Swindon Head Coach Luke Williams: "Everyone wants to impress Tim Sherwood"

Swindon Town Head Coach Luke Williams was full of praise for new Director of Football Tim Sherwood following the Robins' 3-0 dismantling of Charlton Athletic.

Sherwood was announced as Swindon's Director of Football on non-contract terms on Thursday afternoon, which sparked talk of Williams not liking the situation, but the Head Coach could not rubbish that claim more on Saturday afternoon.

Chairman Lee Power insisted that Williams' role had not changed, however he has relinquished control of picking the team, transfers, team style and team talks to ex-Tottenham manager Sherwood.

Williams and Sherwood have been good friends for a while and Sherwood said at Thursday's press conference that he recommended Williams to Power, something Williams would confirm after the comfortable Charlton victory. 

"Well first of all I am very proud to still be here because it is a huge compliment to me that somebody would come in of this level and still feel the value of me at the football club, so that is fantastic from a very selfish point of view," Williams began.

"I am picking up things for myself. I am a good coach, I have been very succesful as a coach.

"I have had ups and downs from the short time I have been a manager, now I am being able to work with someone who has won the Premier League (Sherwood won it as a player with Blackburn), somebody who has managed Tottenham and Aston Villa. There are not many bigger names to learn from.

"I am very proud and I am really taking this opportunity to try to strengthen myself and I am so pleased to see the team on the pitch winning."

Williams then told of how his role at the club has changed from going to coach to manager.

"I like to have a plan for myself, and goals to try and achieve.

"When you get a phone call to say that the manager has left due to health issues (referring to Martin Ling's unwanted depression returning that led to him resigning as Town boss), and tomorrow morning you are in charge and it is all on you, that is something you did not plan for and it is a huge pressure.

"Of course overnight your relationship with lots of people changes so it was something that I like to apply myself to and I took it with both hands. Somebody has come in to help (me) and I am grateful for that."

Swindon's Head Coach would go on to outline how much of a difference Sherwood has made already, despite only arriving a couple of days ago.

"He is oozing confidence and he has got an incredible CV that is common knowledge.

"Just with his presence and his career behind him he is really somebody that, me included by the way, everybody wants to impress him.

"I am fortunate to have been recommended by this man so I am still in that position where I am grateful.

"Tim led the team talk today but he wanted me to have an input, which, to be honest after hearing him speak I did not really feel I needed an input, after hearing him speak it was a tough act to follow, I just sort of agreed to everything and I did not need to add anything more than that.

"Unless Tim tells me he would want me to do it I have no problem. I do not think I have too much to bring to the table when it comes to team talks for the moment."

When asked how long Sherwood would be around the club, bearing in mind he is not contracted which many feel could attract other suitors, Williams responded:

"The best way for me to answer (that) is that Tim has been part of this project before it even started.

"I was invited to Tottenham before I came here so that Tim could thoroughly assess me and I did not realise at the time that it was probably a two-week interview.

"During that period where I was waiting to be offered a position at Tottenham I became first-team coach at Swindon so it gives you some idea of the level of involvement that Tim has had and how much he values this football club and this project."