PRESS CONFERENCE | Matty James ahead of Middlesbrough

0:00 I think it's good to see you.

0:01 Do you feel like these are the crunch games that you've got into football for?

0:04 Yeah, I think so.

0:04 I think everyone's kind of excited when you've got big games.

0:08 You know, that's what we that's what we train for.

0:09 That's what we play for.

0:12 You know, occasions like this is these are

0:14 these are the games you want to be playing in.

0:16 And everyone's looking forward to it and hopefully the result will follow.

0:19 How big is the manager being in situations like this?

0:21 You had it last year before Charlton and your Blackpool were big

0:24 games as well that we talked about as well and I think so.

0:27 From from the gaffer's point of view, he's so experienced.

0:28 He's got, you know, so so many games under his belt.

0:31 I think he's been in situations before.

0:34 So, I think for for us as a group, he's very calm in these situations.

0:39 You know, we had a good morning in the training field there.

0:41 And and and he's he's just, like I said,

0:44 a calming figure around around the place and you know,

0:47 he'll he'll be he'll be there and come alive on on on Saturday, I'm sure.

0:50 You've had some big occasions.

0:52 I mean, you look at some of the cup games.

0:53 I think you've been shown montages of iconic goals and games.

0:57 Anything like that this week maybe in the pipeline?

0:59 Yeah, I mean, I think that the club will do

1:01 a analysis or something like that to kind of do.

1:03 We all know as a group what's got us to this point.

1:06 You know, we know the games that we played

1:08 well and we know the games that we've we've

1:09 had to we've had to kind of grind and and and be there at the end of the game.

1:13 And I think we've had quite a lot of experiences throughout throughout

1:16 the season that we can hopefully draw upon on this occasion and you know,

1:20 like I said there, the result will follow hopefully.

1:21 And is it crazy conversations about what could

1:24 or couldn't happen for for Middlesbrough as well?

1:26 But I mean, what's been the message?

1:27 You obviously got to take care of your own business first and foremost.

1:30 I think that's what it is.

1:30 I think that's been the message for a long long time.

1:32 It's about us.

1:34 You can't control anybody else.

1:36 Can only control, you know,

1:37 what we do as a group and I think that's been one of the key messages.

1:40 I'm sure there'll be [clears throat] things happening around the stadium

1:43 and you'll hear different things and and stuff like that.

1:45 But for us, it's it's concentrating on our performance,

1:48 concentrating on our result.

1:50 And I think we've done that.

1:51 We've got ourselves into this position now and you know,

1:54 hopefully be good good afternoon.

1:56 What do you make of Middlesbrough?

1:57 They're a different manager to last time, but you know,

1:59 they've still got a chance to finish in the top two as well.

2:01 Yeah, I think you know,

2:02 Middlesbrough have done excellent throughout the whole season.

2:05 You know, they've got some you know, very very good players and you know,

2:07 credit to them to to be at this point in the season.

2:11 And but I think for us, home game, the the key thing is our performance.

2:17 And make sure we make it very very difficult for them on Saturday morning.

2:19 Just on a personal level, Matty,

2:21 you go back to you you spoke about your injury in in the past and stuff.

2:24 Do you ever feel like maybe this Premier League

2:25 chance just might not have might not have come?

2:28 Yeah, I think for me, it's, you know,

2:30 the the injuries that I've suffered over my career have been you know,

2:34 they've been difficult.

2:35 And like I said, the gratitude that I've got for this football club to give

2:38 me a chance when they did at the time in my career in the season,

2:42 the time of the season as well.

2:43 So, for me, I'm relishing on these occasions.

2:46 You know, last year was was fantastic to be able to play

2:48 in the game here and get promoted to the championship where you know,

2:51 I kind of I was and and had been.

2:54 So, now it's like the opportunity to to try and get into the playoffs

2:57 and and still keep that that kind

2:58 of dream of Premier League kind of dream alive.

3:01 It's it's amazing and that's what I said there, we play for.

3:03 That's what I obviously dream of and hopefully we can climb back there.

3:07 Yeah, and obviously like you say, it was what,

3:09 October when you first came in in that League One season.

3:11 So, you know, bit of the season had gone, but from both sides,

3:14 you were kind of you you ended up being really good for each other.

3:16 Do you feel like he's maybe reignited your not career, but your chances of Yeah,

3:21 100% and I think that it was a strange strange time for me.

3:25 It didn't really make much sense what was happening.

