00:00Ben, thank you for joining us. Obviously, in slightly unusual circumstances, you find
00:04yourself as the Interim Head Coach. Firstly, how are you feeling and how are you feeling
00:08taking the lads into the bottom match of the weekend?
00:11Yes, good. Obviously, loads of new experiences for me. The last 48 hours have been insane,
00:18so very eye-opening at the same time. Taking charge on the grass today is again a bit different
00:25because you support the manager usually. It was good, obviously, trying to support
00:31the players for a bit of a transition period. Being there but also preparing for a big game
00:36on the weekend is not so easy, but it's something that we worked hard at and I think we'll go
00:40again tomorrow.
00:41Yes, I suppose it's been a bit of a baptism of fire for you, only joining the coaching
00:45staff after a type of away in the summer and all of a sudden you find yourself in the driving
00:49seat for the weekend. Is that something that you're excited for? I suppose there's just
00:54a lot of emotions going through your head right now.
00:57Yes, I think I'm excited. It'll be a brilliant experience. I think it obviously makes a bit
01:02of sense just in terms of keeping a bit of continuity at the football club and helping
01:06to support the players with a face they know. Obviously, I shared the dressing room with
01:10quite a few of them as well. It's been full on and not loads of time to think, but I'm
01:18enjoying it.
01:19Yes, I suppose it will probably help the fact that you've worked with Scott for such a long
01:23time, not just as a coach but as a player as well. You've seen it on both sides, I guess,
01:28so it could make this transition period slightly easier.
01:30Yes, definitely exposed to a lot of his ideas and a lot of the way we've done things. Obviously,
01:38spent time studying my own coaching stuff as well and I've known for a long time that
01:41it's what I've wanted to go into. It's been good, it's been eye-opening. Like I say, there's
01:47a lot behind the scenes that you probably don't get to see, even as a coach. So, probably
01:53back to the fire is a good way of putting it, yes.
01:57Yes, and obviously with Scott left a lot of the other coaching staff, so I suppose to
02:01some extent it's bare bones down at the training grounds. You've obviously had to put yourself
02:05across all different departments, haven't you?
02:07Yes, been doing some analysis stuff, looking at a few different bits that I probably wouldn't
02:13usually get involved with. Just trying to check out the pitch, actually, before we leave
02:18the training ground just then to make sure hopefully it's going to be all right for tomorrow.
02:22So yes, loads of different bits and bobs. Obviously, speaking with the ownership as
02:26well about various things and making sure we're in a good place. So, yes, full-on.
02:32Yes, and obviously prep for an opposition. It's going to be a tough test, isn't it, this
02:36week against Bolton, I suppose. Well, you've worked so closely with the players, that's
02:40another different element, isn't it, having to then look at the opposition as well and
02:43sort of figure out a game plan for the weekend?
02:45Yes, I think, like you say, so much going on and it feels like so little time, in all
02:49honesty. But it's been good, it's been exciting. I've got help from people and I've lent on
02:55the guys around me and the senior players as well, in all honesty. It's important that
02:59I think that I do that because they have loads of experience themselves and they're the ones
03:02that go out there on the grass. I want their opinions and I want to know how they feel
03:06about stuff. But all eyes focused on Saturday and trying to get a positive result against
03:12a really good team.
03:13Yes, have the players taken today's session? I suppose it can come as a bit of a shock,
03:18isn't it, when a manager departs it? I suppose it would be perfectly normal. But we've seen
03:22so far this season, and obviously a lot of the lads were here last year as well, it's
03:25a very professional group, isn't it? So is it just business as usual, really?
03:28Yes, definitely. I think it was important to acknowledge this morning that they probably
03:32would feel a little bit frustrated or anxious or upset or whatever, because that's normal,
03:38you build connections in this line of work. So we try to acknowledge that with the players,
03:42but also help them understand that we have a really big game Saturday and two more after
03:47that as well. So it's maybe a little bit cold-hearted, but you do have to move on quite quickly and
03:53get your focus on Bolton on the weekend.
03:56Cheers. Were you surprised by the events this week, or did you feel it was always inevitable
04:01Scott would move on from the job?
