Brentford midfielder Ryan Woods thinks that the choice of Dean Smith as the club’s new Head Coach is only going to improve the club as a whole.
Ryan was speaking after Dean took his first training session at Jersey Road and the former Shrewsbury Town man was impressed with what he saw.
Dean took over as Head Coach on Monday and watched The Bees 1-1 draw with Bolton Wanderers at The Macron Stadium with Ryan saying that everyone in the squad is keen to please the former Walsall boss ahead of his first game in charge on Saturday.
“Dean’s first training session was what I expected,” said Ryan, speaking to Bees Player earlier. “I spoke to Tom Bradshaw at Walsall the other day and asked him a couple of questions but it was what I expected. He is very lively and loves what he does. It is a great appointment for the club as he likes to play exactly how we like to play and it is only going to improve this club as a whole. He put across what he wants from us and how he wants us to play today and now we have to look forward to the game on Saturday and hopefully bring the three points.
“You always want to impress a manager whether you are in the team or not. You have to do your best in training and then Dean will pick the team. Some players may see it as a clean slate with the manager but you are always focusing on being the best that you can. Whether it is a new manager or an old manager you just want to improve."
Ryan, like Dean, is a new arrival at the club from the Midlands this season, completing his move from Sky Bet League One side Shrewsbury Town in September.
The 21-year-old has featured in The Bees last 11 Sky Bet Championship matches but feels, after settling down both on and off the field, that there is more to come from him as the season progresses.
“I feel like I have settled in really well and I am at home now,” said Ryan. “I have settled into the apartment that we have got and I feel really comfortable around the place. I settled in quickly off the pitch so then it was a case of getting to know some of the boys that I didn’t know at the time. I feel like I have gained a lot of friends here now and I am really settled in. On the pitch I feel that I am growing in confidence in every game. I am looking to improve with every training session and every game that I play. Hopefully there are still bigger and better things to come from me.”
Next up for Brentford is a home game against Milton Keynes Dons on Saturday at Griffin Park. A win for Dean in his first game in charge could move The Bees level on points with the Play-Offs while The Dons will be looking to extend a run of one defeat in four and pull further away from the drop zone.
Ryan is predicting an entertaining, attacking game between two footballing sides on Saturday and has backed The Bees to pick up a fourth home win in five matches.
“Milton Keynes Dons will look to play a similar way to us,” said Ryan. “I have played against them a few times when I was with Shrewsbury and they play good football. It should be a very good footballing game to watch but we go there with the confidence that we can beat pretty much any team in this league. We are a good footballing team and it suits us when teams play the same way against us. We like to play attacking football and so do they. Hopefully we can catch them on the break a few times and score a few goals.”
Bees Player subscribers can watch the full interview with Ryan below