3:27 So, to then have that opportunity around October time, like you said,

3:30 is a little bit strange and I was just ready

3:32 to to kind of pounce and jump at the opportunity.

3:35 You know, which I did.

3:36 I came into the team and you know, at the end of that season,

3:39 it was a bit of a a surreal moment

3:41 to be promoted to back to the championship you know,

3:44 in the space of around about eight months.

3:46 It was incredible really.

3:47 So, yeah, I think it's kind of it's been

3:50 good for us both and hopefully that that continues.

3:52 Appreciate it, Matty.

3:53 Thank you.

3:53 Cheers.

3:54 Matty, you've been on the you've you've been

3:56 in similar positions in this division with Leicester.

3:59 Yeah, yeah, yeah.

3:59 I mean, obviously you've got to absolutely How

4:03 many I was that Forest away, I think?

4:06 I think they were promotion Yeah, yeah, yeah.

4:07 I think we we got in the playoffs,

4:08 I think maybe on the last day of the season with with Leicester.

4:11 I think we were playing Forest away.

4:13 I don't remember exactly the score.

4:14 You'll you'll have to check that one,

4:15 but it was definitely a last day kind of moment and you know, we we snuck in.

4:21 I think we got into sixth or something like that.

4:22 It'd be amazing for us.

4:25 And then the year after, I mean, we had the playoff semi-final against Watford,

4:28 which is a natural moment on TV that pops up every now and again.

4:32 I don't enjoy watching.

4:34 And then we got promoted the year after.

4:35 So, them experiences are kind of you know,

4:38 I can call upon and numerous of the lads that have been through the leagues.

4:42 You know, and this football club's had a grain of winning winning promotions.

4:48 And hopefully, you know, everybody can bring that on on Saturday.

4:50 Yeah, going straight up for three years running is unique, isn't it?

4:53 But this is going to different in a different type of promotion.

4:56 No no no no less special.

4:57 Yeah, no.

4:57 I think that the the achievement of being in this position is,

5:02 you know, it's a big one.

5:03 But I think it's take the opportunity now.

5:06 You know, we're going to give everything.

5:08 And hopefully, like I said, at the end of it,

5:10 you know, we'll be we'll have more games to play.

5:13 No problem.

5:14 Matty, I think it's filtered last week that you've been

5:15 playing with boots that are a size too big for you.

5:17 Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is, yeah.

5:19 You see, I normally wear Nike boots,

5:22 but I had old school boots that I've I've had for quite

5:24 a long time and they were a size they were actually a size down.

5:27 So, I normally wear an eight.

5:28 I'm probably around about an eight and a half nine.

5:30 I like them really tight, but due to kind of breaking the big toe,

5:34 it's it's still swollen and and I've had to try and figure out.

5:37 Josh let me use his very kindly his size 10.

5:41 So, I played in them and then I'm managing to come down now.

5:44 I think I'm in nine and a half now or nine.

5:46 So, it's just just part and parcel of it.

5:51 Obviously, I want to be out there.

5:53 I want to play.

5:54 And it's making sure that I'm as comfortable as possible.

5:56 I've tried to get the nines on a few times, but they're just not going on.

5:59 Too painful.

6:01 But you know, for for me,

6:02 it's it's one of them you just kind of get get your boots

6:04 on and you forget about it and you can then play and perform and you know,

6:08 enjoy playing again.

6:09 I was going to say that.

6:09 Do you feel it fully fit now obviously with the toe?

6:11 Yeah, I mean, my my toe's still still causing me a few issues,

6:14 but I'm able to to to play on it and and it's

6:18 not it's not a problem for me when I'm out on the pitch.

6:20 The adrenaline's running.

6:21 You know, I manage it through the week.

6:23 I make sure that I don't, you know, I've obviously take the time off,

6:25 I sit down and that kind of thing and we're at a point now where,

6:28 you know, I needed to get to to be able to to to function and and play.

6:32 I think anything sooner than that, I wouldn't have been able

6:34 to to perform at the level that I want to perform at.

6:37 So, I think that's the key key thing for me now is hopefully we've got

6:41 more games to go and try and squeeze in the ninth by the end of the [laughter]

6:44 Yeah, it's good when you're in the squad, you play.

6:46 I think you and Ben Sheaf [cough]

6:48 play as every match they score, you would have you you've made it on the pitch.

6:51 Says a lot about the role, how important that central midfield role is.

