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00:00Michael, open training session today. Firstly, how great is it to do this and say hello to
00:06the fans?
00:07Yeah, it's great. Obviously as a club, the fans are everything. Great little tournament
00:14from all the kids and the parents. You have to come down, it'll be nice. I think we're
00:18planning to do a lot more stuff like this going forward as a club to try and integrate
00:23the players and the fans, especially getting out to the schools and things like that. We
00:26want to try and get more people back to the ground and I think it starts with the young
00:30kids, turning them into Woken fans. We've got to do a lot more in the community to do
00:35that.
00:36A hot day today, good hard work, good session?
00:39Yeah, it was really hot the last couple of days but you can't complain. We've had a tough
00:43enough winter with the amount of rain and frost and games. I'm sure this year will be
00:49no different. You've got to make the most of days like today. We're just not used to
00:52it but it's absolutely brilliant. It's as well for us to be able to train on the pitch
00:56as well. The players are great, it's an added bonus.
00:58The pitch is obviously in great condition as well.
01:00Yeah, Dave does an unbelievable job and it's one of the best pitches in the league. With
01:05what he's got to work with, it's as good as anything you play on. It's brilliant for our
01:09lads to be able to go on ahead of Saturday as well.
01:12Pre-season so far generally, are you happy with the work you've done?
01:15Yeah, we've put a lot of work into the players. We're obviously a lot smaller squad and we
01:20don't have as big of numbers as we have before. But lads, we're a few at the minute with a
01:24bit of tightness and that. We've got to be extra cautionary with these guys because we
01:27can't afford to lose them. If we lose any people to injury, we're in a bit of a mudder.
01:32Yeah, we don't know if that's going to have an effect on Saturday as well. We maybe have
01:35to take it a bit extra precautionary and not risk people. It's the most important thing,
01:39it's getting everybody through to Altrincham first game.
01:42Yeah, as you say, obviously Saturday, Gillingham, last pre-season test, obviously a good run
01:46so I guess Altrincham is the focus. Thoughts on Saturday?
01:49Yeah, listen, it'll be a strong outfit. Mark Bonner, he's done a great job at Cambridge.
01:55Rog and I as well, coached him. So I'm sure Gillingham won't be too far away from what
02:00he had at Cambridge. It'll be a tough game for us, a tough test and probably a little
02:05bit different to the Reading game. But again, a league outfit, they'll always ask a lot
02:09of questions so we've got to be ready for it.
02:12And obviously, Altrincham away in the first game is coming up quickly now, isn't it?
02:16Yeah, that's it. Before you know it, it's here. Once the fixtures come out, we've been
02:20looking towards that game. It's away as well, Altrincham being one of the best sides in
02:25the league over the last number of years. Yeah, it'll be a really tough game for us.
02:30We know what to expect. They're a well-organised, well-drilled team. They've got a certain way
02:34of playing and you have to be on your game against them. So we probably couldn't have
02:38had a harder start if I'm honest with you.
02:41Obviously, last season you had to come in when the club were in trouble and you obviously
02:44did the job and kept them up. First full season now and looking forward to that. Thoughts
02:49on that?
02:50Yeah, look, it's been a lot of change since we've come in. We've tried to make us a bit
02:54younger and gone for a younger profile of players and players that have probably played
03:00a lot of games the last couple of years. We've had to, with having a lot of a smaller squad,
03:04we couldn't take a lot of risks on players because we need people that are going to hopefully
03:09be fit and that's kind of the way we've gone down. But we feel we've added some really
03:12good players and strong players. We feel if we can keep people fit, we'll be a match for
03:18anybody in the league. Whether we're going to be up there is another thing. I think for
03:22us, when we're at full squad, full tilt, we should be a match for a lot of teams. So really
03:28we want to be competitive this year and have a better account of ourselves than we did
03:32last year.
03:34As you say, obviously happy you got that mix of physicality, robustness and technical quality
03:39as well.
