"I'm delighted with that, it was pretty good and against a top team, but - it's pre-season so lets not get carried away. The performance was good and exactly what we asked for before the game, but we also performed pretty well on Saturday against Huddersfield. We just asked the players to try and be better than that, and they did. If you're not delighted with beating Leeds United 4-0 then there's something wrong.
We do have to manage the expectation from this, but it's still a feather in the cap for us. Nobody remembers pre-season games though - the most important thing for us is Port Vale on 07 August, but that performance going into the big games such as Port Vale, and the confidence gained from these sorts of performances can only help.
We moved the ball around pretty well and we used the two shapes again, which makes us more flexible. Though I can't say that we have been working on those shapes because we haven't done any work on shape whatsoever, but the players are really receptive to what we are trying to do. We had a little trouble with it in the first half but once we got a grip of the shape and what we were asking, it was a lot better. I thought we looked really lively.
There's a lot of movement going forward and it's exciting to watch. I said at half time that the supporters come in and they are excited, you can see it and you can feel it that behind me, when certain players pick up the ball and they move it quickly, they are excited. That's what we are trying to do, we are trying to bring young players through. Obviously we have supplemented that with some experience, but that's our job - to bring these young players through and even without the numbers, there is a really good atmosphere running throughout the team. Plus its pretty competitive.
If anything, we are a little bit predictable and I don't want that. I want a flexible shape that makes it difficult for the opposition. Once we got a grip of it and the young players understood it, it became easier for them. The midfield players can move the ball around and they had quality on the ball. I have to say that I enjoyed it, but let's not get carried away.
With all the strikers scoring goals, I now have a dilemma to contend with. That's the kind of dilemma that I want and I am pleased for Danny Carlton. He's been out for a long time but he got on and scored. Ryan Lowe, Danny Carlton and Andy Bishop are all fighting now because the shape that we played in the first half has only got one position available for them. There is some real competition for places there, which is ideal but a dilemma for me.
Danny Hudson and Max Harrop came on and they had a hand in two of the goals, for youth team scholars, they do give us some quality. They slotted straight in without really having any idea of what we are trying to do. We asked them to keep a shape, and once they get the ball - pass it. Joe Skarz has played loads of minutes over pre-season and I wanted to get Max on, he's a really good footballer. You can out him wherever you want and he will play there. We had a discussion on the bench and said lets throw him in there and see what he does, but again, he was pretty good.
We had the weekend away with the Army and it was fantastic. Everything that we wanted to achieve from it, we did and the players as always just went for it. The Army were fantastic with us and I really enjoyed it. There were quite a few times when I wasn't really enjoying it that much but there was a really good benefit for us. It was something different, we wanted to take the players out of the comfort zone and we certainly did that, not just with the players - but everybody. Brassy and myself also did everything the lads did, and I think that's important.
Damien Mozika also played for us on Tuesday and he's been playing in Iran. Our scouting network is unbelievable!!! I had a call from an agent last week and he mentioned him.I knew him and know that he's decent, so we've got him in. Obviously Lowey knows him as well from Chester. He's been in this league and he knows the league. So we will take a look at him and see if he fits in.
John Nolan I knew about, I went to the Premier League exit trials and saw him there. He's also got Ginger Hair so I kind of like him for that, so again we are taking a look and we will see.
Some of these younger lads are changing my mind on a few things, but I have wanted certain players for some time. I still have targets that I want to go and get, but the lads that have come in have done pretty well.
