Having now been at the club for a week, and with a win from his first game firmly tucked under his belt, manager Steven Pressley spoke today about the smoothness of the transition as he continues the process of settling in to his new role.
“It’s been a very smooth introduction,” he told us. “I’ve been made to feel very welcome, but this is always a honeymoon period for any new manager. It’s an enjoyable period and we’ve had some good days on the training ground.
“We did some analytical work on Monday, which allowed me to point out the small fundamentals which I want us to carry into games, and some other small defensive details which are important to the way I want us to play.
“We’ll train slightly differently, that’s always the case with a new person in charge, but the players are happy with the things we’ve put in place.”
Having already struck up a strong relationship with his coaching staff, he commented: “They’ve been great. I felt this transition would be really smooth, and I had a good relationship with Tommy prior to coming here.
“I’ve clicked with Paul very easily, he’s a very good, honest and open character, and I think the way they all work together complements each other. I couldn’t have asked for a better transition.”
As important as the relationship with the coaches is the reaction from the players to working under a new regime.
“Respect is reciprocal,” he commented. “I have to show them the correct respect, but they also must behave in the manner I expect of them.
“A club should be built on strong values, and when you go into a club that’s successful, and built on these values, you can feel it when you walk through the door. It’s there in the way you’re treated, and the way people are with you.
“Their manners and respect, all of these things, you get a feel for a club by the way these things are. I had a good feeling when I came here and I want to add to that, and I want to help to build a club we should be proud of.
“That’s how it should be – you absolutely should be proud coming into your work, and you should be proud of the environment you work in. That’s the type of football club I want.
“There’s still a lot of hard work ahead and the moment we take our eye off the ball we’ll be in trouble. We’ve achieved what we’ve achieved this season by hard work and by doing the basics of football properly. We must continue to do that.”
So how much of a part does the club captain play in helping to implement the manager’s wishes.
“The manager-captain relationship is a big, big relationship in any club,” he said. “Prior to me actually coming into the club I phoned Danny [Grainger] to explain that.
“He must inform me of any problems within the dressing room, or any concerns that need to be ironed out. If there are any issues the players feel need to be addressed, then that relationship with him is key, because he’ll bring them to me.
“He has to be almost my disciple within that dressing room – that’s what you must be – so there’s a big responsibility on Danny and on all of our senior players. I trust them with that.”
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