New boss Lee Johnson sat down for his first interview this week after being named Fleetwood Town’s manager and he revealed all about the move to the Fylde Coast.
Johnson, 42, arrives at the club with vast experience managing in the EFL, with multiple clubs at the Championship and League One levels, and will be looking to bring his high standard of play to the club during his time at Highbury Stadium.
In his first interview with the club, he had this to say:
On making the move to Fleetwood Town…
“I’m absolutely delighted to be here, I’m not long out of a job and I’ve been humbled that the club made such a big effort to get me here but, at the same time, I’ve known Fleetwood for a long time. I’ve watched the journey, which has been fantastic for the football club, and I want to be part of the new era by helping the success continue.
“I’ve had good friends who have managed here, and they all spoke well about the club, that’s not just the fanbase and the players, but the people around the place as well. I’m looking forward to getting down and dirty with the players, the people around the building, and the staff.
“I started my professional career at Yeovil, and I would say it’s kind of a similar theme around the place in terms of it being a family club, the size of the town, and have both built up through non-league and to the heights they are now. It’s 10 years they’ve been in League One and now the next step is to try and push for the Championship.”
On seeing the squad for their abilities…
“When any new manager comes in, everyone gets a fresh slate, and players are often revived and lifted based on the opportunity to impress somebody new. They will all get the opportunity to do that here, but it’s already a good club. The squad are good, I’ve watched all the games, they’ve been unlucky in a few, and short in others, but there are signs there.
“You want to make your own stamp from day one, but you also have to let the players flourish to play their natural games in the formation you want to play in and that’s the beauty and enjoyment factor of coaching. You get to see this on the grass, not just with their abilities, but also with their attitudes and ability to learn.
“There are a lot of young players at this football club, aged between 18 and 25, and I think that’s a good thing because they are impressionable, I’m used to working with players in that range, trying to develop them not only to perform for Fleetwood, but also making them the players they need to be to move on.”
On wanting to add value to the club…
“My goal and aim is to add value and part of that is of course to help the Academy and create those pathways for the players by giving my experience and advice to form the playing philosophy that goes with that so it’s easier for younger players to integrate into the first team and have a close relationship with the staff.
“I’ve done this at all my clubs and have always enjoyed that element as I’ve seen a lot of success through this, as there has been at Fleetwood over the past years. I think everybody has done a fantastic job, from what I’ve heard and seen from the outside, and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s driven that success from within.
“I’m not the guru of all things, there are experts already within this football club and it's my leadership in terms of the footballing side and I intend to connect well with people whilst also bringing my unique qualities to the organisation and that's what I mean by adding value.”
The new head coach will now have a week to get to know the staff and squad ahead of the side’s next outing, which is a home clash against Oxford United on Saturday 16 September (3pm kick-off) – buy your tickets for this HERE.