What does the future of Sutton United look like through the eyes of the gaffer? Vision, sustainability, and building something that lasts.
Introduction
In this episode of Sutton United Talk Time on Podcast, I caught up with manager Steve Morison ahead of the 2025–26 campaign. We looked back at last season, touched on changes over the summer, and dug into his longer-term hopes for Sutton United - including a powerful vision of a club that gives players and fans a platform to thrive.
Speaker 1
00:07 - 00:20
Hello and welcome to another episode of Sutton United Talk Time on podcast. It's a Sutton podcast in association with Lucky Star Gin. I'm your host, Mike, and I'm delighted today to be joined by the gaffer, Steve Morrison. We're going to cover Reflections on last season.
Speaker 1
00:20 - 00:33
We're going to talk about the off-season. And in a brilliant piece of innovation, we're going to look forward to the 2025-26 season. I bet no one saw that coming at all. As always, we love hearing from you.
Speaker 1
00:33 - 00:46
Join the conversations, stay connected, follow us on social media at Sutton Podcast. Likes and shares and comments really help us grow. And let us know what you like about the episodes or don't like about the episodes. So, Steve.
Speaker 2
00:46 - 00:47
Mike.
Speaker 1
00:47 - 00:55
I said gaffer in the intro there. Do you have any preference to gaffer, Steve, Mauro? How do you normally ask people to address you?
Speaker 2
00:55 - 01:19
No, however people feel comfortable. Yeah, some people call me Steve, some people call me Gaffer, some people call me Morrow. Yeah, all depends on what's on the tip of your tongue at that moment. So yeah, look, we're all just human beings at the end of the day, aren't we?
Speaker 1
01:20 - 01:34
Oi, you. Thank you for giving up some time. It's a weekend after a very hectic off-season. Did you manage to get away and recharge any batteries or has it been full-on work?
Speaker 2
01:36 - 01:48
Look, it never stops, really. It doesn't stop. You start, I said, even all the way back to I remember last. last pre-season when we'd already signed Finn by March of the season before.
Speaker 2
01:49 - 02:05
So it was like, you're always, you're always working. You go on holiday. I go to America. So that was great because you actually get, you wake up in the morning and you've got loads of messages.
Speaker 2
02:07 - 02:26
You spend a bit of time in the morning working through that and then You go and have your day and you're on calls every now and then or having conversations. It's five o'clock and everyone goes to sleep. So you get your evenings to yourself. But yeah, look, it is what it is.
Speaker 2
02:26 - 02:40
You love it and that's... you're trying to put something together as well, you're working towards it. I remember speaking to Jade and White, I think I was in Lake City, traveling to Atlanta. I spoke to, where was I?
Speaker 2
02:40 - 03:27
I was Jonesy, I was sitting on a lake in Atlanta, Georgia. So look, we're done, we're just working constantly and I see you're doing bits and pieces and some bits wait until you get back, some bits you, you do while you're away. So yeah, there's lots of work goes into it and it doesn't really matter where you are nowadays because you can always do a Zoom, you can always do a Google Meet, you can always do a phone call or WhatsApp video. Yeah, and obviously there's lots of us doing it as well, like myself, Terry, Tom, and then you've got John obviously watching players as and when we need.
Speaker 2
03:27 - 03:31
You've got Sean picking up any physical data that we can on these players as well. So it's a real team effort
Speaker 1
03:31 - 03:31
and
Speaker 2
03:32 - 03:36
everyone chips in and obviously hopefully we see the wars on the pitch.
Speaker 1
03:37 - 03:54
Absolutely. But just thinking quickly back on last season, Was there any point you were thinking, this is working, we're going to go on a long run, or were you always thinking, oh, it's not going to quite hit this season?
Speaker 2
03:58 - 04:20
I think I've said it before. I think I've said it at the Fans Forum. The worst thing that happened was beating Altrincham 5-0 at home, because actually we started the season When you look back at the results now, compared to how the season kind of unfolded, a draw away at Tamworth is an excellent result. The home win was great.
Speaker 2
04:20 - 04:39
The performance against York was very good. When Charlie Wallace scores that volley out of nowhere, Finn's debut was an excellent result. Yeah, it was about gaining that consistency. We started the season, I said, I thought we started the season really well.
Speaker 2
04:39 - 04:55
And then we're losing the last minute against Forest Green. And then we lost Boston and Dagenham. And it was like, from a personal point of view, it felt like the world was going to end from the reaction. It was like, yeah, we've lost a couple of games, guys.
Speaker 2
04:56 - 05:18
Like, we've got 23 new players. They didn't know each other seven weeks ago or eight weeks ago. And all of a sudden, It was like a bad moment, a bad time. Yeah, it was an odd, it was a really odd situation because it was just a bit like...
