Head coach Chris Beech spoke this week about what he hopes will be the beginning of an enjoyable journey as he looks to give the fans plenty to shout about in the coming weeks and months.
“I know it’s an obvious thing to say but I want the fans to support us,” he said. “As part of that we know we need to give you something to shout about.
“I want the lads to represent values such as hard work and honestly, we want to see tackles, turnovers, goal action and players taking players on, but opponents aren’t going to turn up here and let us do that.
“We’ve got to understand that to get that, we’re going to have to work harder. Sometimes to win a race you have to run ten yards further, and I think where we are at this moment means that’s exactly what we have to do.”
“The fact is that something’s got to start and grow from somewhere,” he told us. “I know some fans won’t know anything about me but none of this should be about me. I want the players to get the plaudits.
“I want the fans to be looking forward to watching the players because they can see that what we’re trying to do is good, and that they’re starting to like what we’re doing. I want that to grow and I want to see where it actually ends up.
“I don’t know where it could end up, but I do want to see that connection, and see that level of support. I know the fans have probably heard people asking them to support the team a thousand times.
“That’s fine, but my message to them is that I want to try and connect with you. I want the players to connect and I want our performances to represent your values. It’s hard to go to work every day, to come to a Saturday, celebrate your day off, have an enjoyment and focus towards that, and go home happy, because we’ve been able to put something in front of you that makes you feel great, and makes us feel great.
“We’ll get stronger, quicker, better together. I want that feeling for them. But they’re just words. We have to work so hard to put that on the plate for them. We have to work so hard to achieve that.”
“What I will say, from the games I’ve seen, is that I think the supporters have been really supportive of the players. I was even at the game against Oldham where they managed to win 1-0 and the lads got booed off.
“They scored a good goal early doors, but the fans were disgruntled and I want them to really feel that it’s match day. That feeling you get as a supporter when you come to the ground then go home enthused and talking about things that have happened because you’ve got three points ... the currency of football for first team players and management will never change, it’s about three points.
“I want to bag those points week in and week out, but we have to show the traits that represent that, and that means getting a consistent level of performance. I think the supporters will enjoy that.”
“I know crowds are down from what I’ve been told,” he continued. “It just comes with…you’ve got your true, real gritty supporter that will come through thick and thin and support the boys home and away.
“But in the bigger games you’ll get people coming out, having a look, and it’s important that when they do, they stay here, we give them something to shout about. It’s important we connect and grow together.
“No matter how well you talk, it will only come through winning games. Whether you’re good at talking or not, or your tactics are great or not, when you’re winning football matches, people can get involved.”
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