On perhaps his favourite holiday of them all, a one filled with chocolate and sweets, Mowbray grabbed all three points in Wales and was happy with what he saw from the lads with a makeshift back three/four.
MORE POSSESSION
“Generally good, I think we came trying to keep the ball really, play possession because we knew we were out physicaled today really, they had two massive centre forwards, both 6’4, two massive centre halves 6’4, 6’5 and we really only had Danny Batth with any physical and size so we had to keep the ball more than we would normally today and we loaded it with technical midfield players, first half particularly we were really good with the ball. Kept their chances down, felt as if the last 20 minutes there was a lot of fouls for them that the ref wasn't giving earlier in the game and then they kept loading it into our box but we got the goal, I think we deserved to win, I think, I know it was a dead ball free-kick that the keeper pushed onto the post and we forced it in but I think our general play deserved to win the football match today so we’ll put the three points in the bag which makes the draw (Hull on Friday) disappointing the four all was in the last kick of the game but makes a point okay to the point of win one draw one keep going. Two home games coming up where we have to be really positive and aggressive and try and get maximum points from them games and then I know I keep playing it down we have to see where we’re going, there is no pressure on the group to force their way into the top six but if you win football matches you never know still.”
PERFECT RESPONSE
“I’ve said to them each game is its own event, we have to bring it every game if we can. It’s a six and a half hour trip back for us and I don’t know how many supporters are here today but it seems as if the whole of Cardiff as I had a walk around this morning was full of Sunderland fans and yet it's just important for the team to feel that we can work and chase and run and play attractive football and create chances and hopefully win football matches for the people who spend lots and lots of money and lots and lots of time travelling to watch them play football and hopefully we did that today and they’ll go home happy and make their journey home happy.”
EMPHATIC RETURN FOR CIRKIN
“Yeah, brilliant he did that at Millwall for us didn’t he. He got a goal at Millwall that was amazing and yeah, pleased to have Dennis back, listen Dennis is a first team player for us, he’s not a fringe player he’s a first team footballer but I have to say Gooch has been amazing for us. A bit difficult without Luke to put a back four in place for us, so building out the back with the back three and defending in the back four really, sliding Goochy high up the pitch and then sliding him back in the right back keeping Dennis as a left sided centre half in a three but also a left back in a four. It worked alright for us for most of the game until they made a double change before half time didn’t they to try and stop our possession basically because we were moving the ball in between their lines, it made it more difficult for us because everyone was matched up to man for man and we tried to tinker with it again with a little bit of success but the last 20 minutes was hard as you would expect against a really big strong physical team putting the ball in your box.”
CHANGE IN SHAPE
“I’m just trying to put round pegs in round holes to be honest, you know if you haven't got a natural centre back, Trai isn’t a natural centre half and Dennis is not a natural centre half they’re both full backs and we just thought Danny Batth our only central defender available, no Ballard, no Alese no O’Nien, it was better to put one centre half in the middle because we know how physical they were. Somebody who could head the ball and defend and make first contact but also have some defensive minds but mobile minds around him and it worked pretty well for most of the game until they changed formation, gave us something to think about, i think we coped with it pretty well and got the right result.”
CONNECTION WITH THE FANS
“Yeah listen it’s really important that there’s a connection between this group of players and the supporters really and they know that they’re fighting for them, they’ve had a good year and a half and they won a lot of football matches in League One and I’m sure there was a massive travelling support in every game there, they’re doing it the same we're trying our very best to be a team they enjoy watching, doing it without a natural centre forward but still finding a way to, most games I think Burnley was the first in about 25 that we haven't scored so generally we’re scoring goals and doing ok and picking up points along the way, it's not a struggle and were not looking over our shoulders at the bottom end of the table if anything if we can win the next two home games we should be going into the last couple really believing we can threaten the top end of the table.”
