POST-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE: Alexander on first game of the season

Well done. Must be a very pleasing start to the season for you. >> Yeah, really pleasing. I thought the the performance was really strong all the way through the game. I thought the the intensity we played out was was excellent. I thought we could have took the lead obviously in the first half, hit the woodwork twice, and had a few other opportunities flashing across the goal. Had to make sure defensively we were strong because they've got a lot of attacking talent through throughout their team. And you know, if you're not you know, switched on, connected, then they can hurt you cuz they're they're a good team. But um I said at halftime that we have to keep this intensity up. We have to keep banging the door, you know, it's difficult for the opponent to to stand up to it. And I thought we did that all the way through the game. I thought it was a real strong performance and obviously yeah, to win 2-0, keep a clean sheet, which sort of the game got a bit open in the last 10 minutes, you know, they're they're gambling a little bit more and stretching the game. But I thought there was some real strong performances today from individuals and of course you know, made the team. >> What you sort of said about halftime, presumably it was a case of just keeping that that vibe going because obviously the first half performance was very good, but it went in 0-0. >> Yeah, but you know, it's it's it's important for us to to understand not everything's just going to go our way all the time and there's going to be a little bit of frustration sometimes or disappointment and and the lack of end product, but as long as we keep the game strong, we keep knocking on the door, never lose heart, always be positive in our mindset, the next action is the most important one. I think that will build up our resilience to seeing games through and uh I thought we did that. I thought we controlled where the game needed to be for us. And two different goals, similar to last week to be fair. And delighted cuz we've you know, we've got good quality in our squad I feel to be able to take the opportunities when they come along and I thought we showed that today. >> Yeah, I think so. >> Colly, you just sort of saying about the the quality of delivery as well, the set piece. >> Yeah. >> Callum Connolly, we mentioned it last week again. >> Yeah. >> Another another good ball in there several times. >> Yeah, well, that was in the second half cuz first half was rubbish. So, uh and I don't I don't I thought he was a bit too safe with his delivery and you know, I just said it half time about believing in it and just commit to it. If it goes wrong, don't care, but commit to it. I thought he was just too safe with his delivery in the first half and then obviously second half he's he's he's got he's got great technique and we got people who can attack it as well. So, I thought um we look in the last two games quite threatening from those set piece opportunities. And but also we we create a lot through open play as well. >> And and and the goal obviously, great ball in from Adam Phillips. >> Yeah. >> You know, uh in a way, it's a fair to say sort of Jake Beesley almost softened their defense up a little bit for for Nick Powell's goal because I mean, I thought you know, he he sort of ran himself into the >> Yeah. >> Jake Beesley and he was just he made sure they never got a clean header on anything, you know, he just seemed to be >> That's right. >> Any time the ball went up there, he was there. >> Yeah, 100%. I just said that out out there, to be honest. So, if you imagine being a center half and you've got to chase chase Beesley around for 75 minutes and Nick Powell comes on and pops you about as well. So, it's going to be a tough afternoon for people. So, uh but yeah, Beesley was still a goal threat for us, you know, we were getting crossed in, he's he's getting across people, he's he's always on that last line, which is really important for us. Um but we know the impact Nick has as well. Whenever he's on the pitch, he's um really good footballer, but in that final third in the box, he's uh he's movement's really good and his final final finishing is uh is excellent. So, I think um his goal today was a reward for how well he's worked over the the summer and obviously pre-season and uh we're delighted to have him in the ranks. >> That is great for yourself to have that one-two, isn't it? >> Yeah. >> Where you've got that, you know, that that physicality and also that that that real nous around the goal. >> Yeah, look, I think look, the game the game is a physical game. It's it's contact, it's running, it's you have to be physically prepared to to do what it takes to win. But without doubt, we've got quality throughout our our team and our squad. You can see that in the players that we have. I think we had to play slightly different today. Obviously, Peter Bird looked at what we did against Rochdale, maybe tweaked a few things to stop things, but we still found the the right passing lanes, the right passing options, and created a lot of opportunities, but we had to work exceptionally hard to do that. By no means was it an easy game, so we have to make sure that we're as as I said you on the week, we're comfortable when it's hard. You know, we is just the norm, and I think um I think we've got other players, you know, Bobby coming on. I think Swanny scored last week, then we got Bobby coming on at half time as a threat. You got Kayden, you know, stretching teams, then Adam comes on and gives that quality. So, we've got, you know, Sass coming on from midfield. So, I I think we've got some real talented footballers that can score goals. >> And getting those three points under your belt straight away, that that's sort of does it relax people, but does it sort of gets you sort of straight into that season, aren't you? You've got that first win under your belt. >> Yeah, yeah, I I think with um you know, obviously, we we each summer you form a new team. It's not a complete new team, but you know, with different relationships, different players. And there's always a sort of anticipation and trepidation about how how it's going to go. And you know, the more games you win, obviously, that gives everyone confidence and and strengthens the the work you do, strengthens the players' belief in it. And you know, I think pre-season has gone reasonably well. I think to start the season with two wins against two good teams, and being a dominant team was is is a good start for us. But the challenges will keep coming, they'll get different, they'll vary, they'll be harder, easier, but we've got to stay hard ourselves. We have to make sure that we don't relax, we don't try to look for any comfort, that we stay in our zone where we're pushing every envelope, we're always stretching our limits, and and show what we