6:54 Yeah, what what how would you describe your role in this I think I think for me,

6:59 you know, being a more senior player in in the group,

7:03 you know, kind of you know,

7:04 you kind of get leaned on a little bit in in certain situations and you know,

7:08 we've played different systems over over the course of the season,

7:10 whether it be a single six or our two sixes together.

7:14 And each each game kind of warrants something else, but I think,

7:17 you know, in in in a lot of the teams,

7:19 the central area is somewhere where you've got

7:22 to try and keep it as tight as possible

7:23 cuz a lot of teams want to try and come through it or some of their, you know,

7:26 creative players are behind you.

7:27 They're number 10s or they they drop a nine into in certain positions.

7:31 So, I think it's it's it's like any like any position on the pitch.

7:35 I think where one to 11, it's trying to do your job.

7:39 And obviously, I try and lead by example starting from from the middle.

7:42 And my final question is on your midfield partner lately, George Dobson,

7:46 who get playing at this level first time in his career.

7:49 What have you made of him?

7:50 He's proved himself to be a championship [clears throat] quality player.

7:52 100% and I think there was some players that I think sometimes they

7:55 don't necessarily get the opportunity to play

7:57 in the championship because, you know,

7:59 either they've not got to the the promotion kind of area

8:02 in the league um or the face hasn't hasn't necessarily fit at a club.

8:07 So, I think that for for George,

8:09 obviously I'm I'm really really pleased for him.

8:11 I said to him, you know, right at the start of the season,

8:13 you're a you you've got the capabilities to play

8:15 at this level and it's about believing in it and working hard.

8:18 I think he's done that.

8:18 He's been incredible all season.

8:20 And I think for for him now, like you said there, he's a championship player.

8:25 You know, and hopefully, you know, maybe maybe one more step to go.

8:28 Thank you.

8:28 Thank you.

8:30 All good.

8:31 Yeah, Matty.

8:32 Yeah, yeah.

8:33 [clears throat] Yeah, you can.

8:33 Yeah, all good, mate.

8:34 Thank you.

8:35 Just on the double.

8:37 Obviously, this there's opportunities with promoting

8:41 clubs when they when they go up.

8:42 I mean, with new players and that.

8:43 I mean, as a player who was there, what did you make of sort of, you know,

8:46 obviously having like a almost new new new dressing room?

8:50 Yeah, I think I mean,

8:52 we we we didn't really know we don't really get involved in that as players.

8:55 You know, we're on tour Australia and New Zealand.

8:58 And then, you know, we come back there's a couple of signings.

9:00 Then we're you know, we're into some more games and more signings.

9:03 And I think for us as a group,

9:04 it was, you know, integrating them as quickly as possible.

9:09 I think it shows the ambition ambition of the club.

9:11 And and for us, we just kind of, you know,

9:14 make sure that we try and gel as quickly as possible.

9:16 It's always, you know,

9:17 difficult when there's a such a a big swing in in in players,

9:21 but I think when you've got a a club like

9:24 this who's ambitious and wants to try and you know,

9:26 bring in players to to make the squad more competitive,

9:30 it was kind of a natural progression really.

9:32 And hopefully now, you know,

9:34 [clears throat] you've seen at the end of the season

9:35 that hopefully we can get a few players back, get the squad.

9:38 Fingers crossed have a couple more games to go,

9:40 but I think throughout the whole season, every single player has competed.

9:44 And you know, that that's been one of the key parts of the the success.

9:49 And and Phil said he sort of detected

9:50 that adaptation integration around the end of October,

9:53 the Derby away game enough the Cardiff kept defeat and the commentary game

9:58 he sort of suggested that that's when it all sort of came together really.

10:01 Yeah, I think it you know different players play under

10:04 different managers different ways and I think there's it sometimes takes

10:09 a little bit of time to to kind of get used

10:11 to your your kind of new football club new ways what what

10:15 the gaffer's looking for you know what what what your teammates

10:18 are doing you know is he coming short is he going

10:20 long how does he play these kind of things and it's

10:23 it's always hard through pre-season if if the whole squad's not

10:26 together for the whole time I think players were still coming

10:28 in towards the back end while while the season was still

10:31 while we were still playing games towards the end of the transfer

10:34 window so yeah I'd probably say the gaffer's right around

10:36 that I think the team cohesion you know has been really

10:39 good throughout the whole season the togetherness of the the spirit

10:42 that the boys have got and you know and the staff

10:45 as well has been you know has been second to none.