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🟡🟢 We're in position at Colney. Liam Manning joins us in just over 10 minutes...
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We start with fitness issues. Bad news on Papa Amadou Diallo - he's going to be missing for "a number of months" with a quad issue that requires surgery.

Manning: "I don't think it was a load issue with Papa, although we do look in-house at injuries. I was really pleased with how he'd adapted to life at the club. We can now work on his work off the pitch, his English. Hugely disappointing to lose him. You're talking three or four months."

Kenny McLean is "getting better". "There's a possibility for the weekend - he was in pain at the start of the week and he hasn't done much this week."

On Lucien Mahovo: "He's definitely a lot closer. He's trained the last few days as well, so he's looking good. We are a bit light on bodies and he's been really good in training. There's a possibility for the weekend." No other injury issues.

"I'm not going to sit here and come up with more words," says Manning. "We know the weekend wasn't acceptable, but it's a great group of lads. The disappointment from the weekend was that it was the behaviour side. At Coventry there was a willingness to leave everything out there, which we didn't have against Wrexham. We have to take that into every single game."

LM: "The players were really honest. You'd love to come in and it's a nice smooth start, but I've been there before. There will be good moments and challenging moments. We'll come out of the other side stronger for it."

On previous experiences: "I think every time you step into a new group it's different, so we have to adapt to them. But the behaviours are non-negotiable. You have to go through challenging experiences, and we'll use those going forward."

"I've got a few more sleepless nights before I give the lads the team," says Manning. "Sometimes you have to keep people in through tough periods, but sometimes you have to create accountability by taking people out. Sometimes it's important not to chase change with too much change. I want the lads to step up and grab it."

On Ante Crnac: "I'm confident that it will come for him. Sometimes it's hard to improve upon a solid first season as a young player. Every player will have poor games, but the only way you get through that is getting your head down and working."

Manning: "The biggest bit is the behaviours. It's the intensity, the bravery, owning it and not waiting for someone else."

How does the team look better on the ball? "Everything. It's the consistency, the bravery. I watched Man City at times be willing to spin it in behind and chase it. The biggest bit isn't to keep talking about it, it's delivering."

LM wants more structure and control. "That's underpinned by focus," he says. "You can have the structure, but if you're not switched on then you don't get to structure. We have to work hard to improve it."

LM: "We've given up too many chances, definitely. It's how you stop it."

On Stoke similarities: "We played them quite early on last season. Mark won't get too up or down, and that's where we are at the moment. We'll try and deliver a really strong performance."

On Mark Robins: "Incredible what he did at Coventry. You look at what he had to deal with off the pitch, I don't have to talk about how good a career he's had. So much respect for him."

Does Manning regret failing to add another winger in the transfer market? "We've got a lot of bodies in there and I don't think it's a load issue. The injury wasn't as a result of us not having enough bodies." Praise for Jovon Makama follows.

LM: "I'd love to win. Trust me, it'd make my life 10x easier. I'm desperate to do well, and the lads are too."

Manning says he's seen a step up in leadership. "There have been lads owning aspects of it," he continues. "They were gutted about the weekend, but the only thing that changes it is being honest with yourself and not carrying forward any emotional hangover."

Jeffrey Schlupp is back in training but lacking match minutes and sessions, which means it might be too early for him to start.

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That's all from Manning this afternoon. Onto the Potteries...

Posted By: DrDublin on September 24th 2025 at 14:40:28

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