Speaker 2
05:20 - 05:54
And then, yeah, just some of the conversation I had at that time made me laugh, made everyone else kind of like, what's going on here? Like, because we put up a team trying to get back to the EFL where everyone thought that that meant that you had to do it instantly, otherwise you were going to get hung out to dry. So I've spoke to the media about the team about being too positive because that, They can work against you. No, but look, I thought last season was, I think there was one time we got really close to the playoffs.
Speaker 2
05:54 - 06:28
I think we got into the playoffs at one point. And yeah, I think just that group of players last year just couldn't deal with the, with pressure. I think you look at, and obviously I don't know whether this group can, I hope they can, but every time we kind of got close to something, They failed and I think you only have to look at, as I said, the Spennymoor game where it was a great opportunity to go to the next stage and put in one of our worst performances of the season which was disappointing.
Speaker 2
06:29 - 06:53
Obviously the Leeds game in the final again. to get to the playoffs and just didn't have that ability to kind of deal with that pressure that comes with that, which is a different type of pressure. It's easy when you're trying to get there. It's easy to perform against Birmingham for 90 minutes when there's no expectation on you at all.
Speaker 2
06:54 - 07:45
So that's just something that I think when we went into the recruitment and we looked at players for this year, We tried to look for players that maybe had that little bit more about them in terms of experience in certain situations, hence Jonesy coming in. Fipsy coming in, obviously Woody came in, obviously after all that kind of stuff happened, but obviously he's now, he's back to where he was previously. So yes, having a few more players, bringing Nadders in permanently, just a few players that have kind of been there, got t-shirts and can deal with a little bit of burden. And the plus point in this summer is that We still kept eight, nine, 10 of the team from last year.
Speaker 2
07:45 - 08:02
So they, they're a year older. Like you think you've only got to look a little simpler and go, he looks even better than what he did last year, just because he's a year older. He's a year more experienced. He's got a year of football under his belt.
Speaker 2
08:02 - 08:25
He never played that many games in his life in one season. So yeah, so I felt like last year it was one of our big, big, big failures was not being able to deal with moments when we got ourselves in good positions as a team and we didn't take it on. And then, yeah, we had that... I think inconsistent is the word.
Speaker 2
08:25 - 08:46
We finished, what was it, 12th we finished or whatever? I think I've said it a couple of times, we're like the epitome of average in terms of like, was it 15 wins, 15 draws, 16 losses or whatever, something like that. Um, which just shows the inconsistency of the, but on the flip side, rather be there, rather be us than Dagenham.
Speaker 1
08:47 - 09:01
Exactly. Um, there were points in the season where I was obviously being my positive self going, well, actually, if we could just win the next two and this one loses, that one loses, we're in the playoffs. But there are 12 other teams who would say, yeah, we'd quite happily take 12.
Speaker 2
09:02 - 09:22
Yeah, I said that was the conversations I had a couple of times was like, we ain't far away with the group. We're not far away. And it's kind of like sometimes it was like the worst conversation I could add, because then it was like the realism of we're not actually that far away. But yeah, look, I felt it was new, you're hoping that everyone's going to gel.
Speaker 2
09:22 - 09:56
Pre-season was, if I try and remember back to pre-season, obviously every single game was away from home. Every single game was against lower league opposition apart from, obviously, I don't know what your class Brentford would be as, but possibly lower in the scheme of what they're about. So it was really tough to gauge and we had some good performances in there and then we had some terrible ones. So yeah, it was, it was, it was.
Speaker 2
09:58 - 10:16
Yeah, it was kind of like the unknown last year. It was very, very kind of unknown. And I think the lads equipped themselves very well in terms of, as I said, I don't think there was many of them in there that actually even knew each other up until the day they come through the door. So they formed friendships, they formed bonds.
Speaker 2
10:17 - 10:42
I would say there wasn't any cliques or anything like that, which was great. But I think we just needed those players who maybe had been there a bit longer, just to kind of step up a little bit more as senior players. And at times it happened and at times it didn't. So it led to being a very inconsistent season, but obviously a season that we could build on for sure.
Speaker 1
10:44 - 10:58
Exactly. I mean, 12th is, as you said, top half, and it's something to say, right, okay, there's our baseline. Do you think it was a fair sort of reflection, or do you think, oh, we should have got higher, or we got lucky? I personally think it was quite fair.
Speaker 2
10:58 - 11:06
Well, it's the table doesn't lie, does it? It doesn't lie at the end of the day. It is what it is. You are where you are.
Speaker 2
11:06 - 11:29
Yeah, you could sit there and go, we left points on the table, for sure. But I'd say on the flip side, I'm trying to think of some games where we nicked a couple of results, I can't even think there was. You go and play Rochdale, you do well at home and an home goal wins you the game. Yeah, that's how we don't lie at the end of the day.
