Robinson on the task ahead

Wanderers head coach Carl Robinson on moving to the Red & Black, his managerial style and player recruitment.

The former Welsh international arrived at the Wanderers Centre of Football in Blacktown to immediately begin preparations for the season ahead and will take responsibility for all recruitment and management of the club’s A-League program.

In what has been a whirlwind couple of days for the new head coach, Robinson said he was delighted and ready to get started at the Red & Black.

“It’s been a whirlwind 24-48 hours, and as soon as I got permission to speak to Chairman Paul Lederer and CEO John Tsatsimas, their vision of what they want their football club to be aligned with is how I see the game,” said Robinson.

“Saying and doing it are two different things, my job is to do. It’s easy to say things but that comes down to hard work. One of my qualities I genuinely believe is that I get to know the person. If I get to know the person then I can make them accountable for where I want to go, this football club wants to win and that’s certainly in my remits.

“It’s a great opportunity, fantastic facilities, and people talk all time about European football and football clubs over there, but the facilties and the infastructure here are absolutely phenomenal.

“I’m looking forward to getting to work with all the players here we have, and getting my mind and my eyes on the Academy because there are so many players that have not been seen or not been given a pathway to play – that happens in football, but part of my remit is to give them opportunities to play.”

Robinson spoke openly to the media about his managerial style and how his experiences as a player have helped shape him into the coach he is today.

“People talk about culture and environment all the time in football. Whenever there’s changes usually, that gets brought up. What I will say is that I create a learning environment, that is how I believe as a former player I wanted a manager to be and that’s what I want here,” said Robinson.

“That is not just for players but for coaches as well, if you talk about assistant coaches they would like to be managers one day. There has to be a learning environment and it will be. Especially when you have that amount of young players which we have here, we have 13 players that have already come through the Academy are currently on the roster and that probably might be increased as well.

“But if you don’t coach them and develop them then I won’t be doing my job. You will see me with a hands on approach on the training field and a hands on approach in the office as well.”

Looking at the pool of talented youngsters coming through the Wanderers Academy, Robinson wasn’t shy in his interest in promoting some of the next generation when they are ready.

“When you have an Academy that has the amount of talented players like we do here, I’d be very naive as a manager of this football club to not look internally. I have to do that,” explained Robinson.

“First of all the objective is to win, what I don’t want to do is block pathways. My job is to unblock pathways for these young players and that takes time, decision-making, me having the ability to watch these players. There’s no point having two senior players in the one position, because experienced players the last thing they want is a young energetic lad chasing their position.

“My history suggests that I will play young players and I’m not afraid to throw them in. But the management side of me deals with the senior player and how I have to deal with keeping him on board.

“Will there be young players being looked at and given the opportunity? 100%. Is it a big focus? Yes it is. But they will only be pushed up when they are ready.”

With the Wanderers determined to get back into the Finals this season, the pressure of balancing immediate success and bringing youth through the system is a pressure that Robinson embraces.

“I need to get results, we haven’t made Finals in the last three seasons which I know and we need that not to happen again,” said Robinson.

“I am joining a club which doesn’t want to just make the Top Six, we want Top Four and Top Two. We want to win Championships and I like that pressure.

“Pressure is football. There’s so much pressures in life in general, this is a pressure which you love having because I’m doing something that I love and I’ll be accountable for it no problem.”