04:07I think at some stage, possibly, because it's normal, it happens, it's what people look
04:14to do in all walks of life, is try to improve their situation. And you can argue whether
04:20it is or not, and that's down to you personally. He felt it was a good career move for him
04:24and you have to respect that and wish him well, because he was obviously fantastic at
04:28this football club and achieved amazing things. And I think he'll be remembered there for
04:32a really, really long time. So, yes, it all happened quite quickly and I guess did come
04:39as a surprise in the moment. But was I surprised that he was going to move on at some point?
04:45Probably not. It wasn't something that was spoken about, but I think managers, you either
04:50get sacked or you move on. So that generally happens one way or the other, right?
04:54Yes, absolutely. And obviously this is a great opportunity for yourself. Has it come a bit
05:01too soon to become a manager yourself, or are you looking to get head coach, coach role
05:05as soon as possible?
05:06No, not as soon as possible. I definitely wouldn't say that. I think some people might
05:11and I've also been wary of that because the ego can kick in occasionally and go, I can
05:15give this a go. But I'm very wary that I would like to do it at the right time when it feels
05:19right. And in all honesty, I need to probably feel it a little bit. And I won't know until
05:26I've spent a little bit of time doing it. So the club have to make their own decision
05:30on what they want to do in the meantime. But it's a great opportunity and I'm looking forward
05:37to sort of feeling it on Saturday afternoon and just trying to help the club really continue
05:40to move in a positive direction and get a result.
05:43Yes. And when we watch Crawley on Saturday, will we see touches of what a Ben Gladwin
05:47style is? Or is it easier just to sort of just transition slowly and use what you've
05:52obviously is a winning formula that Scott's built here?
05:55Yes, I think first and foremost, we're very aligned anyway. And that's why we were able
06:00to work together for so long and built such a strong relationship. So no, I don't think
06:05you're going to see loads of differences. I mean, there definitely will be slight bits
06:09that I feel a little bit more comfortable with that the manager may not and vice versa.
06:13But I don't think it's going to be something that you look at and go, I'm not going to
06:16start smashing the ball from back to front.
06:19And obviously, Scott was very meticulous in his analysis and all that. And he always talked
06:23about going into depth for the opposition and that. Did he pass on any notes for Bolton?
06:27Any work he'd already done?
06:28No, not yet. I might give him a buzz later on. No, he hasn't. But he's been brilliant
06:35and he sort of said like, if you need anything, I'm here for you. But we feel pretty good
06:41and it's important to expose yourself to it. And the analysis sort of stuff, we were
06:47doing it anyway alongside the manager. So taking that on is full on. There's a lot of
06:52it to do and it is eye-opening in that sense in terms of how much a head coach or a manager
06:56has to do for sure. But it's been good and I think we're there or thereabouts in terms
07:01of the planning. It's got one more day to really get the ideas into the players, which
07:05will be important before the game. But no, it's been good.
07:08Bolton have got a very similar record to what you've had this season. What have you seen
07:13from them? What are their threats and where can you think you can take advantage of them?
07:17Well, it's obviously a fantastic season last season and just missing out. So maybe a bit
07:24of a slower start, trying to recover from that. It often happens. But I think it's clear
07:31to see that they're obviously a very good side with big resources and a big history.
07:37So we know it's going to be a proper test, but we've faced a few of those already this
07:41season. I think sometimes the result has not gone our way, but the performance has been
07:45fantastic and that is what we ask of the players, is to have a really good performance. And
07:50we believe nine times out of ten, you get to where you're going to be with a good performance.
07:53So we'll be going after the same again.
07:55And is it nice for you that you're able to get your teeth into two games very quickly
07:59when you're given this position?
08:01Yes, I think so. I mean, you can argue both ways, right? Because it's nice to be on the
08:07training ground with the players as well. That's generally the most fun part about the
08:11job, is being out there with the players and trying to improve them and that sort of stuff.
08:16But in terms of experiencing what a manager gets to experience, you go straight into two
08:23tough games and that'll be brilliant as well. And we can see if we can get the team where
08:28they need to be for those games.
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