Speaker 2
11:29 - 11:46
I think that's always, it's always the raw, it's the truth. It's obviously from an internal point of view, you're looking at a lot more than that. You're looking at how the team's performing from a data point of view. You're looking at where can we improve physically, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 2
11:46 - 12:13
So yeah, from our point of view and obviously having an ownership group that are highly supportive, obviously we're, We're looking far beyond just results at times. We're trying to look at the bigger picture and everything that's going on and how can we make the club, the players, everyone the best that we can possibly be, including myself and the staff.
Speaker 1
12:15 - 12:25
So on that, were there any kind of lessons you took away last season saying, I'd rather have changed that or unhappy with how I handled that?
Speaker 2
12:27 - 13:09
I think recruitment in the summer, I think it was good on the whole, but maybe would have gone and got a couple of, I tried to get a couple of more kind of experienced heads, but they just cost so much more money. And we still had obviously the hangover from 30% of our budget was gone before the season even started with players that were left over from the season before. So we had to try and exhaust all options that we could. I think if I was going to say, if I was going to change anything, I'd maybe bought in a couple of older heads just to kind of help manage the group.
Speaker 2
13:10 - 13:36
But didn't feel like they were out there at the time and felt like we'd have enough from a coaching point of view and experience to kind of just trying to manage them through that. But obviously when you're on pitch, you look at like, I don't know whether none of you most probably even notice it, but maybe you did. When we played, it was either Wickham or AFC in pre-season
Speaker 1
13:36 - 13:36
and
Speaker 2
13:36 - 14:02
we're winning the game and then the goalkeeper catches the ball and as he's about to kick it, Harry Phipps runs and blocks him and takes the yellow card. And I turned around to the bench and I went, If we'd done that against Forest Green in a 90 second minute, we'd draw the game. And then you're five games without a loss and you go into Boston in a maybe different frame of mind and don't lose the game. So it's things like that that you can't legislate for off the pitch until they get on it.
Speaker 2
14:02 - 14:20
So yeah, I think that would be something that we'd kind of, we'd take on the chin from a recruitment point of view, maybe get a little bit more experience. But there was a lot of unknown last year. I think I said it again at the fans' forum when they asked how we were going to play School Davies goals. I was like, well, we said this last summer.
Speaker 2
14:22 - 14:37
We didn't know Will was going to go on and score 20 goals. We didn't know that Nalles was going to score eight goals and eight assists. We didn't even know he was going to come in until two weeks into the season when he eventually joined and stuff like that. Do you know what I mean?
Speaker 2
14:38 - 14:45
There was so much unknown last year and I feel like there's less unknown now and that's why it feels a bit different.
Speaker 1
14:46 - 14:59
So to finish the last season, there were some high points. There was the Birmingham match. You were very kind to me at the Birmingham match. I was at the press conference and you answered my questions as if I was a proper journalist.
Speaker 1
15:00 - 15:11
It was made easier because the woman before me had asked, what's your start in 11? And I was like, phew, I'm not going to ask something like that. But what was your high point this season? When you get a chance to think back and go, actually, that was good.
Speaker 1
15:11 - 15:12
I enjoyed that.
Speaker 2
15:14 - 15:40
High point. Any of the wins, really. I think you just enjoy winning games, because it's kind of like the process that you've put together all week, what you've planned, what you've tried to work on on the training ground, what you've put together coming out. We're not win-orientated, but obviously having the process and it all comes to fruition, it's mostly the the best part.
Speaker 2
15:41 - 15:59
As I said, people call Birmingham a high point. It was a high point for the football club. We lost the game, do you know what I mean? But from a club point of view, having that many eyes on us and that, putting on such a good spectacle and going toe-to-toe with them was amazing.
Speaker 2
16:00 - 16:41
Obviously, getting to the National League Cup final, obviously really good for the football club as well, for the prize money we picked up along the way for that. But then ultimately losing it is a really disappointment moment. Yeah, look, I think any time it all kind of came together and we did well with the high moments and obviously getting to know the lads and seeing Will go on and get his move to the league is obviously amazing for him and that's part of our job as coaches and as a football club to try and make people better and obviously give them the opportunity to better their career either with us or with someone else.
Speaker 2
16:41 - 16:46
He obviously backed that up on Saturday by getting his the the
Speaker 1
16:56 - 17:24
It's sort of like, it's 18 months-ish now since your appointment, slightly over actually. It's quite sort of a longish time in football terms, but in certain terms you're still kind of bedding in. I don't even know if you have a desk to put your feet under, but how would you define your relationship with the club, and how has it kind of changed from when you first came? So you came in with a brief to do something, and you're now building something slightly different to what you first came in as.
Speaker 2
17:26 - 17:46
My relationship with the actual club itself has not changed at all. The people that I work closely with, we still talk as much as we always did. We still engage and we're still on the same journey and the same path. So that's exactly the same.
Speaker 2
17:48 - 18:31
Obviously, a lot's changed in terms of Obviously, after the first summer, we're now on the first season, we're then based at the ground rather than being at Harlington. I think the links to the community have been far greater since we've moved back. Obviously, we changed training venues last year and we've changed again this year after the venue we had not been sufficient. But yeah, I think I think the relationship on the whole is as it was previously for myself.
