STEVIE Smith says his full focus has been on preparing the first-team squad for tomorrow’s game against Dundee United, as the interim head coach takes to the dugout for the first time in the Scottish Premiership.
Smith, who coaches the club’s under-19’s, stepped-up to take the senior squad this week, alongside Brian Gilmour, Rhys Owen and Sal Bibbo.
Speaking to the media at this afternoon’s pre-match press conference, Smith said: “I am taking it day by day, it has been a bit of a whirlwind, but I am trying to keep things as normal as possible, and that normality is that we have a game that we need to go and win tomorrow.
“It is understandable that the mood was probably low on the first day, loads of boys were away on international duty, but I’d like to think the sessions we have put on have lifted that. This is not just to say we have been doing sessions the players enjoy, there has been a bit of work put into them because it has been a different group, a different schedule, but the mood has lifted.
“I have got processes that I like to work with in terms of the U19 squad, and it is probably a way of working that I trust, so I have tried not to do anything different.
“Clarity is the most important thing in terms of the tactical side of the game. We tried to put a bit of work into them yesterday, and we'll do more of that today to strip it back, simplify it and remind them that they are a good group. A lot of people have sat here and promised certain things, but it is now up to them to go and put it into practice tomorrow.”
When asked about the supporters, he continued: “There has been a period of pain, and they have had to suffer a lot, so if there’s ever a fanbase that has earned the right to vent their frustration, it is this one, and I understand it.
“It works both ways. There comes a point where I think they know when you need them, but there’s a point where the group of players and staff need to take that on board, and they need to give them something back, so we will be looking to give them a performance that makes them happy.
“We know it is going to be a tough game. Dundee United are well organised, they have a good structure, they have recruited very well, so we know it is going to be tough. I need to give them the information that they need to give us the best possible chance to get the result.
“I trust the work that I do, and I trust the sessions that I have put on in the Academy. I have been doing this for a long time. I have been coaching since I stopped playing, and I obviously played the game for a long period so I would like to think I have got that knowledge of what players like, but also the fact that you don't just give them what they want, they have got to work as well so there's a lot of thought that goes into it.”
When asked about how the preparations have been with the squad, he continued: “I can't have any complaints about how the players have applied themselves and how they have trained.
“I sensed that the reality was setting in that they now have a game, and it might mean that individually they have got a chance to go and impress a potential new manager, but my full focus has been on preparing the players.
“As players, the focus should always go back to what you can control, and that is what happens on the pitch. You can control your individual performance, and that is the most important thing. As a collective, if they focus on that, I am pretty positive the results will turn quickly.
“It might take one result, one good performance, it might even take one bad performance, but you nick a win in the last minute, so there are things that can change it quickly, but it might be that a new manager comes in, and it changes. I've seen it turn, I've seen it turn quickly, but there are many things that can make that happen.
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