Adkins on Christmas It’s a very busy period. We have tough games coming up. We’ve had a good training session today and we have players who have been injured returning. We will have to utilise the whole squad. We have to put ourselves int he right situation so players can get through the games. There’s short recovery in between. Sometimes you do all the right things on Christmas Day and don’t get the result. It’s interesting. Over the years I’ve tried many things. Time is a precious thing and it can be invaluable. I plan a month in advance so everyone can organise their lives. The players will have Christmas day off but that doesn’t mean they won’t prepare themselves. Adkins on the run coming up All the games will be ones to look forward to .They were in the Premier League last season they play good football but we’re in good form and then we have a very tough game at Preston on Boxing Day. Likewise, Leeds are flying and it will be a passionate crowd at Elland Road, they for me were the best team we have played in the division. It’s what you want. From my point of view I see our team totally committed and working hard together it’s another game to look forward to. Adkins on injuries Reece and Jordy have trained today, Evandro trained today. We had 23 outfield players today so that’s pleasing. I have to make a decision now. Jon Toral has been training for the last 10 days, same as Evandro, is he at the level needed? We don’t want to be in a situation where we’re making subs at half-time. We’ll see about Eric. Burke and De Wijs have trained today for the first time in the main group. I don’t want to risk anyone. Adkins on Mazuch and Weir Ondrej has trained well this morning and I was rally pleased. I was also mindful of Ondrej’s previous history. I can envisage that we will be utilising the squad. I was pleased for James as an individual.TO BE OUT FOR MORE THAN A YEAR your mental resolve has to be strong. He played 60 minutes for the under-23s. I’ve been really impressed with James but he needs a longer period of training with us before he is ready. It is a big six months for him because he is out of contract. He is building his level of fitness and robustness to deal with the demands coming his way. Adkins on the transfer window and Elphick Villa have not made any calls to us to say they want Elphick back. We have a recruitment meeting this afternoon. The January window is a great window for speculation. I’d like to keep the group together. Might one or two leave? Maybe that’s football. We’ll have to see about the finances about bringing players in. We might have to be reactionary, you just don’t know. We will have to wait and see it might be a moving situation. We’re aware of players out there that we have been tracking that might improve the group. Tommy has been excellent. Him and Martin have been excellent with the level f professionalism and how they talk to everyone. They are so supportive. I’m not saying we need to sell. Something might happen I’m just saying and we will have to react to it. We carry on as we are. The January window is a window where you have to react. We’ll have to wait and see. Adkins on the window It’s football from my point of view all I cans say is that the players are working really hard and we need that to continue. It is what it is. I’m not going to sit here and whinge. The owner says he’s trying to sell the club and whether that happens who knows? That’s the reality but I look at the positive side that we can keep players. If someone is sold for big money, the positive is that we can hopefully reinvest. We’re not in a position where we will go out and spend money at this moment in time but we will see what materialises. We tried to sign players in the summer but that didn’t materialised. It’s one of them until players sign paper you don’t know. The one thing is you need to keep that base of players to keep improving. We have two loan slots. But likewise we would rather have a player permanently and make sure there is a pathway for the youth team.
Evandro , is 2 weeks away , sorry but it's funny , I suppose he has made more appearances than Ritchie Appleby though
Didn't Evandro follow Marco Silva from club to club? (Looks like Marco parked him with a 'loyalty/thankyou' contract and salary for his declining years...)
They've already got Xmas day off , who wants 2 days . My brother used to pretend he was going to our game , wait for his Mrs to leave for the in laws and sneak back in
Not unless they pick 6 yellows up in this game ... already gone past the 5 card rule a couple of weeks back
No he didn’t, he signed him twice, once for Estoril and once for us and he did so because he’s an excellent footballer.