Ian Watson gives his first interview on decision to become new Rochdale head coach

Ian Watson gives his first interview on decision to leave National League North side South Shields and become new Rochdale head coach.

Earlier this week, the League Two new boys appoint the 40 year old on a three-year deal, having recently guided the Mariners to second, then missed out on promotion in the playoff final to Kidderminster in May.

Watson comes in to replace Jimmy McNulty who left for Stockport County off the back of winning promotion back to the EFL, beating Boreham Wood in the National League playoff final last season.

Interviewer: “Ian firstly, warm welcome to Rochdale Football Club. Just try and talk us through how proud you are and how pleased you are to be here?”

Ian: “Thank you very much. Yeah, like really, really proud, really excited. As soon as I pulled up this morning, you get a really good feel for the place, like a proper football club. And yeah, I’m just really excited to be here. Can’t really get started and grateful for all the the wishes and stuff I’ve had so far. yeah, just can’t wait to get started.”

Interviewer: “Talk us through the conversations you’ve had with the coach here, the leadership team. Have you been able to get a sense about what this club is all about?”

Ian: “Yeah, think the first conversation I had after not long at all, I was really sold on the idea of coming here. You can see what the club means to them, what they’re trying to do in terms of what they’re trying to build with the community and the supporters of the football club, which really means a lot to me. The vision that they had for the football club and where they wanted to take it, and how they saw me within that vision. That was really important for me. So yeah, it didn’t take long for me to be really on board in and really engaged. em after that first meeting, I was just really excited to try and push it forward and try and get it done. And as I’m sat here now, just really excited to be here, really excited to work with everyone inside the club and build them relationships and build the relationship with the supporters as well. Yeah, it’s all been very positive from the first conversation.

Interviewer: “You must have been able to see the rise that this club’s been on, you dropping down into non-league and then the three years rising back up to the EFL and there’s so much going on in, off the field, on the field as well to get this club back to where it belongs.”

Ian: “Yeah, obviously everyone’s done an amazing job at the football club to get it back to where it was. It’s not easy when you go through them relegations. It’s really tough on the football club and it takes character from everyone, from the supporters, from the people involved in the football club. Obviously, Jim done an amazing job to get the football club back to where it is now, and you guys done that with playing a certain brand of football, which really resonates with me. I like it a lot. We used to watch Rochdale a lot and obviously you learn each other, learn things from different coaches and you learn from each other. So I’ve watched the progression of the football club in the last couple of years. A few of the boys who I’ve worked with before have played here. So you always keep an eye on that as well. I think what you guys have done has been incredible. It’s amazing to have the football club back where it belongs in the EFL.”

Interviewer: “You mentioned the style of play there. I think that’s something that’s going to probably align with yourself and what the club and the leadership team want?”

Ian: “Yeah, well, I think that’s the main reason I’m here, to be honest, in terms of how I see the game, the game model, my philosophy on how I like the game to be played. I think that probably aligns a lot with the previous manager in terms of how he sees the game as well. Obviously, there’s going to be differences in terms of maybe how we build or how we like the finish, but in essence, we want to have a lot of the ball. We want to attack with the ball. We want to attack without the ball. And yeah, it’s going to be a really intense where we’re going to run a lot. We’re going to, we’re going to work for each other a lot. And then we’re going to, yeah, hopefully take this club to a, a different level now.”

Interviewer: “Talk about your time at Gateshead first, when you first came through, obviously up to assistant manager five years there, how beneficial was your time up there?”

Ian: “Yeah, and he isn’t like really lucky to land in the position that he had said. Mike was incredible for me. Obviously Ben Clark originally brought me in. He’s been a mentor for me throughout football. And then Mike brought me in as his assistant. He was amazing for me, I learned so much from him. We really had the time there to develop our game model, which was really important for us. We got a promotion from the National League North and that was an amazing time for the football club. We had a trip to Wembley as well, which you see like a community coming together and what the football club means to the community as well, which was really important for me. And I’ve got nothing but fond memories at Gateshead. It was an amazing, amazing time. And then, we left in a moment where the club was in a real good position. We left with a really good set of players and a really good team that we felt was the right moment to go and then, yeah, but looking back at my time there, like, I was really privileged to be part of Gateshead. It’s a local club to me. I knew what it meant to everyone. And yeah, just look back with really, really fond memories and still got a lot of connections with the people there as well.”

Interviewer: “Can you mention the players that, know, Luke Hannant and Ed Francis were in that Gateshead team as well? Looking forward to It’s a rekindle with them again.”

Ian: “Yeah, I can’t wait. I’ve worked with Luke, like Luke’s professional contract at Gateshead, I was there when he came through, so I managed to bring him back to Gateshead. I went to work at Port Vale with him for a little bit as well, so seeing his journeys has been amazing. then Ed, yeah, he’s just an incredible player. He was amazing for us at Gateshead. Him and a few other boys kind of turned our fortunes round, and they were a huge part in how we played and how the game looked on the field. So I’ve spoken him quite a lot over the last couple of weeks, and I’m really looking forward to seeing them and then working with him as well on the grass is going to be amazing.”

