REACTION | KEVIN HORLOCK POST MATCH INTERVIEW | NEEDHAM MARKET V FELIXSTOWE + WALTON UNITED | 15.07.2023 |
Following Saturday's 1-0 victory for Needham Market, Manager Kevin Horlock gave his thoughts on the game, pre-season so far, the league fixtures being announced and Tuesday's Suffolk Champions Charity Cup. See below for reaction from Needham left-back Tommy Smith and stay tuned for more reaction to be posted on Monday.
DK: Three wins from three, what do you make of it?
KH: Yeah, look I said it after the first game, it's nice to win games of football, whether it be pre-season or not. We all know that they don't really mean anything in terms of you don't get points, but it's mentality, it's about setting standards, getting clean sheets and winning games of football, so that creates good habits. So it's pleasing, I don't think we were anywhere near as good as we could be today, it was a tough game for us really with so many missing, but I said it all along it was opportunities for younger lads to come in to the squad, all of which I thought did really, really well, so it's a chance for them to dip their toe in as such, they done themselves credit today.
DK: Yeah, you spoke about the young lads, Clayton (Osborn) and Ben Smith making their First Team debuts especially, Lettsy scoring his first goal, Flynn and Ollie again impressing, it's good?!
KH: Yeah, and that's what it's about. Obviously, I've said it all along, I'm really lucky that we've got a conveyor belt of real good players coming through the system, through the Academy at Needham and when we have got bodies missing, which is generally the case in pre-season. I don't think you generally ever have a settled squad during pre-season, it's an opportunity for me to include more of them (Academy players) and give them a chance and like I say, I think they've all done really well today and helped themselves, because without being given a chance you just never know. I'm brave enough to throw them in, I'm not scared of that, some will sink, some will swim and I think they all swam today.
DK: Talking specifically about Ben and Clayton on their First Team debuts, I know we've talked about it a bit, but you must be impressed with that?
KH: Yeah look, in all honesty it was probably forced on us a little bit with the people we have missing, but I've known Clayton and Ben for quite a while now, obviously through the Academy so, I knew they wouldn't be fazed, I knew they would be able to hold their own and I think they've shown there that they can cope with step 4 team and albeit a decent step four team, they will be up there around the playoffs. So it could've been a tough game for them, but I knew they could handle it and as I said, I think they both came in and did really well.
DK: Lettsy with his first First Team goal, was it a bit more pleasing for you that it was also set up by a Flynn (Crosthwaite), another Academy player?
KH: Yeah, both lads have been brilliant, again I've known them for quite a while now, so I know what they've got, they're both different in the way they play. Flynn is (/has an) aggressive, tenacious mindset, winner. Lettsy's a little bit different, quieter, little bit less aggressive but technically really, really good, he's got that trick or whatever you want to call it, that natural ability to go to receive the ball and let it run across his body it, just opens play up. They're both good players and lads that I envisages having a really good future.
DK: League fixtures are now out, what did you think of them?
KH: I've not studied them, if I'm totally honest, they are what they are and obviously I know we're away at Stratford Town first game, it could've been better, it could've been worse. So at the end of the day you've got to play every team in the division home and away, so when you play them doesn't really matter. All I will know is that we'll be in the right, or the best, possible shape when we come to play that, so it's about getting the lads to that level, we're getting consistency and winning games, which is nice, so I'm hoping that when we get to the Stratford game, away first game, we're in good physical shape, I've got a full squad to pick from so I'm going to have a headache, hopefully, and we go there and perform, because if we do we've got a chance.
DK: Returning to today's game, do you think the result kind of reflected the game?
KH: I don't think we where nowhere near as threatening, or anywhere near as good as we obviously could be or have been, but that's always going to happen when you've got 5, 6, 7 of the lads missing, but I don't know, maybe a draw would've been a fair result, I think they've had several chances and obviously not hit the target. Marco (Marcus Garnham)'s made a few saves, but it's about taking your chances, so I'll take that. I'm not going to sit here and grumble that we've won a game of football, or maybe it should've been a draw, because more often than not last season I was sitting here frustrated when we should've got more out of the game than we didn't get anything, so I'll take it.
DK: No injuries so farr (touch wood)!
