Lee Johnson is reading out a message which praises his Hibs dug out debut before it adds: ‘You need to get Tavares pressing the centre-halves’.
In any other situation it would be token coach speak between two footballing brains after he’d overseen his first game in charge - a 2-0 friendly win over Hartlepool in Portugal. But the text Johnson is reading to us during a lengthy sit down in the Algarve isn’t from a member of his staff, a friend in the game or even his dad Gary currently manager of Torquay United.
This constructive critique has arrived from his 83-year-old Scottish gran Jannette. Johnson is big on family. Whether it’s his own ancestry or the new Hibee clan he is forming in his fifth job in management, and when it comes to advice, he’s never too big to ignore any. Especially from his Lennoxtown-born gran.
He laughs: “She is relentless. She watched the Hartlepool game on YouTube the other day and was sending me tactical points by text.
"She always makes me chuckle. She wrote: ‘All players were excellent, definitely showed your style of play and a dominant performance. You need to get Tavares pressing the centre-halves. Never thought they would catch him though, very quick; midfielders and defenders trying to score. Very hot so make sure the boys have got their fluids.’
"She's not wrong, is she?
"I try to teach her all the tactical stuff. She'll come up for the Hearts game, my family will come up, my dad will come up and he's a good character.
"Most of my family are down south. I've got a couple in Dundee, my godmother's in Glasgow.
"My grandad was Irish so it's a nice link, but it doesn't really mean anything unless you win football matches, does it?
"When you talk like I do, and you've got my accent, you won't get much grace!
“Do I lean on my dad? Not so much; I suppose in times of crisis I might a little bit.
“When you want that check and balance, when you can't see the wood for the trees - 'am I getting this wrong?' - because I never think my perception of a situation is the same as everyone else’s.”
A family man no doubt. And Johnson has spent his first five weeks at Hibs frantically building a close-knit group which he can trust, mentor and improve with the new campaign opening in just seven days’ time.
Eight new signings have arrived in that time including youngsters Kyle McClelland and Nohan Kenneh, Jair Tavares and Elie Youan from overseas and the old heads David Marshall and Aiden McGeady.
It’s been a fast start for the former Sunderland and Bristol City boss.
But he ’s delighted with his dealings so far, with one or two more arrivals expected too.
He said: “That side of it has gone really well. They’ve been really difficult ones as well. Work permits, visas, biometric testing so these guys can get the stamp on their visa…
“We do our due diligence on the guys to make sure they are good characters. Find out if they can cope, we are willing to take a risk on one or two because they add value but they might have tricky personality.
“McGeady for example is a great, great player but he challenges you every day as a coach. It’s a good thing but that boy can argue put it that way!”
Bonding a team that works off the pitch as well as on it takes work.
Hibs have put the hard yards in in the blazing heat in the Algarve and today will enjoy a day off to take in the sights, play a round of golf and last night enjoyed a few beers.
The squad fly back to the UK tomorrow. Then it’s full steam ahead preparing for the visit of Clyde in the Premier Sports Cup on Saturday.
He said: “Bonding? We periodise all that. We make sure it starts with tactical periodisation, physical, technical, psychological, social, wives’ social.
“There are layers and layers and layers and I think it’s important. The lads have got to have something to look forward to.
“There’s a lot of pressure. You talk about the goldfish bowl Scotland can be.
“Sometimes they need that release. It hasn’t got to be drinking. It can be go-karting or paintball. Something where they don’t have to be footballers for the day.
“They can enjoy themselves. The club has been brilliant. This trip, it’s not cheap. To be able to be in a warm weather climate with quality food and the services, the training and the boy’s apartments have been really nice the club should get a lot of credit for it.
“We’ve had a nice balance, a bit of psychology, a bit of bonding.
“I gave the boys a bit of a night out. It’s the dreaded question for a manager isn’t it? No arrests, no divorces and no injuries and it’s been a fantastic trip!
“It’s so important to accentuate the characters of the younger players and to get that hierarchical structure a little bit more spread and promote leaders.”
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