Speaker 2
18:32 - 18:45
I can't speak for anyone else. And yeah, it's my job from day one was to try and make us better. Obviously ultimately it was trying to keep us up. We didn't do that.
Speaker 2
18:46 - 19:00
Then we had a big job on our hands. And we've done that in tandem. And we've got, what we have six, seventh highest attendance last year, average at home. So that's a phenomenal achievement.
Speaker 2
19:01 - 19:28
We've, off the pitch, everything is a lot more streamlined. There's much better processes in place. The club's in a good place itself. And yeah, the relationship with the players and the staff, we trimmed the staff down so it's more kind of streamlined and it's more efficient.
Speaker 2
19:28 - 19:34
And yeah, it's been, yeah, it's good and it still is good.
Speaker 1
19:36 - 19:51
Excellent. I don't know if anyone told you, I checked back and I think last season was our 15th highest season on the Pyramid. So however disappointed you were with 12, it wouldn't put it into our entire history. It was something like the 15th highest finish.
Speaker 1
19:51 - 20:11
I know that makes you so happy. But there were a few sort of things that you did last season. So towards the end of it, you stepped in with the conversations about the season ticket prices and offered to cover the increase. That is unusual.
Speaker 1
20:12 - 20:18
What made you kind of feel, I'm going to do this? And how did the family feel about
Speaker 2
20:19 - 20:47
it? Look, I just think you do things to just try to help like Ultimately, people can have whatever opinion they want of me as they want. I didn't get a job two years ago because I played for Millwall. Yeah, I got to the final two and I lost out because they didn't feel that my Millwall background fitted in with their, but you've taken me all this way to the process to the end, right?
Speaker 2
20:47 - 21:28
So the reality is no one actually has a clue what people are like outside of the perception that you have in that moment. We just wanna help, like we're just trying to help across the board of everything we've always done is to try and help and to try and make it as an enjoyable experience as we possibly can. And what comes with that is change. which seems to be the one thing that, especially at Sutton, that no one's very good at handling.
Speaker 2
21:29 - 22:06
It is like, I can't even explain the uproar about some of the smallest things I've ever seen in my life. And obviously the, I tell you what, I stepped in mainly because it was the fact that I was gonna protest, and it was the fact they were gonna protest against Gary, which really irked me. And I was like, and I said to him in that room, that be careful what you wish for. Yeah, I'm here to help, we're here to help.
Speaker 2
22:06 - 22:19
What can we do? How can we help you? Et cetera, et cetera. And as I said, this club wouldn't be sat here right now if it wasn't for someone like him.
Speaker 2
22:20 - 22:33
And that's just a fact. So let's not beat around the bush. Let's not try and, it'd still be around, but it'd be five leagues below or whatever. And you know that as well as I know that.
Speaker 1
22:34 - 22:43
Yeah, I have mentioned to him that investing usually means getting some returns on your money, not keep putting money in and in and in, and he was like, yeah, I know. Exactly, but
Speaker 2
22:43 - 22:45
he does it because he genuinely loves the football club. Yeah,
Speaker 1
22:46 - 22:46
absolutely.
Speaker 2
22:46 - 23:14
And that was where, and it was kind of like, so we, yeah, it is what it is. It was just a situation I felt I could help with. I did, hopefully, It helped, it changed maybe a couple of people's perception of me, but it's only changed their perception of me. It hasn't changed actually me, which is the most interesting thing out of all of it.
Speaker 2
23:14 - 23:42
So yeah, look, you're just trying to help. You said everything we're trying to do, we're trying to help. you might not believe it or not, but like between myself and Tim, like we're the ones who have been driving, getting stuff painted, getting stuff decorated, getting stuff, like it's not just been, oh, let's just, let's just, oh, it just happened. It happened because we've asked for it to happen.
Speaker 2
23:43 - 23:53
And I've asked for it to happen. And I've said, like, like, can we just, paint the doors, can we do this? Can we do that? Like, let's, can we sort the speaker system out?
Speaker 2
23:53 - 24:07
Can we just, like, like with Rob coming in with the food, it's like, oh, we're looking for a new, oh, you gotta get Rob. Food's unbelievable. Like, do you know what I mean? It's all like,
Speaker 1
24:08 - 24:08
it's
Speaker 2
24:08 - 24:26
just about making the whole, like, experience and everything better. And as I said, it's, Yeah, as we know, change is tough for people to deal with across the board. I experienced it the other day. I went to the service station because I spend a lot of time in my car and I went to get something.
Speaker 2
24:26 - 24:40
I only had a fiver in cash and I tried to pay for something and they said, you can't buy anything in there without a card. I was like, better go back to my car then. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2
24:40 - 24:44
I did write a strongly worded email to the service station. I never got a
Speaker 1
24:44 - 25:09
response. You also did a few Q&As and you definitely got more relaxed. I have to say my favourite quote on the last one was when you were talking in a very deadpan, monotone voice and said, by the way, this is me really excited and I was just creasing up. But how have you feel with those Q&As?