KH: Obviously Reece (Harris) just precaution really, left him out, Taylor's played a game yesterday so I didn't risk him and the others were away so touch wood we're quite good at the minute. I think, well I took Ollie (Fraser) off, because his hamstring was tight, I just think it's important, especially with young players as well and all players, that if you have got niggles through pre-season you need to manage them. Because if you don't and you feel like you've got to play and your manager puts you under pressure to play, that's when you get longer term injuries. So I'm never going to do that and obviously work with Bex (Easy, physio) and be guided by what she thinks as well in terms of should they play, shouldn't they play, it's important.
DK: Moving onto Tuesday, kind of a bit more competitive fixture with it being for the Suffolk Champions Charity Cup, will that help?
KH: I think so, Framlingham will come here, it's obviously a massive game for them in terms of they'll obviously want to put in a calling card and show how good they are, against a team that's several leagues higher, but it's a game of football. I think I've got a group of lads that approach every game in the right way, so the fact that they are lower league shouldn't be an issue. The fact that there's something to play for adds to it, of course, and I think we've got a couple of the lads back as well, which makes us a little bit stronger as well, but we won't be far off what we were today, but it's a game we want to win, we want to win every game.
(ON players back) I'll have to double check, because it is like a conveyor belt at the minute, they're lads coming back, there's lads going away, but I think we'll have a couple of bodies back. I think Jake Dye's one that's back, I think Tev's back, Tev Allen, so we'll see. I think Keiran might be missing, I don't know, I'll have to check, there's a couple back, and maybe one more missing. We'll have a squad, we've got young lads anyway, so we'll be all good.
REACTION | TOMMY SMITH POST MATCH INTERVIEW | NEEDHAM MARKET V FELIXSTOWE + WALTON UNITED | 15.07.2023 |
DK: Your third game for the club, how have you found it so far?
TS: I've enjoyed every game, I thought that the game at Newmarket was good to get the rust off the legs, don't think I played my best, but that's not the main thing. For the first game of pre-season I thought I thought I got the rust off quite well. Obviously the game on Tuesday night (at Holland), a really good team performance against lower opposition, but nonetheless I thought we played really well. Personally nice to be 2 in 2 for goals and obviously today nice to carry on the win streak - maybe not as good a performance as Tuesday night - but another win's always good.
DK: Definitely, and as you said there you scored 2 quite good goals for the club, what a way to start!
TS: I know, I didn't imagine starting like that, but I'll always take them so it felt good.
DK: It seems like you've settled in quite well?
TS: Well I'm still settling in, I've enjoyed my first 3 games, I'm very happy with what Kev and Tom want me to do, and want from me, I'm very open to anything. As I feel I've started the three games relatively well and I hope to continue like that and build up my fitness ready for the season!
DK: Having had your first home game at Bloomfields, how has that felt?
TS: Loved it, it was really good, pitch is lovely, atmosphere was really good, but like I said it wasn't a great performance today, but the win was still really nice to do.
DK: Was it nice playing in front of all the home fans today?
TS: Yeah, it was, it was really good to get the feeling in ready for the season. We all felt the atmosphere and we really enjoyed it!
DK: Tuesday will be kind of your first semi-competitive game for the club.
TS: Yeah, first cup final, it will be a good game, against lower opposition but pre-season, you know, don't know who's playing, don't know what's going to happen but it's just good to get the minutes in.
DK: Have you looked at the league fixtures at all?
TS: Yeah, I looked at them briefly, looked at the first five, I looked at the ones around the festive period and all stuff like that and it's a nice opening start. Nice tough opening start, which is good, you're going to have to play every team in the league at some point, so it's nice to start off with an away game.
DK: I think we spoke about in your new signing interview, how playoffs and higher is yours and the other lads' target, having played those games so far, even with players in and out, do you feel like that's very much achievable?
TS: I think with 3 games, 3 wins, with some good performances it shows the depth of the squad that we have, obviously we've got players out still to come in, so it shows that we're still winning - maybe not playing as well as we can - but with a deep squad, we're going to need all these players throughout the season. So it's really important to get the wins in and get everyone fit.
DK: Have you been impressed with the young lads that have came in?
TS: Yeah I have, I've met a few of them the two previous games and training, there's a couple of new lads today, but I thought they've done really well, but everyone's impressed me so far. I've been really, really impressed with all young lads and that's really good, I know that the Academy is one the best so it's really good.
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