PRE-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE: Neufville looks towards Mansfield

Well, Josh, good to see you again. Um, start with last night, obviously not the result that you were you were hoping for. What was your reflections on how things panned out? >> I [clears throat] think, um, looking back at the game now, um, especially the second half, we had more than enough chances to to win the game. Um I think it was quite evident um probably from fans point of view and obviously playing as well. Um but I think it was just one of them games where if we're not going to win the game, you definitely don't lose it. Um and obviously the goals you conceded ain't something that's um of our normal nature if we're going to concede a goal. Um as our injury as our um conceding goals, it's not really something we do. Um definitely wasn't last year and I don't think it'll be a theme this year as well. So upon reflection, I think it's it's obviously performance we can build upon. Um definitely wasn't the worst performance in the world, but obviously we could have on another day we take our chance to win the game. >> In that reflection process, is it as a group a time to have honest conversations or is it a very easy thing to just identify as you've outlined there and that just take those chances? >> Not a crisis or anything. I think it's just kind of understanding where we are. um especially looking at the good things. I think it's easy when you lose a game to look at all the bad things and the negatives that have happened in the game, but especially the way we played as well. As I said in the second half as well, there's a lot of positives to take from the game and a lot of things we can build upon. >> Are you encouraged then on that side of it despite the result the the attacking chances that you were able to create as a group? And I mean the numbers speak for themselves. You you outweighed in a lot of those columns. Yeah, I think it's always important to kind of look at the especially in a negative situation, look at the positives in the game. Um, but especially in the way we played. Um, there was obviously certain things we want to work on probably being cleaner in possession and less turnovers and winning more jewels and so on and so forth. And then obviously not conceding the goals we concede. Um, so obviously we want to build in the the the negatives in the game as well. Um, but you've got to look at it two ways and not get too high with the highs as well. >> Yeah. And I suppose like the immediacy immediacy of it, sorry, is is felt at the moment, but actually more broadly. It has been quite a positive start to the season, hasn't it? Prior to those two games, you've got four wins against good opposition as well. >> Yeah, listen, this it's been a start that we want to build build upon. I think in a football season, you can never get too high with the highs or too low to low. So when you're winning them games, you don't get carried away and think think you're going to steam the league. um these these situations will always occur and they will occur again. So I think it's just something how we stick together as a group. >> From an individual standpoint, just looking at your own performances, you you seem to be really enjoying yourself on that right side. You were getting around your mind quite a lot last night. >> Yeah, that's whatever I can do to kind of spur the team on to to our end goal as as I'd say. Um imposing myself from the game, whether that's creating assists or creating chances and trying to beat my man. Um but obviously as well having that defensive role and responsibility in the press and obviously tucking around when when the ball's on the other side and kind of helping out whoever's playing the right center back role. >> What do you see this season for you as? I mean obviously you talk about the team and that's the absolute priority in how things unfold, but just looking at how you performed last season, the numbers that you were able to to gain last season, do you what you what is the target so to speak in regards to how you develop this season? Um definitely build on the performances from last season first and foremost. Um you can say about numbers wise, but I think if you focus on performances, the numbers come itself. So I obviously want to get more goals and assisting I did last season, but I want to improve on the performances and be more consistent over the course of the season rather than having little dips in form. Um so that's that's kind of what I'm kind of focusing towards this season. And then I believe all the the the bonuses as you say the goals and the assists kind of come after the performances really. >> How did you find last season you know first season at the football club playing at league one level playing consistently routinely throughout. >> Um it was different definitely different is a different style I played in I'm used to obviously we're playing back before but it's a different role that we're playing here different level of intensity and in terms of pressing and so on so forth. um new surroundings moving up north and then new teammates as well and I think there was a greater demand to to do well last year. Um I think we kind of created our own pressure by giving us such a good start last year which then meant that when we was at home teams were coming to play us and they were they were set up to kind of defend against us I'd say rather than being a team that people think they can come and run all over. I think we kind of made um Valley Parade a fortress and I think even away from home we found games tough definitely the second part of the season because of people what the way people wanted to set up. So it's definitely a good insight to the league and what um what teams are like and I think this season the the standard and the quality of players will definitely improve given who's come down and who's come up and obviously the signers that teams um that already in the league have made. So it was good for me to understand the level um and kind of understand how I can impose myself in the games. >> Do you think that element of pressure is maybe present now as well given a fourth place finish last season you're inside the playoffs in a really good campaign. Teams at this level now know what you're about and they will look at you as a as one of the the teams to look at and the teams to maybe try and beat. Do you think there's an element of that more earlier this season than in comparison to last season maybe? Yeah, I think the manager said about how we was a top six team yesterday, so you can that kind of says that they had emphasis on having a game plan to stop um a side that was obviously up