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Transcript
00:00I don't mention Stuart before, is he in your thinking?
00:02Do you think he's ready for the Championship?
00:04Has he got a lot of learning to do? Where do you think he's at?
00:09I've been impressed with how he's responded because
00:13he sort of missed out on a loan opportunity,
00:15which I thought would have been really good for him.
00:17But the fact we put him in the squad,
00:20I think you've seen, if I don't think there's an opportunity for that, I won't.
00:24We had a game two weeks ago where we were a man down on the bench
00:28because we had an illness.
00:31Now, you'd usually take an extra body, but in that instance,
00:34I thought the young lads staying behind were better off getting a game here
00:37than being on a bench where there would always be someone to go on the pitch
00:42instead of him. Does that make sense?
00:44But we took later in the week and when we had a game,
00:46he could have been preparing for the game because if we did have an illness,
00:49especially at the top end, he'd have been on the bench
00:51and chances are he would have gone on the pitch. Does that make sense?
00:53So he's probably pushed himself closer than where he was
00:56and that's reflected in him being picked in the squad.
01:00So, yes, he's trained well again today.
01:03Just the same as any other player, it's when you get those opportunities,
01:06you have to take them.
01:07Did the loan not happen for a few reasons? Did he not fancy it?
01:10Yes, just different reasons, yes.
01:12How tough is it to be a number nine in the Championship?
01:15I think his finishing was a big reason he came,
01:18but is there so much more you've got to do?
01:21Oh, yes, you've got to impact the game.
01:23You've got to help your team win.
01:25Listen, if you're a number nine who doesn't contribute anything to your team
01:30other than goals, you've got to score a hell of a lot of goals.
01:33So, yes, I don't think there's any players who get carried now in football.
01:38Not in successful winning teams.
01:40No-one gets carried for a different reason.
01:43You've always got to contribute every single game, with the ball, without the ball.
01:47And the moment that you're not and you start weighing scales
01:51comes where you're taking more away from your team than you're giving
01:53and you can't play.
01:54So, yes, I don't think it's as simple as just if you're number nine,
01:59we're leaving the team hoping that you'll score.
02:01You either need to be scoring every week or contributing with and without the ball for your team.