The Gaffer spoke to local media ahead the Robins’ clash with Forest Green Rovers in the Carabao Cup.
After training at the County Ground on Monday morning, Brown was in good spirits ahead of the opening round of the tournament.
He was in fine form:
On loan dealings:
We’ve made progress as in contact but in terms of an affirmative yes, we haven’t. It’s a slow process – always has been. We’ve enquired to three or four more clubs with regard to bringing a defender through the door. But everyone’s keeping their stock in place because of maybe results at the weekend which they weren’t expecting.
There’s a lot of boxes that have to be ticked – a lot of misunderstanding out there as to why we can’t sign a whole host of centre-halves but I’ve got a budget my end that I’ve got to stick to, and the budget is coming to its limit and if I decided to bring another striker for instance, there wouldn’t be that budget for a centre half.
On defence:
We’ve conceded six goals in the league so far and, for me, that is six goals too many. We’re two games in and I’m looking for the mentality of a clean sheet and that isn’t just in individuals, that’s in the collective group of players. That’s in my brain, my head, and my coaching staff’s heads but they (the players) have to then carry out the instructions to the letter on a Tuesday and a Saturday. We’ve got three points but I don’t think our campaign has properly started yet.
It is teething troubles – I have never once gone into a changing room with so much upheaval from the end of last season to this season. Change of personnel, change of names on a shirt basically – over 20 changes, it’s not going to fall into place straight away.
We had a wonderful first day but it was all down to the excitement part of the game as opposed to the mundane, boring, bog-standard, back-four work that I’m used to delivering on Monday to Friday. Against Macclesfield we conceded two very sloppy goals, and on Saturday I think all four of the goals were avoidable. I wasn’t quite sure about the penalty, still not sure.
On Forest Green:
I think they’re quite a solid unit – they’ve got goals in their team. I think they could be a surprise package – I know there’s been heavy investment. What their intent with regards to the Carabao Cup is I’m not sure but I know what my intent is. I’ll be going as strong as possible to try and win the game.
There’s been some great examples of late of teams from the lower divisions going further on in this and, as a consequence, their league form has taken an upturn as opposed to a downturn. Winning games of football breeds confidence.
On his own experiences in the League Cup:
I've had some wonderful times in the competition - I think Sincil Bank was the last time I scored a brace, maybe the only time. I was telling a few of the young players about that - they wouldn't have heard of the Rumbelows or Milk Cup! One of the two goals I scored, most of my teammates would have told you that it was a cross, I’ll assure it wasn’t. I don’t know what it is about the Cup but it’s a different mentality.
You want to spread a bit of joy, and start a bit of momentum from within the changing room.