Speaker 1
25:09 - 25:12
Do you enjoy them? Do you look forward to them?
Speaker 2
25:13 - 25:35
Yeah, I don't mind. Like I said, football is something we talk about all the time, something that's easy to talk about and I understand and I know. My favourite thing is when I, like that day, like my favourite thing from that night was the first Q&A was when I asked the question about like the team's formation and stuff like that. And I just get these random responses and I'm like, no.
Speaker 2
25:36 - 25:53
And then you're like, it's really good because you're educating and you're helping and you're getting people to understand. I think it's interesting for other people as well. So yeah, look, I think they're good fun. If people enjoy them, then great.
Speaker 2
25:56 - 26:01
Meanie I think would do one every week if he could. But as I said, even someone like John, he's
Speaker 1
26:01 - 26:02
an extension of us and
Speaker 2
26:02 - 26:25
staff. He's different to me. So what's the point of employing the same person as me? So you bring people in who are different to you, who have got different strengths to you.
Speaker 2
26:26 - 26:45
That's called, it's called being like intelligent. You have to bring people with different skill sets to you who are better at you than some things. And you can't be everything. You, do you know what I mean?
Speaker 2
26:47 - 27:02
You see all these other clubs that got like staff on staff on staff. And you bring people in who's, it's like, you bring a goalkeeper coach in, why? Because I'm not a goalkeeper coach. So I can't do it, but a goalkeeper coach is an extension of yourself.
Speaker 2
27:04 - 27:18
And I said, you have someone like John who's just, he is what he is and we laugh every day. Like sometimes we have to ban him from talking about football, like just for an hour. like on a coach journey up to like York, it'd be like six hours. And they were like, you need to give us an hour.
Speaker 2
27:18 - 27:21
Where? Just... I'm
Speaker 1
27:21 - 27:21
sorry.
Speaker 2
27:21 - 27:22
I'm not going to
Speaker 1
27:22 - 27:23
call you a liar.
Speaker 2
27:23 - 27:38
I don't. It doesn't, but we do have to put his measures in place, but that's also amazing. And that's why we love him. And that's why I was so pleased that when he rang me to say, Steve, did you know my contract runs out on the 31st of May?
Speaker 2
27:38 - 27:50
I was like, nope, I didn't. I had to quickly, Tim, Ben, Gary, quickly. And then, yeah, and obviously that was great.
Speaker 1
27:53 - 28:10
On Meanie, bringing us to a nice little last bit on this section, the fans match, you and John managed a team each. Yeah. Did you feel that brought you closer to some of the fans and whilst at the same time creating a bit of a family split? Did you enjoy it?
Speaker 2
28:10 - 28:23
Yeah, no, it was great. Obviously, I think there's been some that have obviously bumped into pre-season already that kind of say hello that maybe wouldn't have said hello before. And then you remember their face as well. So that was great.
Speaker 2
28:24 - 28:45
Yeah, my son ditched me after about 30 seconds and went and joined the other team because he wanted to go with John, which, yeah, is what it is. And yeah, look, it was a great, it was a good afternoon. And now I can firmly cement it in my head when these people shout at me and tell me they don't know what I'm doing. I'm like, no, I've watched you lot play for 90 minutes.
Speaker 2
28:46 - 28:46
Let's relax.
Speaker 1
28:48 - 28:58
And I'm going to say, you did ask me at one stage, because I bought the t-shirt and played dress up. You're like, can you play? And I'm like, not a chance. For that very reason, I was like, no.
Speaker 1
28:58 - 29:02
I'm not having you tell me. I don't know what I'm talking about. I know that already. No, so yeah,
Speaker 2
29:02 - 29:07
it was good. And obviously, we lost on penalties. And
Speaker 1
29:08 - 29:10
yeah. It didn't have to go to penalties, though, did it? I mean,
Speaker 2
29:11 - 29:12
it could have drawn.
Speaker 1
29:13 - 29:17
Yeah. Well, no, I think someone had a chance to win it, didn't they? Carl missed the penalty?
Speaker 2
29:18 - 29:21
Yeah, can't miss the penalty, yeah. He went on my team. Oh, he was on my team, yeah.
Speaker 1
29:21 - 29:21
He
Speaker 2
29:21 - 29:22
was on your team,
Speaker 1
29:22 - 29:22
yeah. Yeah, no,
Speaker 2
29:22 - 29:24
he missed the penalty in the penalty shootout, didn't he?
Speaker 1
29:24 - 29:26
Oh, didn't he? Yeah, OK, yeah. He missed the penalty in the
Speaker 2
29:26 - 29:30
penalty shootout, yeah. Would have won, yeah. But anyway, that's life.
