Exclusive to the CMO forums: Wilkins speaks out for the first time
To a great number of football fans, the manor in which a manager conducts club affairs can be just as important to the results on the pitch. In this ever increasing media controlled world the gaffer is no longer just responsible for ensuring success on the pitch, now he must help to mould the right impression is held of a club by the footballing community as a whole.
"I come from a Market Research background," Says Wilkins, when we caught up with him earlier today, "This is my first venture into the management of a football club. Is it a strange career mode? Well.... yes and no really. The coaching side of things definitely. And for that I will be looking heavily to the backroom staff to have great input into this area.... even after only a few weeks in charge I know these people are of the highest calibre so the team, both first team, reservs and U19's are in good hands." He went on, "What my background does give me is an edge on the people side of things."
After working in the MR industry for many years, Wilkins carries with him a knowledge of what a customer wants from the service given to them. "Whether it be vacum cleaners, Telecoms or banking, people all want the same thing. They want to know they are in safe hands, that they are going to get what they pay for. Promises are going to be made and they are going to be kept."
When asked how this translated to the footballing world he volunteered, "Football is all about different sets of customers. Firstly you have the board. Their primary need is to have financial stability, someone in control of everyday aspects such as wages and spending on personnell that will keep the coffer jar topped up. What I have to do is make shrewd decisions about spending. Deciding which players should be earning what. How much room I have to bring in new faces and balance that with wages as to how many new faces I can or can't bring in depending on circumstances"
"The next set of 'customers' as I see it are the players. What they want is to be playing football. First and foremost they want to be pulling on a club shirt come Saturday and running on to the pitch to play for their team. Obviously with on eleven places available each game. Not everyone can have this week in week out. What needs to be done to keep this customer base happy is to assess who is going to get these chances regularly, who needs to be given the oppertunity to ply their trade elsewhere, be it temporary or permenantly."
"The third and final customer is the fan base. A club like Nottingham Forest have a large fan base. This is both a good and a bad thing for me, personally. good because it generates a sizeable income for the club but bad because group them together and you have quite a sizeable voice that can be heard if things don't go their way."
Wilkins eluded that he was confident that he would be given time to show that his methodology was going to work at the City round and that the disappointment of many of the fans that an 'unknown' had been appointed to the helm was nothing to worry about.
"Its understandable. I am new to the game. I am inexperienced more so than most of my counterparts across the land in that I have not had any asosiation with football outside of as a supporter at Hillsborough whatsoever. This doesn't faze me and I know that with the ball rolling my way all this talk of 'foolishness from the board' will be forgotten."
It remains to be seen if performances don't go his way whether he will be given the same breathing space as some of his more experience, reputable counterparts. But with 3 wins from his opening 3 games, scoring six goals and only conceeding one goal, that things may not come to that.
Wilkins was cagey about talking about the performances thus far in the season saying, "I'm reluctant to talk about the start of the season as so much is yet to happen. I could go shouting my mouth off about the start and then watch things go horridly over the coming weeks. alternatively I can play things down for now, get more acquainted with the side and its strengths and weeknesses and watch things unfold without adding to the pressure we are already under."
Some of the pressure he referred to must be applied by the bookmakers, seeing as one bookmaker gave Forest 3-1 title odds for the season. After knowing of the new manager being in place too. Having said that Wilkins has only made two new signing so far since taking over. Danny Invincible (£100K) and young Portugeese attacker Felipe Olivera (season long loan from Chelsea). So he can't have too many complaints about the playing staff. Both Johnson and Harewood have ben on the mark in the opening games. Olivera got his first with a stunning Free kick to see Coventry on their way out of the League cup midweek so they certainly have options infront of goal.
How the season pans out for Forest will depend a lot on this young manager keeping his head. One thing is for sure though, he may prove to be one tough customer himself.
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