Notts County striker Kairo Mitchell has labelled new manager Luke Wiliams’ philosophy of football as “quality” just under a month on from the former Swansea City assistant head coach’s appointment.
Williams, who was most recently Russell Martin’s assistant at the Liberty Stadium as well as having a managerial stint at Swindon Town on his CV, was appointed as the new Magpies boss last month following Ian Burchnall’s departure for League One outfit Forest Green Rovers.
Notts have currently played two pre-season friendlies, boasting a one hundred per cent record after victories against Basford and Leicester City winning 5-1 and 2-1 respectively.
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It was against the Foxes where Mitchell scored his first goal of pre-season, with the 24-year-old full of praise for the new manager’s instant impact.
“I think his attention to detail is different,” the striker told the club's website. “It’s something that I’ve never worked with really in terms of how he wants to do things and just little things.
“For example, for myself as a striker is being on the blind side of defenders all the time and wanting to make runs off their shoulders and the way he wants to build up and obviously for us to press. His philosophy of football is quality. It’s different to what we’ve been used to.”
The Grenada international was also full of praise for pre-season so far following two victories from two, exclaiming: “I feel like I’ve come back and I’ve been fit.
“We’ve been flying to be fair so it’s been good, it’s been tough. It’s definitely been tough. It’s been something different, a lot of possession and stuff like that for the boys so recovery is key. I think all of the boys are handling it really well so it’s been good.”
The former Leicester youth player took advantage of a spilled corner to equalise against Brendan Rodgers’ side at Seagrave training ground on Saturday and claimed those are the sorts of goals he wants to add to his game.
“I think there was a corner or a cross and the ‘keeper just spilled it,” Mitchell said. “It was a poacher’s goal really. Good reaction and [I] just hooked it into the net really, so yeah it was good to get on the scoresheet.
“If you can get a few of them during the season [poacher’s goals] then goals during normal build up it all counts so it’s a good thing to add to your game.”
A new recruit at Meadow Lane from Chesterfield last summer, the forward will be looking to kick on under Williams having scored just once in 26 National League appearances in his first season as a Magpie.
However, the new County boss reserved praise for the forward following his goal against the Foxes, saying: “I thought he thoroughly deserved a goal for what he done out of possession with the ball.
“Then to lead the line against a very athletic and competent back line, he done that well. And then he had a couple of good opportunities and ultimately got his goal and he deserved that.”
The Magpies still have plenty of preparation yet to come with five more friendlies scheduled before the National League opener at home to Maidenhead United on Saturday, August 6.
A trip to National League North outfit Alfreton Town this evening (Tuesday) is set to be followed by friendlies against Cambridge United, Boston United, Nottingham Forest and York City before the curtain raiser early next month.
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