DC: “It’s a really tough place to go.”

Danny Cowley positively bristled with determination, candid speaking and a no-nonsense approach during his press conference yesterday afternoon.

Crawley: The club has a no excuses, honesty based and down to earth team. Against Bury, the management got the tactics, formation and team wrong and it was a credit to the players that they worked that game out. The management took responsibility for that with the players. Against Crawley, the players didn’t reach their physical and mental levels in the first half and they take responsibility for that. There were too many unforced errors with poor technical execution and it should not be overlooked that Crawley deserve credit for playing well. The squad have worked through it learnt an awful lot and ‘we’ move on. The Macclesfield game has been too long in coming for DC.

Macclesfield: It is a tough place to go and they will be buoyed by their return to the league. They have done well in the cups being the sole remaining L2 side in The Carabao. They finish games well and were very unlucky not to beat Mansfield. It is crucial that Imps defend well with grit and resolution from the offset. If City do then the attacking opportunities will come.

David Flitcroft: The press twice tried to extract a response from DC with regard to Flitcroft making personal remarks. DC was dignity personified and made it clear that Imps weren’t playing Mansfield this week so he had nothing to say on the matter; the focus would always remain on City so far as he is concerned. Trash talk was very much a feature of the boxing world and had no place in football so DC will not be entering into any tit for tat reciprocal comments. DC has respect for David Flitcroft and Mansfield and is looking forward to playing them later in the season.

Imps as a big scalp?: DC was passionate in dismissing the press suggestion that Imps are seen as a big scalp. He was adamant that everybody at the club were simply hard working honest professionals. Too many had worked their way up from the bottom to entertain the arrogant notion that Imps would ever be a scalp for anyone and there is no danger of such arrogance creeping in through complacency.

Scott Wharton: DC responded to the query about how he managed Blackburn relationship with SW not in the side. He explained that it was vital that City maintained good communication with clubs who loaned and re-loaned high-quality players to The Imps. With that in mind, there had been good dialogue with Blackburn. SW had started well and had been unlucky to pick up a knock and then up to the Crawley game the team had gone on a good run.

Jason Shackell: Squad have massively benefitted from his presence both on and off the pitch. Key traits are his experience, knowledge, understanding of the game, communication, positioning and use of the ball.

Lee Frecklington sending off: The players are human beings. Lee was disappointed that he had got himself sent off and had simply mistimed a tackle when he was trying to get some Imps momentum. LF has trained well all week. The squad has been built to deal with suspensions, injuries and loss of form so will adjust accordingly.

Injuries: One or two with knocks that are being monitored but DC hopeful of having everyone (bar long-term) available.

Writer: hulloutpost

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