Notts County's current longest-serving player Jim O'Brien has opened up on adapting to the tactics and methods of new head coach Luke Williams as well as this summer's new recruits and pre-season so far.
Williams, alongside assistant Ryan Harley, was brought in last month following the departure of Ian Burchnall to League One club Forest Green Rovers and has been instilling his footballing philosophy ahead of the 2022/23 National League season.
O'Brien, who joined County from Bradford City in January 2019, told the club's official YouTube channel what Magpies supporters can expect to see that's different under the new head coach, saying: "I think the build up is a little bit different.
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"Obviously we played with the back three last season and the outside centre halves were stepping in. You might see the middle one of the three stepping forward more this season to draw people out. That’s certainly one thing that the manager’s brought.
"There’s no rush to play but once we do go, we’re certainly going. As soon as we give the ball away we need to be getting it back. We need to be ready to get back and we’ll all be put in good positions and disciplined so that when we do give the ball away in the opposition's half we can try and smother them.
"Hopefully those little messages that are being dropped in every day become second nature by the time a match day comes. That’s the idea."
The midfielder added: "All the messages, they’re always the same in terms of what we want to achieve, the intensity we want to train at, play at. We do a lot of video work and we’ve started this week doing unit work as well so the defenders will have a separate meeting from the midfielders and the wingbacks and the strikers. It’s just that intensity and driving everyday, wanting to get better. It’s certainly something that’s stood out for us as a squad.
"Ryan’s a little bit different where he’ll just speak to individuals because we know he’s played the game and what a good player he was. If the lads don’t they should because he joins in as well. He joins in with training sometimes when numbers aren’t quite right, you can see his qualities. So he drops the manager’s messages in that way as well by showing lads what the manager wants. It’s a good combination."
The Nottinghamshire club have made six signings so far, all of which early in the window, with the likes of Macauley Langstaff, Cedwyn Scott, Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, Aden Baldwin, Geraldo Bajrami and Sam Austin all joining this summer.
"Brilliant.," O'Brien declared when asked about the new additions. "They’ve slotted in perfectly. They didn’t take too long to come out of their shell which is always a big bonus. You’ve got different characters as well. Some lads are quieter than others and it’s just about me and the other lads trying to bring them out of their shell a little bit.
"It’s always difficult going to a club where there are so many players who have been there the season before to try to fit in. But we’ve got a few new lads and, like I say, they’re nice lads and they want to work hard and they want to be here and that’s the most important thing."
O'Brien and his teammates have just over two weeks to continue their work ahead of the start of the season on Saturday 6th August at home to Maidenhead United with three more friendlies in the diary against Boston United, Nottingham Forest and York City respectively.
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