Phil Brown has told his players that they need to maintain a strong mindset as they prepare for the trip to face Leyton Orient at The Breyer Group Stadium on Saturday.
The experienced boss will take charge of The Bluebirds for the first time this weekend in East London and he’s looking forward to getting back in the dugout for an important League Two encounter.
Brown has had little time to stamp his philosophy or style on the players after being appointed to the role on Monday but says that it’s attitude and mentality which will be the crucial ingredients on Saturday.
Having seen the players fight for a point during their last away game at Rochdale, Brown knows they have what it takes to come home with another positive result this weekend if they approach it in the same way.
“I want the lads to show that grit and determination I witnessed at Rochdale,” Brown explained.
“The clean sheet mentality has been decent. The goalkeeper is very vocal and is a big presence. He probably took one on the chin when he got beat against Carlisle because he seems like the kind of guy who really cares, and when you’ve got that care you have half a chance.
“We have to keep that clean sheet mentality as long as we possibly can – and if we nick one on Saturday, all well and good. If someone says we’ve nicked it 1-0, I won’t care.
“It’s not about my philosophy, it’s not about my pragmatism, it won’t even necessarily be about how we play – the result is the most important thing.
“We’re not there to entertain. Even if we take 1,000 fans, we’re not there to entertain but to get a result and however we get that result will be purely down to mentality.”
Brown took the opportunity to watch Orient in person in midweek when they produced a strong performance to win 3-0 away at Harrogate Town.
The Bluebirds chief saw enough on Tuesday to know a big challenge lies ahead as he goes head-to-head with another recently appointed manager in Orient’s Richie Wellens.
“I was very impressed with them at Harrogate,” Brown admitted.
“I know Richie; I have done a couple of podcasts with him. He had a great career, and everyone knew him as a purist as a player, and that’s something he’s taken with him into management.
“He’s had a couple of slaps in the face in terms of thinking he’s up and running in his managerial career but then lost his job because perhaps he was trying to play too much football.
“What I witnessed on Tuesday night was a side that knew exactly how to play. They played the right kind of football in the right kind of areas and that, for me, is showing what Richie has learned and he’s put that into his side - so we have deal with that.”
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