Luis Melville of Brentford FC CST & local community station Westside Radio89.6FM caught up with Andy Scott at the training ground.
Luis Melville: You had the experience of going to the Fans Forum at Griffin Park on Wednesday night. What was your assessment of how it all went?
Andy Scott: I thought it went well. It's obviously easier to do it when you haven't played any competitive games yet. We got most of the usual questions you expect and a few unusual ones. I thought everyone got the answers they were hoping for and I think everyone on the panel answered the questions truthfully.
LM: One of the points that came out was about the fact that you have had to rebuild the squad three times. Is this time around one of your aims to make sure you sign the right players on 2 or even 3 year contracts if they warrant it to lessen the extent of any rebuilding for the season after this?
AS: That's the idea. I can't do it again next year. It's too time consuming and very, very hard work. We're in a situation where we are realising where we are in terms of moving forward and we need to build a squad that can take us up to the next step. We might not be able to do it all in one hit and this year but we are going to look at what we can do to get us further down the line in achieving that aim as soon as possible. That in turn means we don't have to bring in so many new faces.
LM: How disruptive is that to your pre-season training plans when you have to bring in that many new players and not necessarily at the same time?
AS: During the close season it is difficult because you are taking a gamble to see if you can sign them and get them in time so they can do enough pre-season work to allow them to get to grips with the way we want them to play. Hopefully most of our squad for the season after will be with us and we will have had them for a year and with only adding 2 or 3 extra players it will mean we can settle into our style of play much more quickly. It would definitely make it easier for working on such areas as pattern of play and our shape. The existing players know immediately what you want them to do and then you are working with a much smaller newer group to get them up to speed. At the moment we have to do all that work with near enough a new side.
LM: If I can use an example you said you have been working on forward play in the last week. If you brought in another striker then you would have to start all over again with that particular striker to get him understanding what is expected of him with a week to go before the first competitive game and no chance to work with him in a pre-season game. Is that the scale of the problem you face?
AS: That's right. We've done about 2 days (at the time of interview) of working on forward play. You'd like to think that the level of player you bring in is clever and experienced enough to understand but it's always different when you come into a new side. It then takes time for a player to fit into the group and get to grips with slight variations in play. Clearly you'd like all your new players on day 1 of pre-season but it never works out that way. Next year we can hopefully keep the wheeling and dealing to a minimum and have most of the squad ready to go on day 1 of training.
LM: You also spoke about pulling out of deals for players at the last moment because although they ticked most of the boxes when you got face to face with them you felt it wasn't right. What sort of thing are you looking for in a player when you meet them?
AS: As time goes on you start to get a better understanding of what you want from a player and what the club needs from that player. You have to look at if you think that player can integrate himself into the whole group and just as importantly be effective within that group. You have to look at their ambition and drive to want to achieve those ambitions. Sometimes when you meet them you don't get that feeling off them that their ambitions are that high or even match your own. It's never too late to pull out of a deal and I'm never scared to do that and the player has to be right for this football club. We are making big commitments to players and I have a duty to this club to get it right and if it's not right then we won't sign them.
LM: One thing that came across at the Forum was that this job appears to be more than a job to you. It almost came across as though it was a vocation. Is that overstating the case?
AS: I love football. Basically, I love my job and Brentford Football Club is a big part of my life. I am determined to be successful at it. I'm very protective of it towards the staff, the club and the profile of the club. I want us to be looked upon as a big club. There was one gentleman during the evening that said 'we hadn't had any success for 50 years'. I understand that and I want to be the one to bring the success here and buck the trend. Sooner or later you have to buck the trend. You look at some of the unfashionable clubs that have got into The Championship and there is no reason why we can't aim for that. That's what I want and there is no point in settling for second best or being mediocre. I want the best we can do. There are limits on how far we can go but my view is at the moment we are nowhere near that point yet. I want to take us to the limit and then see where we can go from there.
LM: In trying to do that you have to use every tool that you have at your disposal to your advantage. An interesting point that came out from Phil Whall, Matthew Benham's representative at the meeting is that you have access to his statistical football database. How do you use it and what sort of information do you get from that?
AS: Matthew has got some very good people working for him. They are very knowledgeable about every league. We've had some very interesting conversations about players, teams, training methods, quality of players and how they affect sides. We've also discussed how they look at and evaluate players. I am not going to go into too much detail but we're privileged to have access to specialised data and it would be very foolish not to use it. As we progress and start to use the foreign market more as well and scouting abroad which we want to try and do I think his information will become more invaluable. It's very interesting for me as I love that side of it, the statistics. Our relationship with Matthew's people is progressing steadily and we have good contacts there. Any trialist or player who wants to be considered I can have all their information within 24 hours which is a fantastic tool to have. I want to make the most of that and try using it to our advantage.
LM: So you wouldn't rule out any foreign signings directly from abroad? I know you looked at 2 trialists from Racing Santander with La Liga experience when you were away in Portugal?
AS: Yes. When I went over to Spain (Real Madrid's training complex) earlier in the summer, I had conversations about scouts, the different leagues over there and the standards and that have been backed up with Matthew's information. We're looking at our scouting department linking up further down the line with scouts in Spain, France and other strong European leagues. If we are going to progress as a football club we have to consider those options.
LM: There are those sorts of players playing in The Championship. Is that where you think you have to aim?
AS: We have. Although everyone is saying about English players and that there are a lot of foreign players in the game here you don't mind it if they are better than what we have already got here. It's the one's who are very average that are the issue. If we can get players in who can do well for the club and are valuable assets and can be sold on or can help us get to The Championship then no one will complain about it. As always they've got be the right ones and fit in. It will be an experiment to start with but the more we become reassured that the players we look at are of the quality that we need then it will give us more confidence to expand it.
LM: I know even 12 hours is a long time in the transfer market at this time of year. Any updates?
AS: It seems to be 2 steps forward then 1 or even 2 back at times! We're looking at 2 players hopefully for next week but it getting to the point where everyone is now looking at their squads with a week to go and are reluctant to let players go. I'd like to think 1 will come in and maybe the second but I am not going to guarantee anything.
LM: Watch this space.
AS: Exactly!
LM: You have your last pre-season game against Crystal Palace before you go into fine tuning mode next week in your final preparations for the opening game against Carlisle. Is there going to be any inkling to the fans with the team you send out on Friday as to your starting XI for next Saturday or are you going to experiment?
AS: I think we will probably look at one or two options but I am near enough there in my thinking. Clearly the Palace game is another opportunity for people to show me that they are capable of playing in the team and we have a lot of new players and the more they play together will make them better and fit in with our plans. Tuesday night was a big progression for us although I know it was against non league opposition but we showed shoots of our potential. If we can take that onto Palace, a Championship side it will be a positive for the Carlisle game.
LM: Is Izale McLeod likely to feature at any point in that game?
AS: Possibly. He is still here at the moment and he will train today (Thursday).
LM: What will you be working on in the lead up to the Carlisle game?
AS: We'll be working on finer details and iron out some of the problems that we have encountered and be leaving on Thursday in good time for Carlisle. We will stop at Lilleshall for a training session and finalise our plans on Friday with the squad.
LM: Thanks for your time and good luck against Palace.
AS: Cheers.