Interviewer: “You talked about Mike Williamson there, you talk about MK Dons and Carlisle working with him, just how much have you been able to learn from him, how he’s coaching style and what you’ve taken from him?”

Ian: “Yeah, like Mike’s a real close friend of mine now, we’ve worked together a lot. I think we worked well together in terms of what he brought and then what I brought as well. Very much Mike on the human side and how you should like, obviously, respect people first and then the player second. And then obviously I would kind of bring the tactical stuff in and look to develop our game model on that side and then when you go off by yourself you go in there you go as a head coach you look at everything and you you’re not just focusing on one thing you focus on everything but I can’t really put into words everything what Mike done for me and he gave me an opportunity when not everyone would have given me an opportunity I’ll be forever grateful for that and we’re still really close now and obviously we worked together again last year with South Shields and he’s just an amazing person who I learned a lot from yeah.”

Interviewer: “I was going say you joined us from South Shields and after a remarkable season, 95 points, I think was the most in the club’s history, points-wise, just missing out on promotion, but you must be really proud of how you led that team.”

Ian: Yes, so proud. Listen, South Shields is an amazing football club. The relationships that I’ve built there was incredible and it was going to take a lot for me to come away from that, being totally honest, because what we were building there, it really meant a lot to me. It was special, but then the conversation I had with Rochdale was amazing. And as I said previously, as soon as I spoke with him, it just felt right. It felt like the right moment for me. It felt like everything aligned with the football club, the owners, how they kind of family-oriented as well. That really meant a lot to me. And then when you look at the football club, it’s a huge football club back in the EFL. It was too good of an opportunity and it just felt right for me to do. And as I said, I’m really, really excited to be here. But had an amazing time at South Shields. Hopefully, we can all look back on that time at South Shields and where the club was when we took over to where it is now. I always say our responsibility is to go in the club and the club is at a certain level and then when you leave the club should be in a better place and I believe that the club is in a better place and they’re ready to kick on as well.

Interviewer: “How much does it mean to you that Rochdale kept their eye on you, saw the season you’ve had in the coaching career you’ve had so far, put the trust in you to bring you in the building as well, must mean a lot to you?”

Ian: “Yeah, that was everything. They made it really clear that I was kind of their guy and that they wanted me to come in, which really meant a lot. yeah, the talks we had were really, really positive from the very start. They knew a lot about me. Obviously, I knew a lot about the club already and the fact that they’ve put their faith in me and trust in me. It meant like everything and I’ll repeat that for sure, like work relentlessly to make sure that this club keeps progressing, keeps getting better. And yeah, it’s like a really exciting future for the football club.

Interviewer: “Early days in the summer, but pre-season’s looming just coming down the weeks now. How excited are you to get in the building and get to work?”

Ian: “Yeah, so excited. Like as I drove in this morning, I got that feeling in my stomach of like the fire starts are going in your stomach and yeah, you’re speaking to players already like since I got announced here, have players messaging, agents messaging and stuff like that. So it’s all part of it. But my love has been on the grass with the boys and working with them every single day and building their relationships, building the connection with the people in the football club as well. I’m all about people and connection. think that’s essentially what life is, just having that rapport with people. So I’m super excited to get started, super excited to get on the grass in there. Yeah, I can’t wait.”

Interviewer: “If you got one final message for the Dale supporters and everyone, you’ll likely meet in the next few weeks ahead of your first game.”

Ian: “First and foremost, just thank you. I’ve had some incredible messages from the guys and it’s been amazing to read through some of the stuff. And yeah, just really believe in the boys and really believe in what we’re trying to do. I always say like whatever you achieve in football as a football club you have to do together. You all have to be pulling the same direction and it’s their football club. I’m just here to help and try and push on as much as I possibly can. And what I will always give, I will always give everything I possibly can. And as long as they know that and we get behind each other, then I think it’s going to be like an amazing journey.”

Social media users reacted as Ian Watson gives his first interview on the decision to become new Rochdale head coach…

David Bowen: Welcome to the club Ian – sounds like you were the clubs perfect target, I hope you can bring decent quality players to the football club now we are back where the club belongs

Dave Reed: Welcome to the family Ian, you seem like a perfect match for the Club. Plenty of attacking football please 🙂🙏🙏

Michael Earnshew: Good luck IAN all the best pal. UP the Dale 🔵👍.

Paul Walters: Welcome to the club Ian. Just listened to your first interview and have to say you come across really well and a perfect fit for our club. Feeling really positive for the season ahead. We’re all 100% behind you and the team! UTD

@fitzochris: Interesting insight from Ian Watson’s first interview. As an assistant, he focused on tactics and the game model. As a manager, he’s learned the importance of people and relationships. Still no mention of Carl Magnay, though it is understood he will join Watson at Spotland.