Barnsley Press Conference - Wilder Interview

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Chris Wilder before Barnsley League Cup.

Q: We now face a midweek game what challenges does that bring?

CW:
Well, just we have a game on a Wednesday night and we have to deal with it. So, that is how it is with the Championship, we have to get used to it as well. We have got two midweek fixtures coming up early on in the Championship as well, the Watford and the Stoke game. So, we will have to get used to it. But it is not ideal, obviously with the situation we are in at the moment Rob with lack of depth we have got and a couple of conditioning situations that we are working through and obviously everybody would respect this if you were in March and it was the Quarter Final of the League Cup would we put a strong side out? Of course we would. At this stage of the season we have got a big game on Sunday as well, I think everybody respects that. But it is always the opportunity for young boys and this might be the start of somebody's promising Middlesbrough career that they get off and running with a really good performance on Wednesday night.

Q: This is an opportunity to win a game isn't it. Get in that winning mentality?

CW: Yes, I have always said there is no down side to winning. It is not doom and gloom. We are disappointed that we have not won one out of the two games and I think that everybody would understand that we have had great opportunities to do that but we have not taken those opportunities and we shot ourselves in the foot, especially on Saturday. But a lot of good things came out of the West Brom game and second half performance was terrific (on Saturday) where we absolutely dominated a team but finding that last little bit and giving ourselves a mountain to climb is going to make it double difficult, we can't afford to do that.

But I know where we are at. I know what our priorities are. I know position-specific what we need. I know what we need from mentality, I know what we need from the team point of view, what players we need to get in. We all know these things. I think that is the biggest frustration, Rob that I have known it for quite a long time. But knowing it and getting it done is two different things.

I don't want to give the game away but I know where we are at really and I know that if we had or could or maybe should, or been fortunate enough to do, would that have given us a better opportunity of winning both games? Absolutely 100%. But the game doesn't work like that and it has been obstacles put in our way in terms of the Djed Spence situation. Obstacles in terms of the Tav situation. So, these are things you have got to work around and work through. But I am sat here now knowing how I want it to look and if I got it to look how I want it to look then do I believe that we would have got more out of both games? Absolutely 100%.

Q: I guess you can take positives out of the fact on Saturday with the double change at half time, Paddy McNair coming on and picking them off with his passes and Chuba up front laying the ball off up front but you didn't have the depth on your bench when it came to the next change...

CW: 100% yes. 100% with Paddy. He is a huge players for us this season, so we know the importance of it. And Chuba has done great. I would have liked to have been in the situation where we would have started Chuba. Would Chuba have started if the situation was a little bit different? Then yes, of course he would.

But we are having to make … you know the changes we had to make on Saturday when we are in our flow. We had to bring Marcus Forss because he would have got injured and then he would have been out for 4 to 6 weeks. So, he had run his race.

We had to make a change at half time to get ourselves back in the game, so, as I said I think people understand the sort of issues that we have got at the moment and trying to work through it. With the last 15 minutes we have to make that change, we have to move... Does bringing a young 16 year old kid on Sonny bring us the best opportunity of getting a result? That is the decision I have to make or do I put an experienced one up the top of the pitch in Matt Crooks and hopefully things fill in behind with Tommy coming in. You know it is Championship football by the way, and QPR are going to be up there in my opinion with the players that they have got. So, the change as you can imagine is quite a difficult one. Keep Paddy there, keep Crooksy there, put on young Sonny. Or move Tommy to right centre half, put Paddy in midfield, put Crooksy up front . You know they are not straight forward decisions but still I think we all recognise in terms of everything that we did in both games, possession, chances created, crosses, where we got the ball to... but it means nothing because we didn't get a win out of the game or a result out of the game and so obviously that is the biggest stat that we all look at and one that we need to change.

Q: So, hopefully we can change it on Wednesday with a win

CW: Well, as I said to you we are not going in there with a negative attitude. I haven't got a crystal ball. If I had my full team out and where it is at, would it give better opportunity of winning the game? I suppose it would. And we all want to progress and go through to the next round. There is nothing in my personality or character that wants to go out of the competition as it stands and say lets get knocked out and we have got a bit of clearer run at it and this, that and the other. I think that would be quite disrespectful to me if people think that is my attitude towards it.

wilder presser 2022.jpg
 
The more he talks the less questions there are there to answer.A deliberate approach to press conferences in my view.
Not really at all. I could have asked another seven questions if I had wanted. He doesn't put a limit on it.
But Chris Wilder could plainly see there were only 3 of us at today's press conference. There was no tv. He does radio (Tees) separately. Gazette and Echo had already asked their questions. I only usually ask a couple of things so I am thinking he wanted to make sure it was worth my while travelling there for 9am and worth it for everyone else tuning in.
Sadly, I don't think I can make it for 9am Saturday. But hope that these little interviews give you something back from the Boro manager.
For one thing you can see again he is in a relaxed mood. He might be worrying about his limited options in the squad but he isn't banging the table in frustration or anxiety.
 
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