Mark Kennedy said that he has been feeling the love at Swindon Town ahead of taking his first game at the Nigel Eady County Ground on Saturday.

Kennedy took over as Town head coach in May but will get his first opportunity to experience the home atmosphere this weekend against Walsall as Swindon have their first home game of the season.

Following two strong away followings at Chesterfield and Crawley Town to start the season, Kennedy said he has greatly enjoyed his experience of the Swindon fans so far and is excited for his first home game.

 

 

He said: “I can’t wait [for the game], I am super excited and I have been super impressed already with the support we have had, not just at games but around the town. It has been amazing.

“It has highlighted the size of the club and what a big club it is, that has been pretty evident.

“I knew what I was getting into here but the impact I have felt so far has been even beyond what I expected.

“When you look at the players we have signed, Will Wright is a prime example, he had much better offers than us, one offer was obvious to stay at Crawley in League One where he has an outstanding relationship with the fans but he turned them down to come to us.

“We have had multiple players sign for us who were offered deals that were financially better at clubs higher up.

“The reason is because of the club and the one thing everybody looks for is the size of the support, nobody wants to play in front of 2,000 fans unless the stadium capacity is 2,000 and it's full every week.”

Walsall will be Kennedy’s first home opponents, who have made a winning start to the season, following up a 1-0 home win over Morecambe by beating Exeter City on penalties in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

Kennedy said of playing a less possession-dominant side: “Does it matter? No. Possession doesn’t win games of football and that is a fact.

“Every style has won the Premier League and the Champions League, what is important is that you believe in it and you stick to it.

“When Crawley and Chesterfield play most teams, they will dominate possession but we want to play attractive football, build from the back with a six to build through and there will be plenty of games where the numbers are reversed.”