Pre-Match With Stephen Clemence: Carlisle United (A)

GA obviously really strong start of the Season moment building nice and quickly two wins from two you must be really pleased how it started I'm delighted um obviously we had two difficult first games um obviously W in the cup won the league uh crew were a difficult opponent so to come away Victory there was was fantastic and obviously portv um to get through into the next round where obviously now we Face Derby in round two um it's been a good start but that's all it is we got to make sure that um we prepare properly for the next game now try and keep this run going I mean with the two games it must be quite good to see the team on two different fronts in regards to crew you know is very tight probably more tactical game where you focus a lot on defending keeping them out and then Port Veil is a lot about character and you taking the chances I think um I think both games had had were had a huge tactical element to it um I felt uh we probably learned again after playing crew on a bit more about our press and how we go about things and I think we took that into the portb game um but there was even moments in at start of portb game where we didn't quite get it right and we made some adjustments and then I thought we got better as the game went on but um yeah they both look they both probably had more possession on the night than us uh but I felt we were the team that look most like scoring in both games which is which is pleasing so um as I said I'm not just a POS I don't see myself as a possession base coach um I want to be a coach that wins football matches and and thankfully um so far done okay I mean Bally on Tuesday night as the head coach it must really please you the fact that even when going behind there was clear trust from the players in the way that you were playing they didn't just switch up and try and something they trust the process and you know prevailed well I've made a big thing to them about starting well and we have started well in both games gone ahead U but obviously what happened the other night against Port Valle is all of a sudden we found ourselves 2-1 behind and uh so that was a different test for the players so now they're behind in a game and obiously there's still less than half of a game to go and to bounce back and to come and win the game 3-2 showed great strength of character from them all so um that pleased me uh because um it's easy when you're win in football matches and you're confident and it's going well but that's a real test for a football player when you go behind and how you going to react and are you going to still want the ball and are you going to still do the things that we've been working on and they did and I thought the the boys were fantastic and and they deserve their Victory obviously two very intense games particularly on Tuesday night very intense so how are the lads feeling now uh ahead of this weekend's game no we're feeling good we didn't do much they had a d on Wednesday and we didn't do too much today we've actually done more video work and unit work looking at uh both the games back the crew game and the portv and picking up bits and pieces where we can maybe improve and also showing them bits where they've done well uh so that was main mainly our training day today we have been on the on the grass but half the group um had another sort of second day recovery and the other half trained properly but tomorrow we'll we'll get our preparation in for for the car the car game I'll see say car up this weekend very tough opponent what are you expecting from them I'm expecting a a very tough game they've got a good manager um they're a team that's just come down from the division above they've got some good players um they're ambitious to do well this season in the division and I expect them to be up there and but I'm sure they'll be expecting a tough game from us too they'll have watched the the games that we've played this season um they'll have an idea what might be coming um just like we study them and um I'm expecting a very good game of game of football um and one that I'm hoping to come out on the right side of does it feel like a another game where the team continues to put a marker down on letting people know that they're a team who want to compete in this Division I think um that's always the aim I think uh look there's a number of players that have been at this football club for a little while now and and I think they've been putting down a marker for that time since they've been here so people are well aware of who Barrow are um I don't think anyone sees us as as an easy ride or an easy touch or whatever you want to call it um I think people respect us and uh and rightly so because we got some very good football players at this football club obiously with it being dby day this weekend you've played in some of the biggest deries England you've coached some of the biggest how do they manage the occasion well look I think they're great occasions and I think they're ones you should be looking forward to um I bet tell my most memorable moments in football playing in Derbies and um been lucky to yeah to playing some big ones um but look I know this game means a lot to the supporters uh it will mean a lot to us as well uh the staff and the players and we'll be giving our absolute all to try and get a result at the weekend um it won't it won't be easy um it'll be a difficult game but it um I think Derby Days it can't be all blood and thunder uh there still obviously is a a football game to be played and I think if you get carried away with the occasion and you don't keep a call head in that football game then uh I think often you can come out the wrong side of it so we'll have a game plan um and the boys will um the boys will be looking forward to it the boys will definitely be out for it and we'll we'll try go try and go there and get a result is it one of those occasions where you kind of use that as extra motivations at exra F the fire or is it more just trying to you know manage the occasion and keeping at what you're good at I think um I think you've got to make concentrate what what you're good at um but I think um I think look it's not a game that you need to fire the boys up for is it normally a derby day they know what it means to everybody they don't want to let anybody down and and they'll be going out there to give it their absolute all um and um and if they do that I'm sure the boys will give carile a very good game and I'm sure we'll have a great chance in it so