there last year. Um we obviously had a good away win at Chef Wednesday and I think that kind of shock wave throughout the league to say we're we're still here. So then obviously [clears throat] that creates underlying pressure um not something that as a group we feel as such but as externally it'll be sort of a good pressure I should say um to to kind of do well and I think as I said the start last season which is probably the reason why we had that sort of pressure. I don't think anyone thought going into the season apart from us that we've got to do what we've done. So yeah it's a good pressure to have to be fair. >> Yeah. And in terms of yourself as well Josh you know that that that own pressure that you put on yourself. I know you're an ambitious player and I know how hard you work to to improve. Does does that still maintain your drive? You know, how much pressure do you put on yourself? >> Um, more than probably come across. Um, but again, that's that's more of a internal thing. Um, I think you have to have a certain level of pressure you have to put on yourself to be able to perform at a certain level every week. Um but being consistent in that in that realm is the [snorts] most difficult part. Um to cons to to turn up every day and kind of not just play well on a match day, but train well cuz I think the way you train will put you in goodstead for a match day. >> Um so you have to sort of have a certain level put put yourself under a certain level of pressure especially in the games and it don't half help when we've got 20,000 a home game. um it kind of helps um settle that I'd say. Um but I think when you want to when you want to do well as well um individually to help the team I think you have to have a certain level of pressure. >> Where does that mentality come from? Where do you where do you get that drive? [clears throat] >> Um a number of reasons. uh probably adversity coming through when I was was younger at um Luton. Obviously not making it through there as uh I think I should have and then obviously an injury that put me out for a while when I was there. So that's probably why I had that sort of certain level of wanting to spur on to to to play higher obviously with the club. Um so it's it's something I've kind of lived off by my whole career kind of wanting to kick on and having a underlying desire to to do well. um and not wanting to settle to be mediocre, I should say. >> Yeah. And just finally from me, you're you're a year into this Bradford City journey then. Is is that is that environment that you're in right now giving you that opportunity to to meet that pressure, meet those internal ambitions and drive yourself? >> Yeah, I think last year I said about the the players that we had at the club and we'd brought in in the summer that had over that um League One promotion experience. um senior players that have been done it and then obviously this year we we're bringing in players done it. It's an ambitious players with we're bringing in um especially in the league for for the quality of the league as well. We're bringing in players that are at the top in the league one. So it obviously aligns with everything that I want to do in terms of putting yourself under a good pressure to do well. >> Thank you. As you just said, new players have come in, particularly in center midfield and some at the back, but they they seem to have slotted straight in, which must make it easier for players like you who are already part of the team. >> Yeah, I think um preseason's all about not just everyone getting together, but the gap are having a certain way of playing where there's no gray areas and it's pretty black and white. Um so that means that the players that come in they understand their roles pretty quickly and if they don't the lads that have been there before can help them um kind of do that. >> And as you said great away win at Sheffield Wednesday which sent out Walling into the rest of the league but it must also be something you can look at and go yeah we've lost two games but look what we can do and build on that. >> Yeah exactly exactly. I think it was um similar to the stop put away game last year when we went 1 nil down and then we beat them 2-1 away. Um I think that was probably a message to the league at that time and it was also a reminder throughout the season that when we had our bad away from that these are the away forms where we wouldn't beat Cardiff away stopp away all these teams something you can look back and say that we're we're a good side. Please >> Josh, talking to the manager about you before the start of the season, he was sort of saying you thought you'd come back a bit sharper and a bit fresher because you'd had a a good break because last year obviously going to the playoff final. It was such a short gap. I mean, do you feel a difference in yourself because you had a chance to, you know, recharge the batteries sort of thing. >> Yeah, I didn't really have much time off um last year. So, um, you always feel a little bit, uh, fatigue going into a bit of a season, but that wasn't really an excuse cuz I think I started the season more anyway. So, it's it's just one of those things. And then obviously you go away in the summer and you work on what you need to work on. Um, and you kind of tailor yourself to towards what you're going to do when you start the season. So, yeah. Um, feeling a lot sharper, but again, it's just all about what happens on a match day. I was going to say because you talk about, you know, the pressure and putting on yourself and the pressure around you. In fact, you've had two back-to-back playoff campaigns. You know, that's that's a lot of games and a lot of high pressure games, isn't it? You know, there's no sort of dead games in any of that. >> Yeah, I think I've played quite a lot of games in the last two years to be fair. Um but that's probably down to obviously the work I do off the pitch um to allow yourself to play these games and then obviously trying to put yourself at a certain level of um a high standard to kind of win the games as well was all going to well being part of a game but if you don't win I don't see it's not the it's not the same for me. So yeah it's just putting yourself in them situations when you're winning the games. I was >> going to say you must pride yourself on the appearances. Did you get to sort of the end of the season, you look how many games you've played and you thought that's >> Yeah. Yeah. >> I always do is always set myself I want to play every game. Um what I can to be fair. So some I've looked at I've always looked at um throughout my career. Um and then I think the only times touchwood that I've had them type of things when I've had