HEAD COACH INTERVIEW | OLDHAM ATHLETIC (HOME) 28/8/24

okay we are here with um the head of the academy Jake lofter after today's opening day Victory against alen Jake happy with the opening performance yeah I think we've got to be delighted with with the result in terms of the the clean sheet and the five goals we scored but I think what's perhaps more important on on opening days the things he worked on in training and the the patterns of play starting to come out particularly in the second half um and starting to see the building BL of what we have achieve long term and you say not had long with them there not a long preseason you know results St is only last week and people are knocking around the club for a little bit not had long we happy with the way they've gelled together as a team considering not had a lot of time yeah the great group in terms of just camaraderie togetherness all of that kind of stuff um they've gone really well straight away we've had a few that have come from from Little clusters of different sides previously that have played together before which which certainly does help uh and a couple of lads that have been with us in the previous year have helped sort of knit that sort of identity together but the group's really strong we're only going to get stronger as as time goes on as well and we get a few back um from injury but but overall a really good group and we're excited to see what the uh 2425 crop will bring and regardless of all of that still a victory on the open still five goals scored so if you could pinpoint one thing that pleases you most today what would that be is the patterns of play and just the understanding of what we're exactly after so our shape and the demands that that puts on um specific positions whether that be the center mid all the fullbacks um so really really happy to get some of them ideas across uh and then when that does end up resulting in sort of the 80 plus minutes with with a goal down our right side that's that's really rewarding and it gives the lads the buying that we um that we're looking for uh and just looking at the club on a wider scale of the under while we're here obviously we've got the under which is great on a Wednesday the the youth Lance League we've also got the Friday League uh Stockport County base League we've got the youth development league on a Wednesday on the 21s as well and I think that's all looking good for for first team football I know during preseason some of these Lads today were on the bench and got on the pin got on the pitch just as a whole you just mention where the club's at in terms of it its its kind of Youth setup it's all about the pathway um and that's fundamentally why we've put these sides in so the extension to that is is the new Under 16s Academy as well and obviously the young books and all the work that happens there so a player can come at seven and and get all the way through to the first team obviously my my Department's heavily working with progressing The Lads through the development squads that we have at at 17s and 18s and moving them into the 19s um environment but the ultimate goal is to bump to the 21s and to have five of our players feature um for the first team in preseason and in the season proper is is fantastic and that's why we're here okay J well well done today and I'm sure we will catch up with you during the season thanks Chris