Michael Flynn wants to see how his squad reacts to adversity during pre-season

Michael Flynn wants to see how his Swindon Town team reacts as a group to adversity during pre-season. Total Sport’s Joe Acklam spoke to Swindon’s new manager.

Swindon begin their preparations for the new season this week as the new boss Flynn looks to shape the side in his image.

Flynn said that he is excited to learn more about his new squad during the next few weeks, particularly how they stick together in difficult situation.

He said: “The one thing [I want to learn] is how they react to adversity, because everybody can be top of the world when things are going well or things are easy.

“We will find out who sticks together and who doesn’t, from the conversations that I have had I am not too sure that that will be a problem.

“But until we get there and they are on one of their last toughest runs you don’t know for sure, I want to see who is one of the quick ones who might turn around and go and support one of the slow ones.

“That will show the signs of togetherness when they are all watching the others in the group and sticking together.

“Like I said when I first took over, I am so glad that I have got the pre-season with them as we can hammer home my beliefs and Wayne [Hatswell]’s beliefs and really cement them into the players’ minds.”

One player Flynn is counting on to help with that process is Charlie Austin, who signed a one-year extension with the club in May to extend his return to his first professional club for another season.

Flynn said: “I have had some really good conversations with Charlie [Austin] over the summer; he is eager to get going, he is saying all of the right things, and he is very very determined to be successful.

“I am really pleased to be working with him, he is somebody that has had a fantastic career and he fits in with what I said about having experience in the spine.

“He is the right player for this football club who can help the younger boys, they look up to him, I picked that up from the first day that I was here.

“The fans look up to him, especially the young fans they all want an Austin shirt, and that is great.

“I am really looking forward to working with him, he knows that there will be no special treatment, I will treat them all exactly the same.

“But the biggest thing is that I want him to be enjoying himself, to feel as fit as he can feel, and to be scoring goals, that is exactly what I want from Charlie.”