um I’m I’m not one for treating anyone any differently um you know we want to treat everyone the same because that’s what we’ve got to be if we want to be as together as we as we need to be going forward and that’s basically how I see it for a newly promoted side of Brentford The Benchmark or the modern Benchmark for for recycling well they’re a good example in there of of being ready for the for the next step and being able to cope or even Excel you know like last year um so yeah this technique is definitely a good sort of reflection piece to look at them and there’ll be others as well around around the league that have you know done well in terms of not just getting to the Premier League but been able to to stay there so um so yeah you have to recognize that and respect it and admire it as well really in the progression that they’ve made over over the years I can’t say no Brentford that well as a club and and the strategies Etc but you know from the outside looking in they’ve only seemed to be improving in in so many areas and you have to look at that and like I say show a lot of respect to it interesting um I was I was actually gonna ask that almost a very similar question I wonder whether you say you don’t know them well as a club is that something you sometimes do as a manager or get jobs like that they come to the city grounds you try and sit down pray your post-match with people around clubs and go right what and learn those lessons so we try and beat them that’s really what we’re focused on no not on our match days no I think um it’s maybe maybe not so much first someone in my role you know my focus really is on there on the team and um and and what’s around the team on on a on any given day you know there’s different levels of executive levels and we have a sporting director now that would be more on the Strategic sort of longer term front so um but surely that does go on to clubs when you you know you have to look at um good and indifferent practice elsewhere and see you know what Learners that can be taken to to help your own club improve it’s a couple of six points per episode yeah how important for that one is for palm oil pressure and how important these next couple of games so that you’re not going yeah well it’s really important but we’re not on our own you know I think it’s important for everybody to be honest because this is a unique season in terms of the break and the World Cup um and you know you you often ask similar questions when you go into an international break about you know not going into the on on a low and I think this is a similar sort of um situation or a bit it’s a bigger Break um but um but it’s important to us but I think it’s important to to everybody and um I guess we’re all looking to um improve League positions whatever you are or sustain it if you’re at the different end to what we are we certainly need to improve our league position and our points tally so um but listen we’re not at the start of the season but we’re not at the end either so we have to um look at it and go we’ve actually got three games because of the The League Cup as well but there’s you know the six points to play for you everyone’s obviously playing to to get maximum points we’re no different um and you know let’s see how it goes but um yeah like I said important week um we take a game by game so we’re definitely not looking past uh Saturday um but but um but knowing that um you know we we have to have the right approach we have the right attitude and the mentality that we can succeed you know and we have to believe that thank you um yeah no he’s doing well yeah he’s doing well he’s he’s not with the group yet um but he is at the next stage of his um recovery which we see him often out on the grass doing some strong rehab work now with um with his boots on and um and and running and even a bit of ball striking so he’s definitely making good progress I don’t want to give it a date because um and we certainly won’t see him this week um but hopefully you know at some stage we’re going to return you we might be able to see him pretty soon which would be great no unfortunately not now I’ll finish you hi Steve I had just a couple of follow-ups for me um but that makes it made me sound like an obvious question but on the pitch what kind of test do you expect from Bradford Springs to the city around on Saturday well like I said um you know they have a team that’s been a lot of the team has been together a while and you know I seem really strategic in the players that they had in in the windows so they’ve had them for the for the right reasons of what they need and want um so yeah obviously a very together team and you know Thomas has been there a while as well with his coaching staff so um so I think you see a lot of continuity in a positive way with and consistency with with Branford um and for me I think that stands stands a lot you know stands for a lot and um you know they can play a number of formations and they can um play in a a couple of different ways with some of the the Tactical moves that they they will do and um and obviously they’ve got some some really some really well a lot of really good players that can you know make a difference in all areas of the pitch so um so we’re aware of that um and and ready for it but as I’ve said to your colleagues you know we have to really focus on um improving on the last performance but trying to be at the level required in any game in the Premier League and uh that’s really where our attention is on ourselves which is finally one phrase to keep hearing a lot of the minute it’s touching distance you know staying within a certain amount of points see there or thereabouts come the World Cup break how important is it going in I know there’s a couple of games left that yeah what is it that you don’t get cut off before the break well yeah like I said before Longway everybody’s got two two games to play six points and you know we we are different contacts because of League positions but we’re all in the same boat of wanting to go into the break on a on a high and wanting to um have some positive feelings at the end of this first first phase um and like I said we’re no different you know we’ll be going for maximum points knowing that’s going to be easier to say than to do but that has to be the the ambition but we ain’t looking past what it takes to do well against Brentford and trying to commit to that and giving ourselves the best chance to ever have a positive day you know we’re at home um you know last time we were at home it was good and we’ve got to try and replicate that and um but only we can do that but we’re in control of it so you know let’s hope we can commit to it