Press Conference Thoughts

I’ve been toying with different ways to report on the press conferences. After all, you can all see them now and watch them back, so there seems little point in recounting what has been said alongside a few facts about upcoming games. I tend to mould my content on here around the viewing figures, and the ‘proper’ report style articles simply don’t attract readers. I’m not a click-bait site but similarly I’m not going to spend my time writing articles that people aren’t as fussed about reading.

Today I thought I would write about the ‘presser’ in the same way I used to write about everything, just my honest thoughts as to everything, not just the answers but also the surroundings, the mood and the individuals involved.

So, yesterday I wrote about Farms, and with him you know what you’re getting. He came in relaxed and, for want of a better word, playful. He’s usually in that frame of mind, bantering with the press and the now-familiar training day groups. Are players answers in these sessions standard? Possibly, possibly not. I don’t think we get anything too ground-breaking to report on when they’re in the chair, a free friendly sound-bites and some praise for team mates. Aside from the famous Bradley Wood / Liam Hearn comments, when have we ever really hard anything controversial from a player? In truth, aside from Nathan Arnold’s chat with Rob Makepeace prior to Southport last season, when have we really heard anything we didn’t already know?

Once his time in the chair was up it was a chance for Neal Eardley to face the room. He came in prior to Paul finishing, and with the room being compact his arrival caused a bit of reshuffling at the back. For those who don’t know the press conference used to be held in the board room, but now we’re back in the EFL we must have a dedicated press room. Now space is set aside in the little complex built around the dressing rooms, and it’s far cosier than the last space. The door opens directly outside, and with a group of ten fans in there, five or six media and club officials such as Chris Ashton and Alan Long, it gets very busy. When Neal arrived I had to squeeze aside and sit on the tea and coffee table, and with my expanding frame I felt any moment there would be a clattering in the background as I ended up on my arse surrounded by empty coffee cups and sugar.

Neal is a very professional man, and having played at the top flight I wonder if there has been any media coaching. It’s clear what his agenda is, he wants to write off is three-year injury hell. He was quick to point out he doesn’t like to talk about it anymore it ‘old news’ and ‘in the past’. His response conjured up images of a British serviceman refusing to talk about the war in the immediate aftermath. Stiff upper lip, what’s gone is gone, tomorrow is another day.

I suspect he also wants to shake off the image of a former top-flight player dropping down the league at the end of his career. He was swift to point out he is only 28, and when you look at it from that angle perhaps we have a bigger bargain here than many fans think. There’s a touch of the Theo Robinson about Neal, only he played at a higher level and his career was blighted by injuries, not just poor form. He’s clearly a good footballer, and listening to Paul Farman he is also very well-respected amongst the group.

Later, Danny said he expected Neal had ‘straight batted’ his questions, and that was entirely the case. He wasn’t reticent with his answers, but he was clear, concise, definite and professional. He speaks well, he said all of the right things when quizzed, especially when asked about Danny Cowley. Given that he’s played under Joe Royle and Ian Holloway it was impressive to say Danny was ‘very good, very thorough and knows what he wants, not just from himself but from the players as well’. He also mentioned Nicky, Jimmy and Jamie McCombe too. Another measured, calculated answer that covered all bases.

I was also impressed with his answer that ‘when you’re a full back, you’re a full back’, no matter which side you play on. He refused to really be drawn too much into the Phil Neville comparison either, another straight batted answer just confirming his versatility but also not pigeon-holing himself when Sam comes back to fitness. He ended by talking of his vast experience in the game, not in bullish or bragging terms either. He said that the number of games he’d played, and the different opposition he’d faced was something else he felt he could bring to the team as well as on-field contribution. I couldn’t agree more. In truth on of the biggest fears I had ahead of the season opener was a lack of cover in the full-back position, whereas now Danny seems to have got a ‘two-for-one’ deal with Neal. He’s clearly comfortable at left back or right back, he’s clearly only dropped down through injuries and not a loss of ability, and as far as I can see young Sean Long is going to have a tough time hanging on to that right back spot when Sam is fit. Neal has been one of the strongest players over the last four games, both his experience and his ability will be vital over the coming few months.

After that we have a pause, a chance for the press to mingle, chatter and banter whilst the main event arrives, Mr Cowley. Chris opened some doors to get a bit of air into the room, and I had a chance to briefly chatter to Steve Ramsden, over from the good ‘ol US of A. Always nice to meet Imp fans, and chatting about the availability of live football over there was areal insight.

Danny is a different class when he does a press conference now. The thorough and measured manager you see on camera arrives as soon as they come on, when he first walks in the room he’s jokey and playful. He’ll laugh about the players that have just been in and show a bit of Danny the person. It is actually amusing listening back, one minute we have Danny the person, and within the click of a camera we get Danny the manager. He raps his hands on the table, and away we go, professional mood.

