Graham Coughlan: Q&A with new Newport County manager

The 47-year-old Irishman has been appointed as manager of the Exiles on contract until 2025, replacing James Rowberry after he was sacked last week.

Coughlan was previously in charge of Bristol Rovers and Mansfield and was recently working with Sheffield United Under-23s.

County had 26 applications for the top job but plumped for the former central defender, who is charged with steering the club away from relegation trouble.

Coughlan faced the media at Rodney Parade at midday on Thursday, here is what the new boss had to say…

WHAT APPEALED ABOUT COUNTY?

“The history, the tradition, the fanbase. How many times over the years have they sung and cheered their side to victory on the great cup runs they have had?

“I am desperate to hear the noise that this fanbase creates because it’s always been a difficult place to come as an opposition player or coach. That will be key to us going forward, getting that connection back.

“It’s a club that I have always admired because my values and personality probably mirror those of the club, community and fans.

“I am honest, hard-working and roll my sleeves up – that’s the way that this club has always been.

ON GETTING BACK TO MANAGEMENT…

“There’s not as much muck and bullets flying at you as an under-23 manager! I am back into the lion’s den and I was desperate to come back in as a senior figure.

“I still believe I have a lot to offer and give, unfinished business if you like. The under-23s at Sheffield United was a tremendous experience and I learnt a lot, working with some great people.

“That is key to success, great people and good relationships. Sheffield United was a really productive time in my career, we won the league and the players were brilliant to work with and the staff were great. That’s what we will try to build here.

“It’s the adrenalin of management and the biggest buzz is winning and seeing people progress and develop.

“I was watching Nathan Jones the other night interacting with his fans after Luton won at Norwich – that’s an unbelievable feeling, the energy off the terraces that galvanises your team.

“It’s not great when it’s not going too well but it’s a hell of a buzz when things go well.”

ON HIS STYLE…

“We will be front foot, we will be high energy, high press. On our pitch and on the training facility, we will pass the ball.

“We will be strong, we will be physical – League Two is a physical league - but we will want to pass the ball. We will train for speed and will look to bring one or two of the young kids through as well.

“We will look to get a relationship with our fanbase so this becomes an intimidating place.

“We want legs, we want energy but above all we want a winning team. That’s what we are all in the business for.”

ON TARGETS…

“We can all set goals, short-term, medium-term, long-term, but first and foremost it’s getting a first three points on the board on Saturday then building confidence, continuity and consistency throughout the squad.

“I am sure the quality is there to win games, in fact I know it’s there, but we will take it game by game given where we are in the table and the situation we find ourselves in.”

Graham Coughlan (Picture: Newport County AFC) (Image: Submitted)

WILL YOU LOOK TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE SQUAD IN JANUARY?

“The squad is strong, you don’t go to Leyton Orient and beat the league leaders 2-1 or go up to Harrogate and be 4-0 up at half-time with an unbelievable 45 minutes with a bad squad.

“I have to look at what is here and not what I want. We will make assessments and judgements on what we have got and there are some quality players here.

“There is experience and some young lads, that combined with energy can help us. This squad has got capabilities and has been underperforming points-wise and position-wise.”

CONFIDENT YOU CAN GET UP THE TABLE?

“That is real good squad and I think we all know that, it’s just under-performed.

“When I looked at it, doing my homework and background, I’d be mad if I didn’t apply for a position like this to work with that group, with these facilities, that fanbase - the passion, the energy and drive of the fans, the noise that they create, and of course the backing from the chairman.

“That was all part of the package. When I got the call to join them on zoom and then come and do the interview, I was excited. The juices started flowing.”

ON KNOWING THE LOWER LEAGUES…

“I have been in the higher leagues as well! But I have ample experience of League One and League Two.

“I have come out of League Two as a player – player of the year, top goal scorer! – and as a coach.

“I have been to the play-offs umpteen times and have experience of the league, so hopefully I can put that to good use.”

ON LEAVING BRISTOL ROVERS FOR MANSFIELD TO JOIN HIS FAMILY IN YORKSHIRE…

“Timing is a big thing in football and I felt really unlucky at the time because I had to depart and it was a job that I was enjoying and we were doing really well.

“But there is no point being a parent if you are not there for your family, I had to be there for them and I was.

“It was one of the toughest decisions I had ever had to make but I am glad that I made it and I am glad I was there for my family, getting through a little period of our lives with smiles. There are no issues on that side of things.”

WILL YOU WANT TO BRING IN YOUR OWN STAFF?

