Nathan Jones
Image by: Paul Hazlewood
PUBLISHED
09:00 27th December 2014
by Paul Camillin
I work hard each day and it was a fantastic opportunity to lead the team out at a magnificent stadium."
Nathan Jones
Nathan Jones
Nathan Jones says he is loving the challenge of being Brighton & Hove Albion interim manager. Jones oversaw a spirited fight back as Albion completed a remarkable Boxing Day turnaround from 2-0 down against Reading at the Amex.He said, "Life is about challenges and I have always worked extremely hard in my career. I had to do so as a player and I have continued to do so as a coach. I was very proud to be asked to take the team.
"I loved virtually every minute of it. I loved the preparation and yes, when we were 2-0 down I felt that perhaps it could be better, but the reaction I got from the players was fantastic.
"I love this club and I love my job. I work hard each day and it was a fantastic opportunity to lead the team out at a magnificent stadium."
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Jones also thanked the Albion fans for reacting to his call for a united approach, but was disappointed not to give the supporters the win."The crowd were outstanding in the way they got behind the team, but I think that we gave them something to get behind. I’m not just going to say that they were magnificent for the sake of it but we gave them something in the second half to really get behind.
"That is what Albion fans want, a side that goes out and attacks and tries to score goals and win games. I’m just gutted by the start, because I felt if we had not had such a bad start we would have gone on to win that game with our energy and enthusiasm."
Meanwhile, Jones revealed that having been on the receiving end of Greg Halford's long throw as an opponent more than a decade ago, was one of the reasons why he used it to such good effect against Reading.
On-loan Nottingham Forest defender Halford's penalty-box missile was flicked on Lewis Dunk and swept home by Jake Forster-Caskey for Albion's first goal, just before half-time.
"I wanted it to be a really positive performance and for the fans to be able to get behind us. I wanted to start well and I wanted to use the long throw. When the fans see the centre-halves coming forward it creates a buzz and that in turn raises the players.
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"I played against Greg Halford ten years ago when he was at Colchester and it is something that he has always had in his armoury. He used to launch balls in back then so I knew he had it and it was something that we worked on in training with Dunky flicking it on.
"We had them penned back for most of the second half, and for me that was a real Albion home performance and that is the most pleasing thing. I wear my heart on my sleeve and I was proud of them. It is a cliché but they gave me everything in that second half and that is all that I can ask."**
[h=3]ALBION V brentford
[/h]saturday 17th january, KICK-OFF 3PM
[h=3]Albion v ipswich
[/h]SATURDAY 24TH JANUARY, kick-off 3pm
[h=3]Albion v nottingham forest
[/h]SATURDAY 7TH februARY, kick-off 3pm
Original article