We spoke to Mike Williamson ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup tie with Wigan.
Firstly, we spoke to him about Charlie Wyke, after the news that United’s captain will miss the remainder of the season as a result of an injury sustained against Cheltenham Town last weekend.
Mike said: “It's a tough one to take. Obviously, we knew it was bad on the pitch, so the boys were distressed by that.
“Our thoughts are with him and we know how tough he is. Hopefully he'll have a speedy recovery. Just got to support him in the best way we can now.”
Mike accompanied Charlie for eight hours at the hospital, we asked about that, Mike said:
“Yeah, I went with him. Again, nothing you can really say or do. It's, the situation is you've just got to kind of get through it.
“You know how tough it's going to be. But, like I say, every confidence he'll come back fighting fit because I know how tough he is.”
Mike also spoke on other injuries, with Dylan McGeouch and Ben Williams returning to some form of training this week:
“Yeah they’ve just dipped in and out. So, managing their load from Sophie [Birnie], but looking good so far. So, fingers crossed that it won't be too far off.
As for Dan Adu-Adjei, who is back at Brunton Park after recovering from his injury, Mike added:
“Yeah, he’s fully fit for selection. In terms of load, we're going to have restrictions that we have to put in place. But, he's fully fit and ready to go.”
On to Jordan Jones, Mike said: “Yeah, he’s getting there, slowly, slowly but surely. Still, there's a little bit of lingering kind of feelings of his stiffness in there. But, he's progressing. So, he's just got to make sure we do it carefully.”
As for other injuries, Mike provided an update on Archie Davies: “I think he's actually decided to elect for surgery. So, that's going to be a longer one. He's just trying to get a date in the diary now.
“He just didn't feel confident in terms of doing the rehab, which was his call. And, again, another one that we support. But, everyone else has come through the week unscathed.”
On Wigan, Mike discussed what he expects from them: “It’ll be extremely tough. They mix it up really well. They've got a system that they've built.
"And they can play through the thirds. They go over the press. They're very organised and disciplined, which we found the other week was very hard to play against.
“It's an opportunity for us to test ourselves against a very good team. And, again, we want to see things that we're putting in and detail that lads are taking on. But it's a great opportunity for lads to play against players that are playing in a higher league that are going to question and put a challenge down on us."
On potentially progressing to round two, and the impact that could have, Mike said: "It’s huge. It's an opportunity for us to get a win. And that's the first and foremost. It's an opportunity for us to improve.
“But, we know how hard it's going to be. So we're looking forward to that.”
We then asked Mike about Kadeem Harris, who’s been training with the Blues this week, Mike explained the situation: “He's available and we're in talks. He's progressing. There's a few bits and bobs with international clearance and things like that. But we're hopeful of getting a deal sorted.”
This week, United announced Rob Clarkson as the new Sporting Director. Mike spoke highly of him:
“I think his CV speaks for itself. He's worked at some fantastic clubs with some really high profile people on and off the field as well. I certainly think that it’s a hugely encouraging appointment.
“I'm looking forward to getting to work with him.”
On his involvement in the appointment and working with the owners, Mike said:
“It was just an open discussion. Ultimately, it's their [the owners] decision. But it was about being involved and seeing their presentations, seeing their strengths, being able to ask questions and be a part of it, which was really good.
“Rob's background in recruitment and talent identification is second to none, really.
“I think he's got a lot of motivation to come in and was really excited by it. So I think that was a massive appeal. I see us working closely together.
“I feel like that’s probably one of the most important relationships in terms of when he comes in, he's going to be able to assess things and get a feel for himself.
“I think the main focus is on making sure we're sorted for the January window and looking at what quick wins he can get. But, he's somebody who you can sense he's going to come in and he's going to drive standards and I think it will bring a boost, a timely boost."
The youth team produced a brilliant 4-1 win over Altrincham in the first round of the FA Youth Cup on Thursday night, Mike spoke about that:
“Yeah, it was very good. Obviously, it's great competition.
“Birchy [Mark Birch] was very critical about their finishing, but, it's a fantastic result. So yeah, it’s really encouraging and hopefully it's an invaluable experience for them and they can have a good test in the next round.”
We also mentioned the Festival of Football. It was a fantastic day for the club and community, with a real sense of support around the place, Mike expressed his gratitude: “We certainly need to pay them back for their support. The signing session went on for hours and it was fantastic because you get to meet them, you get to see them, especially all the kids coming in. It's a great opportunity for the lads and it's just as important for the lads as it is for the fans.”
