Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has said that he hopes the side’s enforced rest from competitive action will only be seen as a positive, if the group return with a ‘new energy’ heading into the final months of the season.
The Glovers haven’t played since January 25th when a second half collapse, the likes of which the England cricket team would be proud of, saw Rochdale run out 4-0 winners.
There’s been change a plenty at Huish Park in the last few days BBC Radio Somerset’s Jack Killah started by asking about the change in goalkeeper, after Ollie Wright returned to Southampton and Aidan Stone join the club.
Cooper said: “We got the opportunity to sign a permanent goalkeeper through circumstance really, that somebody that’s moved into the area. It’s something that we felt, for the long term future, we had to do. Obviously Southampton recalled Ollie, and he’s gone straight back out to Solihull. So, I think we can look at it from Ollie’s point of view, as a really positive loan. He played every minute of every game, and he’s gone away from here having a really positive experience.
“[Aidan’s] got a little bit more experience. He’s played League football. He’s played in a promotion final in League Two and won it with Port Vale, so he understands. He can kick the ball a long way, which will help us. Just [adds] a bit of experience. It’s no slight on Ollie, the only thing was it was a chance for us to get a permanent player.”
Aidan Stone will be joined at Huish Park another player with Port Vale connections. Vale’s James Plant returned to the club on loan for the remainder of the season, something which seems to have gone down well with, well, everyone!
“Of course, you always want as many good players as you can, and we’ve missed James and and he did great for us. And like I said, we’re always trying to improve the squad, and he would definitely do that.”
Following the departure of Matt Worthington the question of who takes the title of ‘club captain’ and who leads the side out was raised with plenty of the senior Yeovil players having worn the armband this season, but Cooper sees the armband as something fairly symbolic and wants multiple players to show leadership on and off the field.
“Jake Wannell was captain for the last game. The captaincy for me is just an armband. I think you need 11 captains, and there’s different kind of captains. You lead by example on the pitch, you rant, rave, scream, shout. But, you need lots of different captains in different areas of the pitch. So for me, it’s an armband, unless you’ve got one real standout candidate. I think those days are gone now. Where you get your Vinnie Jones, Terry Butcher [ed. or Skiverton, maybe?], Tony Adams. I think those, those kind of captains are not about as much now. So Jake Wannell will continue to to be the captain at the moment, and he’s got all the credentials and attributes.”
Speaking of the break, Cooper was keen to emphasise that hitting the ground running heading into four games against sides who currently sit below the Glovers in the table, was key.
“I think it was good for us to reset and digest and have a look where we were. The reset only works if you come in with a new energy. It doesn’t work if it’s just back to the same old. So, we’ve tried to change a few things and give it a real new energy and a new feel about it, and be a bit more front foot. It’s been a really good week.”
Speaking of the first of those opponents, Dagenham, who have played and lost twice since the Glovers last played, the manager said: “They’ve showed some good bits. Lewis [Young], the manager, is trying to make his way in the game. He’s brought in a really knowledgeable assistant, Terry Connor, who I know, [is] a brilliant sounding board for Lewis. They’ve had some difficult results, Forest Green twice, York, and been narrowly on the wrong side. That can happen and I’m sure they’ll be looking to bounce back on Saturday.
With an eye on the game, the Glovers will have a new look midfield as Charlie Cooper starts the first of a two-game ban for the accumulation of 10-yellow cards, but says that everyone else is fit… we’re not sure if that means Aaron Jarvis’ hamstrings have healed VERY quickly or if his absence was kind of assumed.
Finally, as an aside, the manager was asked about the National League’s ‘3 Up’ campaign, an effort to try and secure a third promotion spot from the National League to the Football League. The gaffer is on board.
“I think it should happen because, I think if you look at the league above, four promotion places, so four up, two down didn’t really make sense. It should be a meritocracy, really. It should be the same in our level where there’s more teams going up. I think back in the day, people would say, ‘I’m not sure the Non-League teams could cope with going full time’. Everybody’s ready now, at our level – everybody’s ready and could handle it. I think it is 15 ex-League teams in the National League Premier. I think it would make it even more interesting. It’s definitely something that I think should be pushed through. But it’s turkeys voting for Christmas. And, if you’re in a bottom seven, eight of League Two, you’re not going to vote for another place going down. I think they have to get 70/75% of the vote as well. So I can’t see EFL, League Two Chairman, Chief Execs voting for it, but I think that should be something that should be forced through. Fingers crossed.”