Summary for those who prefer to read:
Transfer Situation: Incomings
The manager confirms the club is active in the transfer market, with a focus on strengthening the defense and rebuilding the squad after significant departures.
- New Signings Imminent: Selles expects new players to arrive before the weekend's game, stating, "we expect two players to be in and around for the weekend."
- Defensive Priority: The primary focus for recruitment is on defenders. "The priority was the defenders and those are the two players that we hope we will have in for the weekend," he said.
- Ben Godfrey Link: When asked about Ben Godfrey, Selles acknowledged the interest, saying, "a player talented like him should be always linked with us."
- Nils Zätterström: Regarding the young Swedish defender, Selles confirmed he fits the profile of players the club is monitoring across Europe.
- Ben Mee's Involvement: Selles confirmed that experienced defender Ben Mee has been training with the squad. He explained, "Ben is training, has been training with us in the week... he was looking for a place to train." He added that they will "have conversations about what is going to be his future."
- Japhet Tanganga Rumors: Selles declined to comment specifically on Japhet Tanganga or any other players from Millwall, their upcoming opponent, calling it a "sensitive theme, especially for the weekend."
- Potential for Weekend Involvement: The manager is hopeful that any new signings could feature in the upcoming match, stating, "I think there is a chance for for them to be involved in the weekend."
- Need for Reinforcements: While defense is the priority, Selles confirmed they are looking at other positions, stressing the significant turnover in the squad. He highlighted the scale of the rebuilding task, explaining, "We have 11 first-team players and impact players from last season that has left the club. We replaced them with three loans and then with players that still need some time to be able to perform for Sheffield United." He concluded, "So, realistically we need some more players in."
Transfer Situation: Outgoings
The club's intention is to keep the current squad together, but Selles acknowledges the unpredictable nature of the transfer window.
- Intention to Keep Players: The primary goal is not to sell anyone. "The target is to not sell anyone," Selles stated firmly.
- Never Say Never: However, he wouldn't completely rule out departures, adding, "but I will never say never because there are some situations, especially in the last days of the market that... either the price goes extremely up and if you have a good plan and a good coverage, you can make it."
Transfer Process
Selles detailed a structured and collaborative approach to player recruitment, which begins long before a final decision is made.
- Collaborative Approach: The process starts with identifying "target positions." From there, the club's recruitment department takes the lead, conducting a thorough analysis of potential players. Selles explained it's a joint effort "together with the different stats, videos, presence, and observation." He also noted that the coaching staff can introduce their own targets into this process, saying, "if there is a position that we can feel that... we have a player that we think is interesting, we also put the name and then the recruitment department make the filter."
- Manager's Final Say: Once the recruitment department has created a filtered list of suitable candidates, the options are weighed against the club's budget. It is at this final stage that Selles makes the ultimate call. "Then we just go with the options and the budget, and then it's my task to decide what is the exact player that we will, we will go and proceed to take," he clarified.
Reflection on Recent Games and Mistakes
The manager detailed a thorough review process of the opening games, identifying different reasons for the defeats, ranging from tactical indiscipline to emotional factors.
- A Full Review: Selles confirmed the team has been deeply analyzing their first few matches to pinpoint what went wrong. He mentioned they looked at "not only the game against Swansea, also the the games against Birmingham and against Bristol to see in the different context what do we think it didn't went well." This analysis was followed by direct conversations with the players.
- Tactical and Disciplinary Errors: He was very specific about the issues in the first game of the season. "I think in the first game was obviously clear that our discipline when we lost the ball or our organization when we lose the ball was not ideal," he stated. This led to the team being "punished by those situations." He stressed the key lesson was that "we needed to be more robust in our defensive transition."
- Emotional Hangover: The issues in the most recent game against Swansea were attributed more to mentality and emotion. Selles felt it was a game where "we still had the emotions, the feelings, and probably some of the positions a little bit... trying to win the game against Bristol more than trying to beat Swansea." This suggests a lack of focus on the immediate challenge, with the team still mentally processing the previous result.
Team News and Outlook on the Next Game
Selles provided an update on the squad's fitness and his expectations for the upcoming match against Millwall, before making a passionate appeal to the fans.
- Injury Update: There are no new injury concerns. The same players remain sidelined, including Tom Davies and Shackleton. He stated, "No, not at all. We we keep with the same players out."
- Expecting a Tough Match: Selles anticipates a "very competitive game" against Millwall, describing them as a team that is "always a difficult team to beat."
- Message to the Fans: Acknowledging the difficult start to the season, Selles made a direct and passionate appeal to the supporters for their unity and backing, framing it as essential for turning the team's fortunes around.
- A Call for Unity: He began by stating plainly, "my message is is simple, that we need them more than ever." While he conceded that "we didn't have the start that we wanted, that is obvious," he stressed that the team cannot succeed without the fans' backing. He emphasized the need for their support "with them in our side for 90 plus minutes." Selles underlined this by saying, "there is no success in any club with the fans and the team not going in the same direction."
- A Promise of Effort: In return for their support, he promised a performance the fans could be proud of, regardless of the challenges. His specific message was to "go on Saturday, support the team, support the boys." He assured them they would see "a team that is 100% giving themselves a good chance to win the game and then a team that they can recognize."
that we have a recruitment department
