Mark Cooper is the new manager in the Notts County dugout this Easter weekend and he will be willing his players to perform with freedom when they take on Portsmouth and Wycombe Wanderers.
Cooper, the former Swindon Town and Peterborough United manager, replaced Jamie Fullarton at Meadow Lane with the Magpies 19th in Sky Bet League 2, 13 points above the drop zone.They haven't won in seven, losing six of those matches and finding the net only once in their last five, and the 47-year-old has set out some targets for his players.
“The first thing is we try and take the reigns of the players a bit,” he told Magpie Player.
“We try and attack, try and entertain people, and get them off their seats. If you can get players playing with a smile on their face then you’re in with a chance.
“There’s no right way and no wrong way. Whatever you choose to do, try and do it well. But I certainly like to play entertaining football, score goals and have a go at the opposition rather than setting up to not get beat.”
Cooper has signed a deal with County until the end of the season but a points total has been agreed with a view to extending that.
His tenure starts with a trip to Portsmouth on Good Friday and Notts haven't lost against their south coast opponents since December 1994, winning the four meetings since, including the reverse fixture this season.
“I’ve been a manager for a few years now. I'm just going to try and bring a bit of stability, a bit of unity to the place and put a smile on a few faces.
“It’s a great game, no one really expects you to go and get anything at Portsmouth. It’s a big club with a lot of quality players.
“So we can go and have a go and see what happens, and we’ll certainly have a go and try and win the game.”