So, Jack Ross has spoken for the first time since the play off final. Well actually he’s probably spoken to his Mrs during that time, but not to us! Although we are thought to be close to bringing in George Dobson from Walsall, the boss didn’t take questions on the 21-year-old midfielder, although he did have a few kind words for the recently departed Lee Cattermole. “First of all, he deserves to be remembered fondly,” said Ross. “It’s not often a player spends that length of time at a club, it’s very rare in the modern era. He’ll have seen a lot in that time, a lot of different challenges that he’ll have had to meet in that time. He’s been part of different teams. I think we developed a good relationship very quickly; I think he bought into how we worked and responded to it, I think he enjoyed the relationship with me and my staff. I’d like to think that was reflected in his performances last season and his contribution on the park. I’m pleased that his time at the club came to an end in a positive light if you like, in terms of how people remember him. He goes with my very best wishes.”
The gaffer also discussed playing Luke O’Nien in his natural position and the arrival of right back Conor McLaughlin. “First and foremost, it (right-back) was very obviously a position that was a priority to fill in our squad with Adam (Matthews) leaving,” said Ross. “Luke did a terrific job last season, but we know that he still has attributes to offer further up the park and we want to explore that during the pre-season period as well. So, it was a priority for us, Conor was available for free after leaving Millwall, is a proven player both in League One and the Championship, and has international experience. Then you do your due diligence in terms of talking to people who have worked with him and they’re complimentary about him both as a character and as a player. There’s a lot of pluses about having Conor in the group, he’s settled very quickly and also has a versatility about the positions he can play defensively and that can help us as well.”