03:40Yeah, look, we're delighted with what we've added. We've added some quality players and
03:44some players that have been promoted from the league, been in the playoffs, played higher
03:48ups. We've targeted a certain type of player. As I said, a big thing for us was people that
03:54are a bit robust, as you say. They've played a lot of games the last number of years and
03:58it's our job now, hopefully, to keep them fit. We feel we've got a good pre-season into
04:02them. They'll have a good base of fitness now. The pre-season usually kicks in October
04:08and November. We're hoping we've put a good base into them. We know every game we play
04:12at the start of the season, the first ten games are going to be fit and organised and
04:16hard to break down. We want to be in a better position than we were last year, a lot better
04:22position, if I'm honest with you.
04:23Obviously, pleased with all the business you've done and all the new faces.
04:28Yeah, as I say, I couldn't be happier with what we've added. We've added some quality,
04:34some big names around this league. I can't complain. We've targeted people quite early
04:41in the window when we knew what our budget was. We were quite aggressive, I think, early
04:45to go and get players in and get our business done and we've done that. I think we're having
04:49a smaller squad. We had to do that. We couldn't have people rocking in a week or two before
04:55the season because you're still chasing and trying to get them fit come October and November.
04:59It was important for us to be aggressive early, get our players out, walk them out and try
05:04and get them up to speed with what we want to do and how we want to play. We've still
05:09had a few players in, there's no doubt about it, but I think the base of our team and squad
05:15is there.
05:16As I say, small squad, quality over quantity and you can keep that tight-knit feel and
05:21camaraderie.
05:23Yes, that's exactly everything you've said. I think we've gone for a bit more, hopefully
05:27we feel a bit more quality over quantity and that camaraderie, team spirit. As I say, we've
05:33added some good characters, big characters. Dale, the captain of the team, but we feel
05:39we've got a number of captains there. If you look at the calibre of players, people that
05:44have been promoted around the division, there seems to be a good atmosphere around the group
05:49already. Good team spirit and that goes a long way once the season starts because you
05:53get an extra 10-15% out of people when it's like that. You get that bond and closeness
05:58and the lads seem to be building that along nicely.
06:02Presumably you work on building that camaraderie on and off the pitch, do stuff together away
06:07from training as well?
06:08Yes, from the first day, the lads have gone and done things on their own and we've organised
06:14something as a staff for them as well. They went down and done a couple of things early
06:18on in the pre-season. We let them get out and organise a meal and things like that.
06:22We went horse racing, so it was good just to get out and spend a bit of time together
06:26more than anything. You just want them to have conversations and speak to each other
06:31because sometimes it takes months to build them, but the quicker, the better you can
06:35build them bonds. I think it helps when you know the fella you're playing beside, you
06:38know a little bit about them and that bit of a friendship builds up. That's what we've
06:43tried to do, so hopefully it works.
06:46Dale, new captain, obviously an honour for him. Is that a good decision?
06:51Yes, Dale has come back and he's had a bit of a problem when he came back in his first
06:56couple of weeks pre-season. When I signed him I did feel he was going to be captain,
07:01but it probably gives us a bit more time to look at other people. He's certainly come
07:05in and put a big import around the group, a stamp on it. He was Bayern's captain the
07:13last couple of years and they were unlucky not to get promoted. He's been promoted out
07:17of this league with Leighton Harding, he's been in the play-offs at other clubs, he's
07:20played in the Football League. He's a great calibre and he is a really good leader and
07:25he's got character. As I say, I feel 2018 is the best years ahead of him, so hopefully
07:31we can see them as a football club.
07:33And I was going to say, proven quality players you've brought in who have delivered in the
07:37league. You've added all over, haven't you?
07:41Yes, we've had a lot of players here added and the ones we have, Jermaine, Timmy and
07:47people like that, Tunji, Dion. That was more important, keeping them guys around. At the
07:54back of the season when we did, them guys were a massive part of what we did and it
07:58was important for us to keep them well as well. They're a big part of what we're doing
08:03and we didn't want to change too much. I think what we did last year and how we played,
08:08they were fundamental to it and they're a big part of playing it and it was important
08:13that they've torn over, wasn't everybody. To keep them five or six players that we had
08:17from last year was massive as well as adding to what we've got. There's a real freshness
08:23around the club and no disrespect to anybody that was here before because they did quite
08:27well the previous year but we feel we need to freshen things up, make the club and the
08:31playing staff a little bit younger. As I say, adding people like Jamie Andrews now
08:36as well, you can see the type of people we're trying to get. Very lucky to get him but we
08:40feel there's a player there that potentially the club could go on and do very well out
08:44of and I think early signs when you watched him on Saturday, he was absolutely excellent
08:48so loads to build on for people like himself.