“Naturally you would want people that you have worked with before for continuity and consistency with the messages that you carry.

“You would want to add to the staff but I have had a good morning with Jarred Harvey the first-team coach and he has informed me about various bits and pieces, then this afternoon we will go through some opposition [analysis], tactics and the technical side of things ahead of training tomorrow.

“Let’s have a look at what we have in-house and the qualities of the staff. I wouldn’t rule out bringing in members of staff if the chairman allows me to.

“I’m not a novice when it comes to Saturday but Jarred will have a big influence and has been a different class since I’ve come through the door.”

ON THE STRUCTURE OF A SPORTING DIRECTOR…

“Darren [Kelly] will take a lot of the pressure off my shoulders and that is the way that modern-day football is going with directors of football, heads of recruitment, sporting directors.

“I recently did my Pro Licence and that was a topic that we covered, they are becoming paramount in the game and very important.

“I will have to build a strong relationship with Darren, who I will get to know and I am sure we can work together to push this club forward.”

JAMES ROWBERRY WAS SEEN AS A FORWARD-THINKING APPOINTMENT, ARE YOU ALSO A FORWARD-THINKING MANAGER?

“All managers have to be flexible and adapt because of how quickly the game changes, tactically and with analysis.

“The game is fast-changing, it never stays still. If you stay still as a manager or coach then you will get caught out and fall to one side.

“That was why I was keen to go into Sheffield United under-23s and see that side of things, I had a big influence as well in getting Southend’s reserves and under-23s up and running.

“I am a big one for the youth side of things because all managers have stood out on windy, rainy and cold evenings coaching kids.

“You have to evolve, change, be flexible and adaptable to move with the game, and that is in business and life as well.

“The world is ever-changing, day to day, week to week, month to month. If you don’t move with the times then you will get left behind, as I am sure you have seen in the media.

Former County boss James Rowberry

ON ROWBERRY…

“I don’t know him personally but by all accounts he is a fantastic lad and a local lad who wore his heart on his sleeve.

“As the song at clubs goes ‘he’s one of our own’ and I love to see that, I love to see people getting chances and opportunities.

“James worked his socks off and he will come again and do well for himself because he is bright and up-and-coming.”

ON PRODUCING PLAYERS THROUGH THE ACADEMY…

“My track record shows that at Bristol Rovers we had young Alfie Kilgour and five lads that we identified and brought through from the academy, getting them interacting with the first team in training.

“That will be a big part of it here and every club wants one of their own to come through by working with the academy.

“I can go back to Britt Assombalonga, John Egan, Cauley Woodrow, Jack Payne, bringing them through and working with them as kids is brilliant.

“I will call on my Sheffield United experience as well, working with lads that give you so much energy.

“Fans can identify with a player who has grown up in the city and come through the academy, with all the hard work that has been put in by coaches.

“That’s a brilliant feeling to see them on the pitch and I will be looking to push one or two of them on and get them involved in the first team. We all have to start somewhere and get a leg up in life.”

HAVE YOU BEEN BUSY ON THE LAPTOP DOING ANALYSIS OF COUNTY?

“It’s been time consuming, and I’d much rather be at games. I will go out and look at games as much as I can or go to training grounds.

“I am always on the go and active, trying to keep my finger on the pulse. I will be out and about, keeping busy.”

STALWART: Mickey Demetriou

ON TAPPING INTO EXPERIENCED PLAYERS…

“There’s Joe Day, James Clarke, Mickey Demetriou, Matty Dolan, Scot Bennett, Omar Bogle, there is experience in there and you want them to lead the changing room.

“I always say that if you have good seniors then you will have good juniors, if they lead the way then the juniors will bounce off them.

“I will definitely be having a chat with the seniors and will be asking them to take the lead on certain bits and pieces. I will be seeking their opinions and views because they are very important to the club and the group.”

AIMS FOR THE SEASON?

“If we win all 32 games left we’ll get promoted! But we will crawl, walk and then run, my biggest priority is meeting the players, shaping them up and trying to get them organised for Saturday.

“I will get some ideas and philosophies across over the next couple of weeks but I can’t look beyond Saturday.”

ON THE RODNEY PARADE FACTOR…

“It can be noisy and raucous when the fans get going, and that energy galvanises the team.

“It’s always been a tough place to come and we want to get that back. Teams didn’t want to come here and it was similar when I was at Plymouth.

“I won’t say that we have to make this place a fortress but we have to make it better than it has been because it’s been 10 losses from 12, so we aim to fix that.”