Journeying to the Stars
02/07/2015
Press Conference
Do you feel that your ambitions for the club are matched by the chairman? (The Elgin Football Latest)
I do, yes. Our discussions so far are often creative and there's been lots of good ideas floated about which promise good things for the future. The fans are lucky to have such a passionate chairman at the club because every decision I makes I see a real purpose of intent in for the future success of this club. I'm just delighted to be part of it and working with Graham (Tatters, Chairman) and Andrew (McKenzie, Managing Director) and all the rest of my backroom staff.
Do you feel the expectations asked of you this season have been fair and realistic? (The Elgin Football Latest)
If the club is to really progress towards the higher reaches of the game however unlikely that may sound, everybody from the ballboys to the fans to the players themselves, they have to be ambitious and aim high. That's what we're doing at the moment and that's what I want to instill at the club. A confident sort of swagger in the way we speak, in the way we play. I'll never shout at a player who is overconfident. I'd rather that than a nervous bumbling wreck. I only ask for the players to respect me. So forget battling relegation, I'd be angry if I don't win every single game in the season, I'll be angry if we get knocked out of the cups, I'll be angry if we don't win the league. I don't like to lose. It happens, I understand that but if we play with confidence and put all our effort, all our energy in, we'll be hard to beat which is the next best thing to winning.
What attracted you to Elgin City? (The Elgin Football Latest)
It's just a walk down the road from me. Not much of a drive! No, no. I must say that Elgin City approached me completely out of the blue and won me over with the proposal. How could I say no? This is a massive opportunity. Massive. The foundations of a good club are here. A decent training ground, good young players which the will to succeed. Experienced heads who've been there, done that. Finances which don't risk the club's future. It was just an attractive proposition and I wouldn't of took the job if I didn't believe in my own abilities.
Having spent the majority of your career in the lower reaches of the game you must feel as if your experience at this kind of level can be advantage for Elgin city this season? (The Elgin Football Latest)
Not necessarily; management is a completely new challenge for me and I cant just presume that I'll succeed because of my playing career. Plus, I played in a lower league than this so to say my experience can be advantage in this league isn't accurate. At the school, I did two training sessions a week with school kids. I took them on the school bus at the weekends to play games. Played on a field with no stands. Some bits are similar, like the bus to games, but there'll be more training sessions. There'll be more focus on finances, there'll be a focus on transfers outgoing and incoming, relations with the board, dealing with the press. I haven't experienced any of this as a player. I'd say the only things are I've been in a stadium with stands as a player. Heck, I've been to stadiums as a fan. I've been in the changing rooms, I know the pre-game nerves. But so do the players. I'll do my best to calm those pre-match jitters among my players, as will the experienced heads. But most of it will be new to me.
While some managers are famous for their hands-on approach, others maintain a more reserved manner with their players. How do you see your management style? (The Elgin Football Latest)
"I tend to trust the players as adults to behave in such a manner. I trusted the young kids in my teams to focus on there studies and focus on exams before football. Obviously some will go out of line and you'll need to discipline them, but these players I have at my disposal are older, they're not school kids. They should know how to behave, they should spend the money they earn wisely. Not on a Bugatti Veyron, although I doubt they'd be able to afford that on our wages! They should sort out disputes right there and then. They should know when to shutup and listen to me. There's time for fun and games and a time to focus and get serious. It's simple. Treat people how you expect to be treated. "
How do you describe yourself? (The Elgin Football Latest)
Myself? That's an odd question. Ask my wife, she'll say I'm a passionate, caring, loving husband and father. Actually, scrap that. Don't ask her. She'll say nothing like that... I don't know how I'd describe myself, really. Ask the players in a few months. They can tell you then.
Taking your first step from high school football to league football, is it a great feeling? (The Elgin Football Latest)
It's a brilliant feeling.
Is that all? (The Elgin Football Latest)
Yes, what else did you expect me to say? It's a fantastic feeling, I'm excited and raring to go. Have you got that for your little notebook?
It is often said that different managers favour different competitions. Will you be concentrating primarily on getting good results in the Ladbrokes League Two? (The Elgin Football Latest)
"There's a lot more to concentrate on than just the Ladbrokes League 2. There's three cup competitions. The Challenge Cup, The League Cup, The FA Cup. Four competitions. Don't fans love cup runs? I remember watching The FA Cup down south when teams in the lower leagues go on cup runs and defy logic and head to all the big stadiums. Why can't we do that? I'd love too, the fans would love too, the players. We're aiming for good results in every single game we play."
What are your aims? (The Elgin Football Latest)
My aims are simple. Fight until the final whistle every game. For a player in the black and white shirt to put one hundred percent effort into that ninety plus minutes. Run until you can't run no more, kick the ball until your leg falls off. That sounds like a good aim. Show the fans that we're doing everything we can for them. They're the ones who pay to come see us so we better give a good **** show. That's the aim. Put on a show. Do that? I'm happy.
What style of football can we expect? (The Elgin Football Latest)
I need to look at the players at my disposal. I don't want to force them into something they're not happy to do. We'll meet up, discuss what there preferred styles are and compare notes. I don't want to say we'll play possession football then end up having 40% possession for the first ten games. I don't want to say we'll be defensively solid when we concede hundreds of goals in the first twenty games. I don't want to say we'll be an attacking outfit when we only score five goals in thirty games. Do not expect a style. Do expect us to put one hundred percent effort into every single game we play.
On the off-chance that any agents read your comments today, is there a particular area of the squad which you are looking to strengthen in the near future? (The Elgin Football Latest)
I'm not prepared to talk about the transfer policy right now. I've not had enough time to watch my squad in training and to see where we need to improve. I've seen enough so far to say I'm happy with my squad from the outside but that may change. It's disrespectful to come in and demand change straight away to the playing staff. We'll take our time in the coming weeks then decide.
Thank you.
