John Dreyer is the only member of the backroom team to have spent the entire 2012/13 season at Deepdale but he has enjoyed the campaign.
The man affectionately known as ‘Tumble’, arrived at Deepdale as part of former manager Graham Westley’s staff but remained following his departure and despite having no previous links with Simon Grayson and Glynn Snodin he has enjoyed the tail end of the season.
“It has been a smooth transition, on a personal note I have really enjoyed it,” said John when asked about the move from old to new in terms of the management regime in an exclusive interview with PNE.Com.
“From the gaffer’s point of view and Glynn, they didn’t know me before, they probably knew of me as a player but we hadn’t met, so you’re building bridges in that respect and we have got on very well so long may that continue and I have enjoyed it, really enjoyed it working with them.
“I have been involved in football a long time and everybody has their own different methods, different styles and I think, as I said at the time, there were a few players who weren’t in the team under Graham that obviously got their chance under the new manager so whether or not it was the changes that helped solidify the team, I’m not 100 per cent sure.
“What I will say is there is certainly, after a few decent results, the team have gelled together on and off the pitch and there is a good spirit about the place so that bodes well for the new season.
“Sometimes things can change and I think the key thing is results, results breed confidence.
“The results changed and the lads on the back of that became more confident in what they were doing.
“It is as simple as that and sometimes that happens and sometimes it doesn’t so credit for the gaffer and Glynn who have come in, they have obviously got results and that has bred the confidence.”
The season just gone has been a rollercoaster of ups and down for players, staff and fans alike but Dreyer believes that following the positive end to this campaign, promotion is North End’s one and only goal next term.
John continued: “It has been a strange season, both for myself and I’m sure for the players, what with the change in management towards the latter part of the season and I think it was someone who actually said to me a couple of weeks ago that our current form under the new management was top three, so that was really, really encourage for the start of next season.
“Without a shadow of a doubt promotion is our target.
“I think we can all reflect and say that this season we didn’t finish where we would have liked to have finished but I think when you look at the gaffer’s track record and Glynn, they have been involved in a lot of promotions.
“Myself, I have been involved in quite a lot of promotions as well in my short managerial career.
“We are very motivated to get this team promoted so yeah that has got to be our main objective.
“I’m sure every club up and down the country have that hope but we finished on a real positive note and if we can take that into next season then of course, we will be thinking about promotion and nothing else.”
As the players begin to plan their summer holidays, they have been provided with training schedules to keep them ticking over until they return and Dreyer is hopeful that the players will come back fighting fit and ready to go, despite the spine tingling dread which is usually associated with pre-season training.
“There has to be an element of trust when it comes to doing work in their own time,” said Dreyer.
“The lads at this moment in time have been given an out of season programme, we will expect them to follow through with that and we expect them to come back in some sort of physical state.
“We also expect them to rest their bodies and enjoy their summer holidays.
“I know from being a player that probably the worst part of the year is pre-season to be quiet honest!
“I never enjoyed one pre-season and after the first sort of couple of days when it is good to see the lads and you have a catch up and you then get down to serious business of getting your body right and your body fit for the start of the new season.
“I think as we finished on a positive note that we can take that and draw upon that for going into pre-season and look forward to a really positive campaign next season but I’m sure the players will be the same as what I was, they will dreading the prospect of pre-season!
“It is what it is, it is there for a purpose and it is there to not only get our bodies right but to get the mentality right for the next campaign.”
As for Dreyer, he will spend the summer honing his coaching skills, but before he knuckles down to work, there is the small matter of relaxation to partake in, although his competitive instinct will still be on show.
“With regards to myself, I will be going on a coaching course to try and improve myself out of the season and that’s how I will be trying to improve things, but first and foremost, we are going away next week for a game of golf abroad!”