Featured Image Courtesy of (Jamie Brain)
Former Newport County Interim Manager Daffyd Williams was announced following the departure of Mike Cook. The young Welshman is eager to get started, despite a disappointing end to the season with the Exiles, which resulted in a 2-0 defeat to Fleetwood and a 4-1 defeat to Tranmere Rovers.
When asked about why he decided to return to the club, Williams could only speak positively of the chairman. “I’m very familiar with the football club. I’m very familiar with the people in and around the football club. I know some of the players from working with them directly or maybe just being on the circuit. There were loads of ticks, and it was an easy sell for me.
“then as soon as I had that conversation with Colin (Chairman), it was almost like a bit of a breath of fresh air really. So obviously Colin was in the chairman when I worked there previously, and I thought from an outside looking in perspective, I have been a supporter of the football club.
“I’ve always felt that sort of connection, and on the outside looking in, I can see that’s a really good place to be at the moment. I think there’s a football club that’s only looking forward.
“There are lots of positives going on in and around the football club, and Colin and the board have been a massive part of that, as well as the volunteers and everything that comes with that.”
Despite the losses Williams faced with the Exiles, Williams had tried to implement more of an attacking which he vowed to bring to Gloucester.
“I’m very much about sort of an attacking style.
“I like to be on the front foot, both defensively and attacking.
“We’ll strive for attacking outcomes and that’ll be underpinned by sort of some non-negotiables that we look to achieve.
“then defensively, you know, you’re looking to be organised, but as I said, you want to be on the front foot. You want to win the ball back as quickly as possible and have as much control of the game in the opposition half.”
Williams discussed his short and long-term goals and how it’s “all about getting the culture right first”.
“I think we can be as professional as we possibly can, albeit in a part-time programme.
“I think we’re quite fortunate with the players that we’ve got, where they’ve all got sort of that football background, whether they’ve dropped down from the Football League or whether they’ve been in academies and they’re striving to go higher and maybe on to bigger and better things. So I think we can achieve that.
“Then, you know, as soon as that happens and you implement those things, then it’s about getting everyone to believe in the style, the way that you want to play, the way that you want to approach games and training. And then obviously mid to long term, hopefully that can then lead to challenging at the top of the table and hopefully getting success.”
Williams may have only been in charge of Newport County for two games, but he has been a coach at the club for numerous seasons under the likes of Graham Coughlan and Joe Dunne. Williams believes that they helped shape him into the manager he is today.
“I went into Newport with Graham Coughlan and Joe Dunne, who I previously worked with at Bristol Rovers and in terms of how they work together, their sort of management style, their coaching style and what their sort of values and characteristics I aligned with myself.
“it was a fantastic opportunity for me to work with two, first and foremost, great people and also top professionals and managers and coaches in their own right.
That certainly was a fantastic learning experience, both to see a great coach in action and a great manager in action, and to learn good, bad and indifferent sorts of ideas which I could really sort of resonate with.”
The 32-year-old cannot wait to get started, even giving his message to the fans.
“I can’t wait to get going.
“The games I’d come and see last year, you’ve got the T end bouncing, you’ve got those flags, you’ve got the flares.
“It’s absolutely brilliant and that’s what I’m about first and foremost, I’m a football fan.
“I love seeing all that and then you’ve got the sector of the supporters that do everything, travel up and down the country to go and watch the team play, the dedication of the supporters. I can really resonate with it all.
I just can’t wait to see them and hopefully we can have an exciting time together!”