08:51He's come from West Brom and he had a good season at Winsby last year in League 2, didn't
08:55he?
08:56Yeah, to play 30 games on your first leg, well I know he's had a couple of loans at
09:00Yeovil and Leamington before where I watched him but to go out on your first league loan
09:04and play 30 games last year was, you know, and we did feel I'd reached out to Jamie
09:09earlier and there was a lot of talk of him staying in the league so I was quite surprised
09:13that he wasn't snapped up so probably reaching out to him so early and building a little
09:19bit of a relationship with him because he lives up in the Midlands, kind of reaching
09:23out to him and letting him know we're still there and how things are going and to get
09:28him, you know, it's a big boost for us.
09:31So you've got those fresh faces but you've got that core as well who were here last year
09:34and obviously know your methods and can build on what they did last year.
09:38Yeah, exactly that. As I say, I think you could see the last couple of pre-season games,
09:42Reading and Salisbury's probably more like what we're going to look like going forward.
09:46We've had a lot of trialists in, Maidstone and the first game we had, we had a lot of
09:52trialists in so it was tough but we needed people in, one, to give them an opportunity
09:58to see if there was anybody there that was worth keeping on and two, to help our players
10:02with the minutes as well so we took a lot of young trialists in, that just being released
10:06from academies and that. So I think you could see in the last two games, Reading and Salisbury's
10:13probably more like us, you know.
10:15And still open for one or two more if the right opportunities arise?
10:19Oh yeah, definitely. With a few areas we want to try and address in the squad and make
10:25us a little bit stronger. Obviously this year we're going up to seven subs now and a goalkeeper
10:30on the bench, it's something we need to address, make the squad a bit ticker. As I say, the
10:35numbers have gone down dramatically from what they were last year and rightly so, so they
10:39should so if we could add a couple more I'd be happy but the loan market is now open as
10:44well. There's a lot of decent players out there, just the only thing for us is probably
10:50it's the end of August when they don't get them league, they probably start looking at
10:54places like ourselves so we'll see what happens.
10:57And obviously you've known your budget and you've worked to it but potentially for investment
11:02down the line, I guess if that comes and you get more budget you'll adjust accordingly
11:06if that happens?
11:07Yeah, look there's no secret, things have changed at the club dramatically and rightly
11:11so. I think the budget was quite strong last year and things have changed. It is what it
11:15is, I'm quite happy to walk along. If we get investment into the club, absolutely brilliant,
11:20it might let us strengthen it a little bit more but it is what it is, you just get on
11:24with it and there's no point complaining about it. This is how we've tried to make the lads
11:29as fit as possible and again the recruitment, we went after people that played a lot of
11:35games to try and keep them out. If we can get 20-40 games out of people we feel we've
11:40achieved something.
11:41First full season now, just really looking forward to it now, can't wait to get going?
11:45Yeah, looking forward to it, looking forward to the first full season starting and again
11:49putting our own stamp on the players in pre-season with the ones we've brought in. We feel we've
11:55had a really strong, good pre-season, put a lot of work into the boys as well as we
11:58could so let's see where we go.
12:01I don't know whether you'll share publicly but any targets, at least internally, that
12:04you're setting in the group?
12:06No, to be fair we've got people, we've been speaking to them for a while and we've got
12:11a couple of interesting trialists in as well that have done really well so we're kind of
12:15keeping it open and see where we go and obviously not going to talk about anybody until we sign
12:21them so it'll be stupid. So see where we go.
12:25Sorry, I meant targets for the season in terms of for the group.
12:29Yeah, look, there's no doubt about it, the number one target is getting more points than
12:33we had last year and the sooner the better we can do that and see where we go. I think
12:37that's a big target for us, we'd only be going down to the third last game for the season
12:42and then the last game so yeah, the big target for me has been points tally has got to be
12:49a lot better than it was last year and that's what we've got to target first and see where
12:52that takes us.