KLD OUTLINES AMBITION

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has explained the recruitment process over the summer, claiming that there wasn't a strict budget in place with the club prepared to spend whatever was necessary to bring in the right players. He's also spoken about why he was drawn to Regis Le Bris as a manager despite his relegation at Lorient, plus giving an exciting insight into what we can expect in the January window...

INTO THE UNKNOWN

“We got promoted into a new league and our starting XI is almost entirely of new players, so we didn't really know what to expect coming into the season but to be honest we've been very pleased with the start we've made and especially with the team.”

PROUD OF THE LADS

“For us the most important thing is that the team represents the community and the values of the club and for us we think that, as in the wins and the losses we've had this year, I think the team made us proud and that's the most important thing. I think the stats showed to us that unless you do something extraordinary you're likely going to go back to the Championship.”

BUDGET WASN'T SET

“For us, we didn't really set ourselves a budget in terms of the money we want to spend - we had an ambition to try and bring in the players we want and fortunately we were able to conclude a lot of the deals we wanted to do, and as a result of that the spend in the end was big, but most importantly we got the players that we wanted.”

JANUARY AIMS

"Obviously if we would have been in the bottom three by Christmas or we are in the top six at Christmas, that changes the ambition a little bit. We are currently preparing for all scenarios. But we’ve been doing that since the summer. So hopefully we will be going into the January window with a top ten finish in mind and we will prepare and execute the transfer window to give us the best chance."

YOUNG SQUAD

“It’s become a little bit of our DNA the last four and a half years. We’ve had the youngest team in League One and the Championship and I think we’re the second youngest here in the Premier League. I don’t think we’ll make a decision based on age. However, we think this club and the style of play, with a lot of energy and belief, suits a young team. I think we’ve seen that this year. Having said that, I think the experience we have recruited this year has been very, very important."

PRAGMATIC WITH EXPERIENCE

"People talk a lot about Granit Xhaka but I think all of the other experienced players around, Reinildo and even the ones from the year before have played a vital role. I would say we have taken a little bit of a pragmatic view, but not going against our core beliefs. As you said there, the statistics showed us that unless you do something extraordinary you’re likely going to go back to the Championship."

RLB APPOINTMENT

“To be honest, I think there were a lot of factors that gave us confidence in making the decision. Regis obviously came from a very disappointing spell at Lorient where he got relegated with the team, so people were surprised we chose him. But for us, the two most important things we were looking for was: someone who was calm, and I’m sure every time you guys speak to him you can sense the calmness which is very important at the football club where there are a lot of highs and lows, and equally when it comes to the actual work on a day-to-day basis, the level of detail that he goes into in everything he does. I’ve personally never seen it before! When he shared with us his methodology and his work, we were really impressed. Coupled with his humility and calmness, we thought it could be a great match. So far, so good!”