With the Scunthorpe game now done and dusted, Alan Irvine and his players now turn their attention to the visit of Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon. Speaking to the press, North End's Manager previewed what promises to be another stern challenge against the Bluebirds.

Gaffer, it's a hectic period of football at the moment with Cardiff City next up at Deepdale.
It's another very tough game and they nearly got a fantastic result at Watford on Boxing Day. I didn't expect it to be easier in any case because there isn't any easy game and they have got players who are capable of hurting you.

How important is it just getting the three points, even if that does mean winning 'ugly'?
Well certainly you have got to do the uglier stuff. I've said already that I am a purist and that I'd love us to be playing like Arsenal but that takes a long time. It's a lot easier to sort out the organisational side of things whether that is in general play or set plays. I think that has improved a great deal but, as I say, the quality side of things take a bit longer. Going out starting the game at the right tempo, making those long forward runs, those are the kind of ugly things that you have to do well.

We didn't do that well enough in the first half against Scunthorpe, in the second half we did all that and it meant that we got the benefit of some better play.

Will you be making many changes to the squad for Saturday's game?
I'll assess that over the next couple of days. You have to be careful that you don't dismiss everything as being wrong when you have just lost a game. I'll take my time and decide just exactly what I think the best team is to go out and play against Cardiff.

We know that over the festive period fixtures come thick and fast but what has the routine been like in terms of training?
There hasn't been a day off but that was all scheduled before anyway. I put up a schedule for the whole Christmas and New Year period to prove to the lads that there wasn't going to be any reaction to winning or losing and to give them the opportunity to plan things as well.

We can't afford to have a day off. Yesterday was a recovery session for the players who played and it was important for the players who didn't play because they haven't done anything on Wednesday or only got on the pitch for a short time.

Over the past few weeks, the players have been forced to train elsewhere because of the condition of the pitches at Springfields. Has there been much improvement?
We've been able to train on them which probably as good as I can say. If the training ground is fit to be trained on then we will definitely train on those pitches. There has already been a bit of work put on to one of those pitches and of course the work is on-going but I don't think anything major can be done until the back end of the season.

You have been in charge for eight games now, do you have any firm ideas of what needs doing in January with the transfer window?
I've got ideas about what positions I'd like to strengthen and add to. Actually being able to do that is an awful lot harder. Clearly there will be a lot of competition for any players that we can manager to sign so we can have our own ideas about targets but you don't necessarily get the one you want.

We are looking at the whole range in terms of trying to sign players permanently and trying to bring people in on loan. We are nowhere near having signed anybody at this stage.

Be first in the know about latest events at North End. Text CLUB PNE NEWS to 88442