After last Saturday\u2019s debacle of a press conference when I was asked just two questions, I\u2019m assuming today\u2019s engagement will be brief and I can go back to selecting my team to face Portsmouth.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an interesting consideration because Portsmouth are actually doing really well under interim boss Stuart Pearce in League One, they\u2019re second behind Charlton Athletic. In fact, if you\u2019re in the North West then League One will be your league to follow as there\u2019s Fleetwood Town, Wigan, Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool all pushing the top two for promotion. There\u2019s the added bonus of Yorkshire\u2019s Bradford City deep in the relegation mire.<\/p>\n
Apparently, there\u2019s 15 journalists in the press room for this one, so perhaps there will be plenty of questions to sink my teeth into.<\/p>\n
Reporter:<\/strong> The draw for the FA Cup has been rather kind to Swansea, matching your side against Portsmouth, a considerably weaker opponent. Is that an assessment you agree with?<\/p>\n Me:<\/strong> I actually think it\u2019s tougher than people realise and we\u2019ll do very well to get through. They are eight games unbeaten and second in their league, so high on confidence.<\/p>\n Reporter:<\/strong> Last time out against Crystal Palace your team played very well. You must be hoping the side carries that form into this next game?<\/p>\n Me:<\/strong> Everybody knows that we have to keep working hard to put together a good sequence of results. We can\u2019t think this will be won by just showing up, everybody must concentrate and contribute.<\/p>\n Reporter:<\/strong> Might you have a problem motivating the team against opposition like Portsmouth? Complacency must surely be an issue ahead of this match?<\/p>\n Me:<\/strong> Portsmouth are very capable of beating us, especially if we turn up and try to just go through the motions. It\u2019s imperative we approach this professionally. If I detect a player is lacking motivation, they\u2019ll be dropped.<\/p>\n Reporter:<\/strong> The game against Portsmouth is one your team should really be winning, but upsets happen every season. Are there any nerves among your players at the possibility of being embarrassed here?<\/p>\n Me:<\/strong> They\u2019re certainly aware of the possibility. Will that have an effect? We\u2019ll have to wait and see. We\u2019ve caused upsets ourselves recently so we\u2019re no stranger to that.<\/p>\n Reporter: <\/strong>You don\u2019t seem particularly confident – are the nerves starting to get to you too?<\/p>\n Me:<\/strong> There\u2019s always a little tension pre-match, it\u2019s nothing out of the ordinary.<\/p>\n Reporter:<\/strong> Recent reports have suggested that you are keen on making Tammy Abraham\u2019s loan stay a permanent one. Are you prepared to go on record with your thoughts on this story?<\/p>\n Me:<\/strong> I\u2019m not sure that\u2019s a realistic idea at this stage. Why are you obsessed with money and transfers? How much was Mahrez? How much was Cantona?<\/p>\n With that response, the press conference ends. Perhaps it\u2019s wise considering that\u2019s the second time I\u2019ve been asked about Tammy Abraham, the first was during my first press conference. My response as I recall was just as curt.<\/p>\n What I\u2019m really thinking about is how many players I can rest and us still emerge victorious to progress one more round, which is one more round closer to my dream of leading Swansea out at Wembley. I keep getting told that I\u2019m a Cup manager, the majority of my success has been in cup competitions so I\u2019m fully embracing that moniker.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After last Saturday\u2019s debacle of a press conference when I was asked just two questions, I\u2019m assuming today\u2019s engagement will be brief and I can go back to selecting my team to face Portsmouth. It\u2019s an interesting consideration because Portsmouth are actually doing really well under interim boss Stuart Pearce in League One, they\u2019re second […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":17735,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[248,259],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n