can do as footballers and enjoy the game, enjoy being at the sharp end of it and I think the the players do enjoy that sort of zone where they go to. >> And no Tariq today? >> No, he he pulled out training right at the end of training yesterday. He just had a shot, felt a little twinge, so we we're going to send him for a scan tomorrow and and see how that is. Uh I think we just want to get to the bottom of it straight away. We don't want to take any chances, you know, obviously the window's closing in a couple of weeks or in 10 days or whatever, so uh we have to find out, you know, we it's not a case of giving it a week and seeing how it is. We need to find out straight away, but um yeah, a little bit of a blow cuz obviously we want to keep all our players as fit as possible. Um but listen, we've got Ebby Eisa to to play on that left-hand side and I thought he played really well, especially second half. I thought he was I thought he was excellent today. >> I was going to say very very smooth transition into bringing someone like that. >> Yeah, exactly. That's Yeah, we brought Ebby in, you know, a year ago to to play that position. He's fluctuated between left of the back three and and left wing-back. I spoke to him last week after the Rochdale game about what he what we required from him in either position. I thought he showed that especially in the second half today, so um he's he's a talented footballer, brilliant guy. So it's yeah, it's it's a nice sweat one for for us, but we would like to have Tariq available as we want all our players available if possible. >> In terms of you mentioned the window, any any anything changing at all? >> Uh no, we've got a meeting on Monday, uh myself, David and and Genty about going through a couple of options about uh that's why we wanted to find out about Tariq cuz that might tweak something that we're looking at and um to see how if that's going to be a long one or just a a quick turnaround. Um but yeah, we've got a meeting next week cuz obviously the the clock is ticking and um we want to be as strong as we possibly can. >> Um this week compared to last week, you came out and were on it straight away. The The pace was there, the press was there. >> Yeah, I I just felt, you know, you know, like I said after the game last week, I think might have been lured into it being just a continuation of pre-season because of the the lack of like big numbers at at Valley Parade. You know, and you know, and being cup competition. So, I sort of gave the players a little bit of leeway in that, but you saw today, I think the response from the supporters before the game started, you know, just leading up into the kickoff would have got the adrenaline running through the players. They knew we were playing up against a good team. If you if you if you're not like that, then it can punish you. And I I I was delighted with how we started the game really aggressively and and had to earn the right to play our way and and earn the right to score the goals and no one's going to give us anything for free. And I thought we played really well to to get those three points today. >> And I think it was Josh and John went down and then of course Callum taking that blow today. How how are they? >> I think they're okay at the moment. I think Callum was actually coming off anyway. So, when he got the kick in the head, it was just a it was he was coming off just before that anyway. I think Josh is fine. I think John's fine. Yeah, I think everyone Yeah, I haven't spoke to Bobby our physio yet, but I think everyone got through the game okay. >> A lot of football intelligence on display there particularly in the second half. >> Yeah. >> You know, you scored the two goals at the right time just after half time. You were ruthless in the second half and then controlled the game once again like you did last week. >> Yeah, I agree with that. I think I think it's something that we we spoke about after the game last week about seeing our results in different ways depending on what the opposition do. I thought we were really patient. I thought I thought we had probably a 10-minute spell when they sort of gambled a little bit more. They and the pitch got really really big. It's why we were going to just make the change with Henry coming on fresh legs in the middle in the middle. After that point then I think we sort of just killed them with possession and and and there was no dramas towards the end, which was really important to us. So, um you know, you have to have that game knowledge, that intelligence throughout games to know what's expected, you know, read the room, so to speak. Read the game. And uh I think we've got a lot of experienced players out there. And and even the the younger ones like Bobby, they they and Josh, they're intelligent footballers. So, um you know, we've got to try and keep encouraging them. >> A lot of players were very comfortable on the ball as well, weren't they? >> Sorry? >> I said a lot of players that have been very comfortable on the ball. >> Yes. >> Keeping possession and using the ball intelligently. >> Yeah, 100%. I think um you know, it's something that we spoke about in the summer about trying to progress our game, trying to be better if we can, not changing it, not changing the the how we want to play and the intensity and all that sort of thing, but have better quality in different moments if we can. And I believe the players we've brought in have have added to that quality we have. And we already have talented footballers here. So, um if we can maintain that, we still want to be a hard team to play against. And but I think we're going to have to find different ways of winning because, you know, we we um there'll be different challenges all the way through the season. >> Thank you very much, Shaun. >> Thanks, Dave. >> Hi, Graham. Um big game coming up on Thursday. Do you think and do you think you might approach Wednesday the same way? Sheffield Wednesday on Thursday. >> [laughter] >> No, it's all right. Yeah. Yeah, look, I think it's I I don't do it for any um different reason apart from I think it's our best play to way to play. I think it's our best way of trying to win the game. So, I think we carry ourselves in a certain way where it's in doesn't always hasn't always worked out with we we way record certainly hasn't matched our home record, but I think that would be nearly impossible to do. But it certainly improved last season to the season before. We want to improve it again. Um but the one thing we do is we want to have that um that identity about us um about our game where it needs to get to. And um I'm not playing second best to any opponent, you know, we don't always come off on top, but we're certainly going to the game ready to trust ourselves, to trust our game, to trust our training, and trust our teammates, and and try and take the game to the opponent. I don't think that will change all season.