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Daniel Farke addresses the media ahead of Blackburn Rovers v Norwich City. Updates to come from 1.15pm.
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DF: No injury news is good news. All the players involved on Wednesday are available tomorrow.

DF: Todd, Kenny, Kieran and Jordan have now had two days of training as well.

DF: We have great togetherness and camaraderie. I have to give credit to the new signings with how quickly they've adapted to the group and brought positive spirit into it.

DF: Hugill and Gibson are the kick of positivity we needed.

DF: Some key players will still be out in the next games, but it seems like there is light at the end of the tunnel and the worst is already behind us.

DF: I expect Rupp and Krul to be topics for the Cardiff game. There's a chance Tim can be involved at Reading, but it's too soon to speak about.

DF: Blackburn have top quality up front and play on the offense. Mowbray is doing a fantastic job and they're competitors for the top six with the squad to achieve it.

DF: We have to make sure our defending is spot on and we play with compactness while bringing our game onto the pitch with lots of possession.

DF: We're not here for individual awards and I would prefer that we had a few more clean sheets. You have to be solid in defending. Grant played an important role so far and was fantastic in the last game.

DF: We defend and attacks as a team and all the players are important. We can be happy with the outcome so far, but there's still some space for improvement.

DF: No-one is carried away because we're all experienced to judge it properly. All the games are unbelievably difficult and there are no easy points. It's incredible what these lads are doing in our injury situation.

DF: There are no easy wins, even when you're top of the league after 17 games. Our most comfortable win was Bristol away, but even there they had a penalty.

DF: To grind out results is what winners to do and I'm happy we've proved it so far, but we have to keep going to prove it over 46 games.

DF: I liked Kenny's maturity and physicality; his appearance on the pitch. Todd looked quite sharp when he came in for 15 minutes, and the assist is a boost for his confidence and rhythm.

DF: The mood and spirit has been great since the start of the season. With so many injuries, it doesn't feel like you're top of the league. We're not naive. The players on the pitch are happy when they're allowed to play, but when you can't fill the bench, it feels sometimes tricky.

DF: To go through this period and still be successful, although the odds were against us, to be top of the league with a little cushion feels good and now some lads are coming back.

DF: We have to spend lots of time on recovery and I'd prefer to be able to rotate more because we have the depth to do that, so hopefully we can do that more soon.

DF: You pay attention to statistics and it's important to look at them, but I'm struggling sometimes to judge a game by the shots on target. You can be one-on-one with the keeper and curl the ball next to the post and it's not a shot on target, then the opponent has one with a shot from 40 yards that the keeper saves, so it's not guaranteed to be the right statistic to use.

DF: When Vrancic plays in a deeper role, it's good for our offensive creativity, but perhaps he's not the best defensive midfield player in the world. I would like to give Grant a rest, as for him to deliver all three days is not easy. We're not perfect in our defending. We are good, but there's room for improvement.

DF: At Stoke, we had less possession than the opponent and conceded many shots but were 3-0 in the lead. The most important thing is to find ways to win the matches.

DF: Pukki is the best free signing, not because of 100 appearances, but because of goals! What he's done for this club is outstanding and his goal average is unbelievable for this level.

DF: When there are Prime Ministers from other countries in Finland, the President always gives them a Pukki shirt. He's normal, grounded and balanced. He's a team player.

DF: Many clubs were interested in Pukki but he loves to wear and represent the yellow shirt. He's a great ambassador for the club and a fantastic person. Long may it continue that we work with him.

DF: To show consistency over a long term period is a sign of quality, and that's what you get from Pukki.

DF: In this business, it's rare that anyone is grateful or thankful. Tettey having 250 games will be a sign of unbelievable quality, commitment and personality.

DF: We have to pray every season that he goes further on instead of returning to Norway to enjoy the snow. He always helps us on the pitch, off the pitch, in the dressing room. He's always there with a smile, professional, concentrated and focused.

DF: I tell him every day he can rest for 60 years on the sofa and eat lots of chocolate and cake in the future, but I won't allow him to finish his playing career before he's in his 40s. 250 is not the end, just a step.

DF: I tell you what, Alex is also a threat in the offense. It's no coincidence when he's within 50 yards of the goal, the whole stadium shouts 'shoot!'

DF: I told Sorensen after his goal that it's not easy to score like that. It was a typical Alex Tettey goal. He asked me if it was a compliment, so I showed him some Tettey goals.

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Cheese on toast. That's all from the boss today. OTBC

Posted By: DrDublin, Dec 11, 14:05:19