The analysis of the games so far is pretty much rehashed from his other interviews. Morecambe we created efforts, Wycombe we were poor first half and better second, and finally we did well against a good Exeter team and would have liked to create more chances. It’s a fair assessment, nothing we haven’t heard and nothing ground breaking. Danny did say we’ve seen the ‘best of League Two’ in the likes of Wycombe and Exeter. I’d be interested to know what Mansfield and Luton thought of that!

Maybe the big questions are always around transfers and player recruitment. They’re the articles of mine that always get the most views, it’s what the modern-day football fan wants to read about. Morecambe was analysed, parked and forgotten by the Monday afterwards, nowadays match analysis is done to death almost before the game is over. Therefore it was the talk of a new striker that doubtless got the listening fans interested.

It must be the right player for the right value; there’s a phrase Danny must get fed up of saying. We know by now nobody will join the club as a panic buy, nobody will come in merely as filler, but despite this Danny wants four forwards going into September. He speaks of waiting for good value in the final week before the transfer window, but what interests me is how this is at odds with his usual philosophy. In the summer we heard stories of references, watching so many games for each player, meeting them face to face to ascertain if they’d be a good fit; has this already been done? It strikes me as though Danny will know exactly which players might be available, he’ll possibly know which ones might be anchoring for a move from elsewhere too.

It’s Bank Holiday this weekend, but City have just one game. This gives Danny a chance to go to watch a National League game, sparking rumours of him looking at a striker in that division. I’m not sure that will be the case though, I suspect Danny would go to any game, anywhere. The game he goes to watch will be one that he already knows the players from, but I don’t think necessarily it’ll feature a striker we’re looking at. I would be surprised if our new player doesn’t either a) come from the reserves of a League One or Two side, or b) come from the under 23 squad of a Premier League or Championship side. I might be wrong, but given the short, sharp introduction we’ve had to League Two I suspect Danny will want a player well versed in the EFL.

Despite the tough run of early results I didn’t pick up on anything negative at all. The six competitive games without a win is the longest barren spell of Danny’s Imps career, and yet he remains as calm and relaxed as at any time last season. I picked up on signs of weariness last season, in the final run-in once or twice I thought Danny looked fraught. There’s non of that this early in the season, League Two is like a 1500m race and at present we’re barley 100m into it. Danny knows that, the players are clearly being given that message and I suspect nobody in the camp has looked at a league table.

It is in stark contrast to years gone by, Peter Jackson got off to two bad starts and you could feel the panic around the club. Often there has been a distrust between press and management, the press will probe with leading questions that managers try to bat back. Blame will be laid on performances, referees, player recruitment, anything that deflects from a three game winless opening. Danny has none of that, he’s upfront and open about what needs to change, and in truth that is ‘very little’. We’re doing the right things, playing the right way and coming close in matches. You won’t see us with 4-3 cricket scores, open-ended games full of lackadaisical defending. Our games will be tight affairs, like games of chess where the manager out think and out plot each other.

One thing I picked up on was a willingness to switch our system if it is required. One of the criticisms I’d seen in many pre-season predictions was that Danny and Nicky would have to change the direct style of play, stop aiming for Rheady all the time and match some ‘canny tacticians’. Listening to Danny speak about other team’s tactics and how he is interested to see them switching their approach to suit us, it is clear he’s far more wily than much of the National press seem to think. Long ball? It’s all just a ploy, and at home I think you’ll find it draws defenders or midfielders away from key areas of the field. We might have drawn against Morecambe, but if teams come to Sincil Bank and set up to defend against the long ball, they’re going to leave spaces all over the field. Danny won’t say that in a presser, why would he reveal his poker hand when the other players might be watching?

Once the press conference is over the actual press are quick to disperse, eager to get back to the office to meet dead lines and write stories around the interviews half of the fan base has already seen. The fans stick around, they get photos with Danny and as always he is obliging and approachable. I like to spend an additional five minutes there chatting to Alan or Chris if I can. Both are brilliant figures around the club, Alan is very visible now but is still a great servant behind the scenes, and as for Chris Ashton; he is a true gent and Imps ‘super-fan’.

It’s nice being around the club at the moment. I’d spent the half hour prior to the presser with Liam Scully chatting about a few different issues, and the vibe is really good. There’s no concern at two draws and a defeat, why would there be? Everyone is just focused on continuing to grow our club, improve the fan’s match day experience by building a great experience off the pitch, and a great team on it. I haven’t seen much complaining (other than so-called ‘banter’ where people pretend to be complaining so other people argue with them. Odd), but anyone who does doubt the direction we’re moving in only needs to spend an hour or two around the place.

Main photo Graham Burrell