Ahead of Saturday’s home clash with Rochdale, we caught up with Mark Hughes to reflect on Tuesday night’s disappointment, assess the group’s reaction in training, and look ahead to another tough test at the top of the table.
Following a frustrating evening away at York, Hughes was clear that while the result was disappointing, the focus has quickly shifted to what lies ahead.
“We’ve picked the bones out of it, taken what we need to learn, and moved on. The games come thick and fast – you can’t dwell. That one’s gone, we can’t change it. But we can affect what happens at the weekend, and that’s where our full attention is now.”
The squad returned to training on Thursday, and Hughes was pleased with the response from his players after a short debrief.
“They came back in ready to go again. We reminded them that we’ve had a strong season so far – one result doesn’t change that. We’ve put ourselves in a good position, and now it’s about getting back to what we’ve been doing so well.”
With Rochdale visiting the SMH Group Stadium on Saturday, Hughes is expecting a familiar challenge – and one that could suit his side’s preparation.
“They’re a good team. They play a similar shape, try to do similar things to what we faced on Tuesday night. We didn’t have a lot of prep time before York, but now we’ve had that exposure, I think it’ll help us. In this league, you face all sorts of systems and strengths – you’ve got to adapt quickly. I’m confident we will.”
A key threat for the visitors will be Mani Dieseruvwe – the league’s second top scorer – who returns from suspension this weekend. But Hughes believes it’s not just about stopping the striker directly.
“It’s about match-ups all over the pitch. We didn’t come out on top in enough duels the other night, and that hurt us. We need to address that this weekend – especially at the back. Our centre-backs have to dominate. But it’s also about cutting off the supply – stopping them from playing the game they want to play. That’s where our focus is.”
Dieseruvwe’s return adds an extra layer of intensity to Saturday’s contest, but Hughes remains firmly focused on his own group.
“I’ve no idea how he’ll react – I don’t know the lad personally. He might be fired up, but that’s not our concern. What matters is how we respond to Tuesday. I’m confident we’ll get back on the front foot. We’ve had a good look at what went wrong, and now it’s about putting things right.”
On the team news front, Hughes confirmed Luke Armstrong is in a much better place after missing Saturday through illness and returning on Tuesday.
“He’s okay. There’s a bit of stuff knocking around, so we’ll need to monitor things in the next couple of days, but Luke looks good to go again.”
Meanwhile, there’s another boost with the return of defender Cameron Harper, who comes back into contention this weekend.
“It’s great to have Cammy [Harper] back – it gives me more options. We’ve got different ways we can set up, and he adds to that. Look, we haven’t done a lot wrong this season. The other night we weren’t at our best defensively, but overall we’ve been rock solid. Now it’s about being better prepared, recognising patterns quicker, and nullifying those threats when they come.”
With back-to-back home games on the horizon, Hughes is clear on the importance of maintaining the strong form at Brunton Park.
“We’ve been excellent at home. We’ve talked since day one about making it a tough place to come – and that hasn’t changed. Not many teams have come here and dominated us. If you want to have a successful season, your home form has to be strong. That’s our goal again this weekend.”
And with the support continuing to grow week by week, Hughes once again praised the influence of the home faithful.
“They’ve been brilliant. I know they were disappointed the other night – we all were. But that was just one game. The bigger picture is that we’re still right in the fight, and that support drives the lads on. We’ve said it before – it’s three points gone, but it’s just one battle. The war’s still there to be won at the end of the season.”
“So don’t get too down – enjoy the weekend, enjoy the game. Hopefully we can give them another performance to be proud of.”