long injuries my ankle and so so on and so forth. So um yeah, playing games is is a big thing for me. And obviously you sort of said about learn players coming in learning the system. You know you got players coming in now going to have to do the same. I mean did you you went from being a wing back to being a wing back here. Was that did that take a while to sort of get your head around the different sort of way they want wing back play? >> Yeah it took a while. It probably took even into the season um for me to actually fully understand it. I think at the time Brad was here so I could kind of lean on him for a bit of information and learn the role a bit and where I should be and where I shouldn't be. So I think that helped me quite a bit. Um and then obviously Gaffer playing the position he played when he was a player. It kind of helped that as well. So I think at the time last year we had a good group which allowed me to bed him well and understand the role. And then it's the same for the lads that come in this season. I think the core group that have stayed from last year can help them lads to kind of fit in and >> say you feel you can take on that role now. Tell someone else you know we like to play this way. >> Yeah. I think once you've been in the area is pretty black and white. So you can kind of help other people, younger lads or new lads to kind of understand where they should be cuz I think even if you play a certain position here, you can understand the roles of all the other positions as well. So it's it gets gets pretty simple once you get to to grips with the formation >> and the fact you've been here. Yeah, presumably for yourself it feels natural now. You don't have to because obviously when you're learning the role, you probably have to think what where I need to be. Does it sort of come like >> comes like second nature now I think after after a year being here or a year and however many months you kind of understand the role like a second nature. Yeah. >> The team have shown us a strong jaw Josh sort of since you've been here they might have had a defeat or a couple of defeats always sort of hit back pretty quickly haven't they? It's been one of the strengths. >> Yeah. Um I think last year maybe we went three games in January on the bounce or something like that. So this is these are going to happen in seasons and know I think after there was a big talk not really on Twitter or anything but it's a big talk about last January when we had our tough run about that could be defining factor of the season and I think we kind of proved that there's nothing that means nothing. Um you're going to have games where you're going to win games you're going to lose. It's very rare you're going to go the season invincible. So something that we just we know as players that you got to go through these stages and it's just about how you bounce back and having consistent performances. >> Yeah. I mean the sort of style of the team it sort of in the formation it's pretty much kept the same but other managers talking about little tweaks and this and that is your sort of role. Have you found little tweaks in your role this season? particularly. I think we we obviously want to play a bit more and get more get on the ball more and get the the outside center backs on the ball playing through the lines a bit more than we did last year. Um but as of as my position as much. It's not [clears throat] as much much tweaking has gone on to be fair. It's pretty similar to what it was last year. >> I think Jamie touched it a little bit. Do you feel what happened last season that as a team you've got a bit more of a target on your back almost this season given what you >> um to be fair after about five games in last year I think we had the same we wanted a good good start to the to the season and I think for some teams as well coming to play away at Bradford it's it's a good atmosphere so I think that sort of target kind of thing kind of come early last year um and then >> it's evident when you you beat Chef Wednesday away and you start season with a win and then you obviously still a big club anyway. It's just it's just evident. Um and then you could see last night [clears throat] the way they set up with their wing backs, they dropped so deep. So it allowed us to have more space with our with our outside center backs, but you could see that there was they were sat that deep and you can see Plymouth as well sat really deep. Their wing backs were almost like >> Yeah. >> No, their wingers almost like wing backs. They're into a back six and I don't think they ever do that. Um I know a lot of the lads there and they would never play that. So that's respect to us as well. Um given how we play. >> How's the pressure compare with the the pressure at Wimbledon? A different sort of pressure in it. >> Um yeah, I'd say completely different. Um that's more of a fan fan owned club. This is this is a lot different. I think also as well as being a up north there's a different type of pressure I think fans put on their their clubs compared to down south. Um, so I think that's that's a different thing and obviously as well playing for Bradford it's >> it's totally different. So I think you kind of as a player you kind of go one or two ways. You either relish it or you don't relish it. So it's just something I I like playing in front of. >> How's the pressure different then? It's quite interesting that >> um I think there's a bigger demand on kind of pressing um getting the ball up the pitch quicker um winning games of football as well. I think down the further you go down south, you can kind of get away with playing them more out the back. And I don't think fans are as aggressive on on the sideline in terms of winning and results and then even putting pressure on the opposition. I think the if you watch a lot of Yorkshire games, the the ball get [clears throat] put up to the striker as such quickly, quicker than you would see down south and it's it's a more aggressive atmosphere around stadiums. >> Yeah, that's interesting. I was just going to ask you finally, you touched on it. you know, you the inspiration when you you were rejected clubs as a young lad. Does that drive you seems to drive you every day, doesn't it? Really? >> Yeah. I think as well um they're obviously in the same division as as us now. Um which obviously gives you a kind of a as to where you are in your career as well. But not only that, I think you just want to prove to yourself what you can do. Um, I think it's one thing other people expected something from you, but you expected something from yourself is is also something as well. So, yeah, that's just something I I kind of strive towards most days.