We’re gearing up for our toughest time of the season so far, with a gruelling, festive fixture schedule about to kick in for Johnnie Jackson.

We’ll not only be tested by Swindon on Saturday afternoon at the Cherry Red Records Stadium, but a total of eight games - home and away - between now and this time next month. That’s six league games, a trip to Portsmouth in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy and an FA Cup third round tie at home to Ipswich to come.

“What I’ve said to all the group is that we are now going into the hardest period of games that I’ve certainly seen in my managerial career,” said Johnnie.

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“I’ve never seen a schedule like it," added Johnnie. "We’re eventually going to be playing every three days. We’re going to literally need everyone as we fight on three different fronts and we’re going to have to use our squad wisely. We’ve won five on the bounce now at home in all competitions and with a big game coming on Saturday - we want to make that six.”

You can listen to everything Johnnie had to say and a summary of the key points below.

Having ended Mansfield’s impressive unbeaten run, Swindon come to us in really good form Johnnie.

They’re a good side. They’ve had a couple of back-to-back wins. It’s got the makings of an exciting game and I think that’s the way they want to play. They want it to be quite open, they want to play expansive football and they certainly know where the goal is. They’ve let a few in at the other end as well, but that probably comes with how they go about it. 

We’ll have to be on our guard, and it’ll need to be a really solid, defensive performance. For us, the two things go hand in hand and there’s no reason we feel like we can’t score a lot of goals and also keep them out at the other end. 

It’s got the makings of an open and attacking game, but we want to come out of it on top at home, of course. 

Team news - I barely need to ask you these days - but everybody still available for selection?

Yes. I’ve got selection headaches! It’s getting harder and harder, to be honest. I think we’re in a position now though, that I like to feel that I could put any eleven out there and they’d be able to compete. 

We’re taking every competition seriously and what that means is that more fixtures come with that and we welcome that, but this is why we put this sort of squad together. It’s really going to get tested in December and in January and hopefully we can stay in those knockout competitions and go even further - which means more games and more opportunities for players! 

It’s an exciting time, but we’re definitely going to have to use our squad wisely. 

Joe Lewis and Armani Little weren’t out there on Thursday, were they working in the gym?

Yes. What with the workload and the amount of games Joe has played and Armani - since he’s come back from injury - he’s pretty much the same. I think with the numbers they’ve been positing, certainly in Armani’s case, means that we look at certain days where we can look after the lads. 

A lot of the work at this stage in the season becomes about recovery and looking after the players that we feel we need to. It’s just a case of protecting those two. 

Paris Lock is back from his loan to Dover and with the group, what’s the thinking behind that?

We looked at his loan and we were going to recall Paris. He got some good games down there, but the manager has just left the club. 

After speaking with Paris, we just felt more comfortable. He was involved in the decision - bringing him back to us and getting him back involved. It’s good for us as well, that he’s had that exposure. 

We’ll keep him around it and he then sees how we’re evolving and what’s required. We’ll reassess that in a few weeks’ time. With the amount of games, he might find he’s involved, and we need him. If that’s not the case, then we’ll look at another loan for him - getting him a club where we feel it’s really going to benefit him in the second half of the season. 

There is one young professional out on the training ground, doing the hard yards as he returns from injury. Are you hopeful of perhaps seeing Josh Hallard out on loan before the end of the season?

Yes, that’s the plan with Josh. We really want to get him out on loan. We need to get him fit and we need to keep him fit. 

He’s had such a tough time of it with injuries. Every time we feel like he’s over one and getting back into the group, and I’m starting to get eyes on him and see what he’s about - I haven’t seen him play much football, I’ve seen him train. 

It’s been so difficult for him, with the injuries that’s he’s had. I know he’s really well thought of and started to look good in training before his latest injury. So it’s important for him that he gets his body right, because he has had a few serious injuries now and that’s a concern for someone at his age. 

We need to get him over this, build up a bulk of training and find the right loan for him before the season is over. We want to get him playing senior football, at a decent level, and see how he handles that and then see where we go from there. 

Photos: Pro Sports Images.

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