Speaker 1
29:30 - 29:42
Yeah. Right, so there's been quite a lot of movement in summer. You've hinted at some of it already. So, with Anthony leaving, you've worked with him for a little while.
Speaker 1
29:42 - 29:53
Has that changed anything in your day-to-day as well as other staff setups? Is there certain things that you're like, you now have to think about that previously you wouldn't have had to think about because someone else took care of it? Or is it...
Speaker 2
29:54 - 30:07
No, nothing's changed. Nothing's changed, nothing's changed. Yeah, we're all doing the same job as we were before. And yeah, just streamlined, a bit closer knit.
Speaker 2
30:07 - 30:34
Obviously Kiri coming in, obviously had to move fast because obviously I'd get a phone call, was it 10 days, two weeks before the season starts to say that, well Andy just said that he wanted the opportunity to leave and go work with Matt. So yeah, and Kiri obviously came in who I worked with before. And yeah, no, nothing's really changed. It's just one less body in the office.
Speaker 2
30:37 - 30:43
But yeah, Kiri and Kiri's taken on some of those responsibilities. So yeah, no, it's fine. All good.
Speaker 1
30:44 - 30:59
Excellent. You moved very fast, or we moved very fast over the summer with the player recruitment. Lots of deals were done in place. I think basically everyone was all in place, apart from Brandon, before pre-season started.
Speaker 1
31:00 - 31:04
How do you think that's going to benefit us throughout the season? Are we going to hit the ground running? I
Speaker 2
31:06 - 31:26
hope so. I think, look, we've managed to get everyone together for the period of pre-season, so that was great. Yeah, look, we know what lane we're in. We're staying in our lane and we have worked tirelessly.
Speaker 2
31:26 - 32:01
We've kind of, we had to wait on a few bits. So Harry Phipps, we spoke to right early on in pre-season, but took a bit of time for it to get done. Brandon was someone that was kind of on our radar, but it wasn't in our, it wasn't a deal we was able to do right at the start. But then it's kind of a position that we kind of kept open, but I did think, I think when I was at the fans forum and I said there won't be, I didn't think that it would actually happen.
Speaker 2
32:01 - 32:21
And then when you do get the opportunity, you're like, Help, we wanna do it, can someone help us? And they did, which was great. So yeah, look, we managed to get a lot done. I think hopefully it'll benefit us because we've been together for six weeks already now, or we're in the sixth week now.
Speaker 2
32:22 - 32:40
And yeah, look, proof's gonna be in the pudding, isn't it? So we've got arguably the on paper the toughest August that possibly we could have, or if you look at the bookies we've got.
Speaker 1
32:42 - 32:42
But yeah,
Speaker 2
32:42 - 32:51
look, obviously having the lads together early has been good. And obviously Brandon coming in, he did no simps and stuff like that as well. So it's made that transition okay.
Speaker 1
32:53 - 33:01
I was going to do this in a second, but you've mentioned it. I mean, obviously, we have to play everyone twice. That's it. But it hasn't been exactly kind to us.
Speaker 1
33:02 - 33:12
How do you approach that kind of start mentally, physically, in your planning to say, right, we're going to have some of the big hitters early on? No
Speaker 2
33:12 - 33:51
different to any of the others. Yeah, it's just that they're all in the same league at the end of the day. It's going to be down to us just being as diligent as we have been in pre-season, as exciting as we have been going forward, and not really worrying about them too much, if I'm honest. I'm not being flippant about it in terms of not giving them the respect they deserve, because we will do.
Speaker 2
33:52 - 33:56
and we are doing, but more of just like, I can't spend my life worrying about.
Speaker 1
34:00 - 34:00
Ifs, buts.
Speaker 2
34:01 - 34:16
Ifs, buts, maybes. At the end of the day, I think by the end of August, whatever the last one in August is, I think it's, is it the 30th, I think. Carlisle, Carlisle at home. We'll have a pretty good idea of where we are.
Speaker 1
34:19 - 34:35
So we've got York first. Now, obviously, as fans, we're quite happy to have York. So we've got the whole Gucci wash bag business and a bit of fun and banter. Does revenge come into players' managers' minds?
Speaker 1
34:36 - 34:41
Does that kind of stuff just mean nothing to you, whereas we're all building it up a little bit to be something important?
Speaker 2
34:43 - 35:24
No, I think ultimately everyone's got their own their own reason for doing things. I think if you're focusing on revenge or stuff like that, I think it's a bad place to be because you'll make decisions that are not the best decisions. Yeah, look, I think it's definitely a game where the fans will get right behind because of obviously last year. We just need to be focused on us and what we're going to do in terms of what they're going to do as well.
Speaker 2
35:26 - 35:34
The only thing I will be doing is making sure the media team don't do anything stupid like they did for the Ultra Number game last year.
