Manager on Saturday's game
Mark McGhee believes Exeter’s experience is a huge advantage to the Devon club
He knows that his side will need to keep their shape and exercise discipline if they want to pick up their first win of the season at St James' Park on Saturday.
He said: “Exeter are probably the most experienced team is this division, most of their players are 29,30,31 and then there is Jamie Cureton.
“They have a huge amount of experience, compared to what we are running with. It is two different teams, with two different starting points.
“I feel as if we are building a team that, short term we want to win games, but we are building for the future as well.
“Their experience will allow them to cope with anything we do, and our energy in certain areas. They will not be phased by it as they have seen it all before.
“We are going to have to be patient and disciplined – they play with a very disciplined shape and don’t get pulled around and they expect you to come at them.
“We will have to decide how we go about it, and not get too stretched and too flamboyant. Our creative players are going to have to play with discipline.”
There have been no more injury worries over the past week at the training ground, but Michael Smith is missing following the sad death of his father.
Mark said: “We were aware of what was going on, and I sent Michael home at the weekend, then I got the news his father had passed away.
“We are all devastated for the boy and everyone at the club will support him as best as we possibly can.
“We will give hime as much time as needs and he will deal with it in his own time.
“There are no further injuries, people are getting fitter. Danny Woodards is getting fitter, Bevs is getting fitter and Shaquille Hunter is getting fitter, at the moment it is progress rather than regress.
“We are still not sure whether Bevs’ operation has been a huge success.
“That doesn’t mean to say that it is not possible he will come back anyway, but I don’t think it has necessarily cured the previous problem, where he was having injections and wearing a support.
“Maybe he has to come back and go back to where he was last season. The other option is another operation, but we are hoping that some point soon he can just get on with it.”
For the full interview visit Gas Player.