Trollope insists Town will benefit from World Cup break as new trio get to work at Luton following Jones' exit to Southampton
Having time to work with a Hatters squad inherited from previous boss Nathan Jones during the international break will be ‘crucial’ according to new Luton assistant Paul Trollope.
The former Bristol Rovers and Cardiff manager was named as one of two new members of Rob Edwards’ backroom staff last Thursday, joining Richie Kyle at Kenilworth Road.
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Hide AdUsually when a new management group is brought in, it’s to try and rectify a struggling situation, but this time, the trio will get their hands on a group of Hatters players who are currently 10th in the Championship and well positioned for another crack at the play-offs, just a point off the top six.
With the season not getting underway again until December 10 due to the World Cup in Qatar, and the squad having headed away for some warm weather training this week, it has given Edwards and his recently installed team more of an opportunity to get their ideas across before returning to second tier action.
On the benefits of being able to do so, Trollope said: “It will be crucial to us.
"Coming into a new programme in the summer gives you the pre-season to work on.
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Hide Ad"Most of the time when you’re dropped in for a managerial change in the season, firstly, it’s because the manager’s failing, or the club’s failing, or the programme’s failing, whatever it is, you’ve got a turnaround.
"But here, Nathan and his staff have gone up to the Premier League and congratulations and good luck to them.
"We come in, with a little bit of time which is crucial.
"The gameplan that Rob wants to put in place, it gives us time to work, gives us time to get to know the players and allow them to get to know us as well, as well as our relationships with the staff.
"That helps with the success, but from a tactical side of things, it certainly give us a chance to implement what we want to do.”
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Hide AdTrollope is confident that the new-look management team will be able to continue the excellent work done by their predecessors too, as he continued: “It’s football, I think players, you have had a set programme here, the players in the end, they do it for themselves and they do it for their families.
“Circumstances change, they change clubs, managers change, so most players are very, very resilient, they get on with things and I’m sure they'll enjoy hopefully working with us and we’ll enjoy working with them.
"The main thing is that we are respectful of where the club is, what the club is historically and in recent history, but also try and put our own identity on it, our own programme and be successful with it.”
Trollope has seen all sides of the game too, from his time as a player, to being in charge of both Bristol Rovers and Cardiff City, working with the Welsh national side, and also number two to Chris Hughton at Birmingham, Norwich, Brighton and Nottingham Forest.
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Hide AdOn which role he has had the best time doing, he added: “I’ve enjoyed all parts of the journey, I really have.
"I was very fortunate to take over Bristol Rovers at 33, with a good group of players, hungry group of players, who were coachable and full of drive and energy, it matched my thoughts on the game and how I wanted to play.
"We had a good time there, but I was very, very fortunate to play at many different levels and I’ve always had the ambition to coach or play or manage as high as I possibly can and that still remains my main objective.
"That, aligned with working with good people, as I’m a firm believer in people making the environment.
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Hide Ad"Facilities are fantastic, it is important that you try and get the best facilities you can within the budget you’ve got, but the people make it, the people make the football club.
"The football club are the people, they are the fans, they are the staff, they are the tea lady whose been here for 30 years, whatever it is, and for me it’s very much about working with good people, good human beings and I think those values in the end translate to the players.
"You can see that’s here in abundance and we want to try and add to that.”