Speaker 1
35:38 - 35:56
I'm not sure that it was, I think that was taken different to how they meant it, but yeah, I remember that one. Do you set targets? So do you have, you don't have to say it, but do you have a target for the end of August or is it just a case of, I've got a target for the season and each game as it comes?
Speaker 2
35:57 - 36:10
No, I don't really, I don't really do that. Like my target is just to be better than we were last year. And I think we'll, then obviously you can see where it takes you. I think This goes all the way back to my playing days.
Speaker 2
36:10 - 36:40
We always used to focus on get to 50 points and let's see see where you go from there if you the quicker you get them the The the higher chance you are of getting somewhere But yeah, our focus will be Will be York and then on to obviously nationally cup on the Tuesday and and obviously Solihull at home. So yeah, I think we can't get too far ahead of ourselves. You can't look too far ahead.
Speaker 2
36:40 - 36:58
It's just ridiculous. The games, I think moving these games to Wednesday night is an absolutely ridiculous thing as well. But it's the same for everybody. So we just have to work it out.
Speaker 1
37:00 - 37:04
So you're saying my spreadsheet predicting all the results up to the end of the season is kind of ridiculous?
Speaker 2
37:04 - 37:05
Yeah, it's a waste of your time.
Speaker 1
37:07 - 37:22
I haven't done it. So pre-season seemed to go actually quite well. Great mix of styles to play against, levels to play against. There was a few games where people kind of were standing around looking going, what the hell's going on on this pitch?
Speaker 1
37:22 - 37:39
There's triangles, there's good passing, there's great attacking intent. Even the Millwall game, where they scored six against us, which normally would have everyone crying. People were kind of saying, apart from the goals, we were really good. How would you have marked, if you're a schoolteacher, how would you have marked pre-season so far?
Speaker 2
37:39 - 38:05
Yeah, it's gone really well, do you know what I mean? It's been moments, like I really hated the 10 minutes in the Huntsman game where they scored. I really hated the first 10 minutes of that game as well, like when we just didn't start right. The Chertsey game, the first 45 minutes was horrible.
Speaker 2
38:06 - 38:19
So yeah, I think, I think you're talking like maybe a B if I was going to give it something. And I don't think they even do it now. It's numbers now, isn't it? You get like
Speaker 1
38:19 - 38:19
six or something.
Speaker 2
38:19 - 38:28
It's nonsense. Everyone knows B. Yeah, look, I think it's been good. I think you've seen the fact that everyone's been together for the whole time.
Speaker 2
38:28 - 38:44
It's been good. The messaging's been clear. The lads have performed at a good level. And yeah, we just need to We need to carry that on now, just take it into the real stuff.
Speaker 2
38:45 - 39:09
Our focus will be keep believing, keep focusing on what we're doing. I think if we focus on ourselves as much as we can, because ultimately success takes care of itself when you take care of yourself. So I think we just need to keep focusing, keep grinding, keep trying to improve. I think we will improve.
Speaker 2
39:09 - 39:40
Obviously, as I said, you can do six weeks of pre-season, but the first half hour of that game on Saturday, you feel like it's your first run around you've had all season and you can't breathe what's happened, et cetera, et cetera. Yeah, it'll be a great atmosphere on that first game. They're going to be banged out, no doubt. And obviously they won the wrong rights from last year in terms of finishing so high above everyone else in the league and then having to wait two weeks to play a game, which is just ridiculous.
Speaker 2
39:40 - 39:53
And then losing at the first hurdle, like comfortably as well. Yeah, but obviously, I will say, the four teams that we've got to play are the four favourites to go up, so there's pressure on itself.
Speaker 1
39:54 - 40:09
Exactly. You've mentioned the training ground, which was all kept very, very under wraps, the whole issues with the training ground. So well done to everyone on that. But what changes do you think it will show this season?
Speaker 1
40:09 - 40:18
I mean, I've already mentioned clearly the passing has got a lot better. The movements have got a lot better with the players. But what other changes are you really hoping it will prove us for this season?
Speaker 2
40:19 - 40:31
It just means we'll train every day. It's one less thing to worry about. We'll train every day. We will have a base level of training that will be consistent.
Speaker 2
40:32 - 40:57
And yeah, the patterns and stuff like that are no different to what we were working on last year. It's just they've come together a little bit better this pre-season and obviously the personnel we've brought in are carrying that out very, very well. Yeah, look, the training ground, it wasn't, at times it was fine. It was just times when it wasn't.
Speaker 2
40:58 - 41:22
And yeah, this time it just gives, I said, it's more of just a case of we don't have to think about, I don't have to worry when I'm driving in the morning and it's raining and we're like, well, where are we going to train? And then Terry's ringing around everyone he knows in South London to try and find a venue and then, Yeah, so that would just help us just in a general point of view.
Speaker 1
41:24 - 41:43
Perfect. Longer term, what would you like to look back on many, many years to see what Sutton has built into and you have helped build? How would you perfectly describe the future if I had a magic wand, which I don't have?
