IF anyone at Newport County AFC needs convincing of the merits of ‘The Swansea Way’ then assistant head coach Dafydd Williams, who first watched the game at the Vetch Field, is the man for the job.
Williams, who joined the Exiles last summer, has been given a promotion this summer to be head coach Nelson Jardim’s right-hand man.
It is part of off-field changes driven by owner Huw Jenkins, who wants the club to steer their way out of financial troubles and become sustainable by adopting a similar model to the one he used to great success out west.
Williams was there to see it all as a “North Bank hooligan!”.
The 31-year-old was raised in Llantrisant but his family are from Swansea, which led to him being a season ticket holder at the Vetch Field from 1998.
As a primary school child, Williams would watch the famous brush with relegation from the Football League in 2003 when a 4-2 win over Hull City on the last day saved the Swans.
Just eight years later, he would watch his club playing in the Premier League, then lift the League Cup and play in Europe.
The Swansea blueprint is being used in Newport: Jenkins has shaped the Exiles’ recruitment and coaching set-up in order to play in a similar possession-based way.
“That model is something that I have grown up watching and have been a big supporter of,” said Williams.
“There are different ways to play the game but this could be an exciting period to be a part of the club after what was achieved at Swansea City.
“I saw the s**t times as well! Rock bottom of the Football League. I grew up watching the Swans go from there to the Premier League.
“In terms of the philosophy and style of play, there is a dramatic change here but it’s an exciting one.
“We know that this model can be successful, it just simply requires a bit of patience in the transition because the change is so big.
“That transition is for everyone around the club – players, coaches, backroom staff, supporters – and it does require buy-in from all, because this is the direction that the club is going in.
“It’s about everyone sticking together, and it’s down to us as coaches to make the transition as smooth as possible.”
With shades of former County boss James Rowberry, Williams started his coaching career at the age of 17 – “I realised quite young that I wasn’t going to make a career out of playing the game” – and he went on to work at the Cardiff and Swansea academies.
From there it was to Bristol Rovers where he spent most of his eight years at the club working with the under-18s and 21s.
After that there was a spell as Gloucester City as an assistant, then Barry Town United before a chance came up in Newport.
“I had a relationship with Graham Coughlan and Joe Dunne from Bristol Rovers,” said Williams about the former manager and assistant.
“I was fortunate to be asked to come in as first team coach and absolutely loved it – I learnt an incredible amount from them and now I hope to keep developing.”
Williams may be higher up on the staff list in the matchday programme but his role hasn’t changed dramatically since the arrive of Jardim as boss.
“There is not an awful lot of difference,” he said. “It all depends on how the manager works and I was fortunate last year to be given quite a lot of responsibility as a first-team coach.
“I was allowed to deliver sessions, plan various things and have a contribution towards what the manager and assistant wanted.
“Naturally there is a little bit more responsibility and pressure in my current role, it’s a bit of a step up but not a huge one because of the contribution that I was able to have last season.”
Williams will, however, now be the first man that the ‘gaffer’ turns to in the dugout.
“That’s definitely been the case over pre-season, Nelson has leant on me whereas Graham had Joe with me also in the mix,” he said, with goalkeeping coach Jim Hollman also a trusted assistant.
Jardim has spearheaded the efforts to get the new systems and shapes in place for Whaddon Road on Saturday when the real stuff starts.
But it hasn’t all be about tactics boards, analysis with Connor McGaharan or putting the miles in under the watchful eye of Scott Wickens.
Williams said: “We’ve tried to achieve three things – the physical condition of the players, introducing this style and also, because we have so many new players, it has been about the social aspect and bringing everyone together.
“Nelson has been big on creating a positive environment given that there is a new style and there are so man new faces; he very much takes a holistic approach where the individual comes first.
“He has been great in getting his ideas across and he is determined to do it this way, which aligns with the chairman’s philosophy and views.
“There is a transitional period and it’s up to us to ensure it’s a smooth one and we do it quickly with performances and results.
“We’ll keep targets in house but want to be as successful as soon as possible, that’s why we are in the game. We fully believe doing things this way can bring success to the club.”
And Williams doesn’t think that County will be the only ones keen to play possession rather than being pragmatic.
“Look at the best teams last year, you had Stockport who play good football, MK Dons, Crawley, Notts County had a dip in form but that style brought them a lot of success earlier on,” said the coach.
“League Two is 100 per cent changing in terms of style of play and the age profile of players. We won’t be the only ones adopting this possession-based style, but we want to be unique in our way of doing it.”
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