Speaker 2
41:48 - 42:40
I think the club back in the Football League and in it and to stay in it because I think for that to happen you need to come in it and you need to evolve, you need to keep evolving, you need to keep the the kind of cogs spinning and I think if you get in there from a sustainable point of view and obviously the ground being in a better place than it was previously and obviously the pitch is amazing and all those kind of things will just and obviously we keep building the brand of Sutton United that We're in South London, we're somewhere that you want to go and play your football. They give people a chance, they give people a platform to be better.
Speaker 2
42:44 - 43:28
It's a great place to go and enjoy and play football and I think you've seen not many teams go up and come straight back down. I think it's about going up and being able to stay there and be there and there's nothing wrong with being a League Two club for five years, six years, seven years and then getting a promotion or I think getting there and being able to call yourself an EFL club properly for a long time is stuff that some people can only dream of. And I think you look at other teams that have come down, how long they've come down and been out of it for.
Speaker 2
43:28 - 43:39
It's been a hell of a long time. Some of them have even gone even further back. and they're trying to make a comeback now. You look at Macclesfield and Scunthorpe and things like that, you don't want that to happen.
Speaker 2
43:39 - 43:47
We've had a taste. We've dropped back down. This has got to be the worst level now for however many years.
Speaker 1
43:51 - 44:11
Who, I asked you this last year and you did say whoever scores the goal, so I'm guessing you're going to say the same thing. Who do you think the fans are going to be getting behind this year as players? We're not going to talk about Ashley's assists because I dispute a couple of them because the one at York, he bounced off his knee and landed at Will's feet. But who do you think the fans are going to get behind?
Speaker 1
44:11 - 44:12
Ashley's obviously been on fire at pre-season.
Speaker 2
44:13 - 44:42
I think they'll be excited by lots of them. I think they'll They'll like our wingers because everyone likes a winger that's exciting, that's doing good things. They've already got relationships with the likes of Simps, the likes of Nadders. I just think that those people will just enhance their reputations with the fans.
Speaker 2
44:44 - 45:15
They're all really good people as well. they're all really nice guys so when we do have like the fans event next Thursday you'll get a real sense if you come down and let's make it an event that people are proud of and they want to do and they want to be a part of then obviously that'll be great because all the players are going to be there, staff are going to be there. There's no excuse.
Speaker 2
45:15 - 45:21
Don't start telling me you can't build an affection with the fans or there's not all that nonsense. You have the opportunities.
Speaker 1
45:23 - 45:23
Yeah,
Speaker 2
45:23 - 45:27
this is far. This is far greater than them coming in a bar after again.
Speaker 1
45:28 - 45:38
Yeah, absolutely. Okay. Finally, what's your message for the fans on the season? What would you like us to do for you and the team?
Speaker 1
45:38 - 45:42
I don't get behind them, but practically, what is it you want us to do? Just
Speaker 2
45:44 - 45:50
Be positive. Let's just be positive. Everyone should be positive. Let's worry about the end of the season at the end of the season.
Speaker 2
45:50 - 46:08
Let's not try and make assumptions. Let's not get too down. Let's not too get high. Let's just enjoy the ride and let's keep the momentum from the amount of people that are turning up to games to the feel good factor to pre-season.
Speaker 2
46:08 - 46:21
Let's take that on. As I said, it starts with things like like Thursday. Come down, get amongst the players. If you want to be a part of it, come and be a part of it.
Speaker 2
46:24 - 46:42
We're all here to try and give you guys the best experience possible and give you the most success we can. And yeah, I just want to see as many people down the ground. And if you haven't had it yet, make sure you have the burger or the hot dog that I've heard is tremendous. The burger is very good.
Speaker 2
46:42 - 46:46
I had one on Tuesday night to be fair. It's now my pre-match meal, which is-
Speaker 1
46:46 - 46:47
Is it? Nice.
Speaker 2
46:48 - 46:48
Yeah.
Speaker 1
46:49 - 46:50
They just-
Speaker 2
46:54 - 47:16
Yeah, just get down and try and be a part of it. Let's leave our ego at the front door and let's all get together and let's get behind this group of players and let's give them the support that will hopefully mean that you guys get what you want to see as well, all at the same time.
Speaker 1
47:17 - 47:20
Absolutely. Let's have fun. Right. Thank you, Steve.
Speaker 1
47:20 - 47:28
I'm going to wrap up this episode. As always, appreciate everyone's attention and feedback. Follow, like, share Sutton Podcast on social medias. Subscribe if you want.
Speaker 1
47:29 - 47:36
Leave us any reviews. Give us any comments. As always, thank you to our sponsors, Lucky Star Gin. Big thank you for Steve giving up so much of his time this evening.
Speaker 1
47:36 - 47:41
And thanks to the listeners. Hope you've enjoyed this episode of Sutton Podcast. Take care and we will catch up soon. Bye bye.
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