Change the mindset my first job, says new boss Rennie

“The first job is to change the mindset of the group and get the support back on board,” said Falkirk head coach Martin Rennie as he spoke to the Falkirk Herald for the first time as the Bairns new boss.
Martin Rennie pictured at the Falkirk Stadium as he is unveiled as the Bairns new head coach (Pics: Michael Gillen)Martin Rennie pictured at the Falkirk Stadium as he is unveiled as the Bairns new head coach (Pics: Michael Gillen)
Martin Rennie pictured at the Falkirk Stadium as he is unveiled as the Bairns new head coach (Pics: Michael Gillen)

The 46-year-old took training for the first time yesterday after completing Covid-19 regulations and will take charge for the first time on Saturday afternoon at Bayview against bottom side East Fife in cinch League 1.

Rennie’s contract is only for a six month period and covers up until the end of the campaign, but the new boss would be happy to extend it later down the line.

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“The timing was perfect and it has allowed me to travel here and take stock of the situation at the club and how I can help rapidly get the team back on track.

Rennie has followed the club throughout his career, and as a youngsterRennie has followed the club throughout his career, and as a youngster
Rennie has followed the club throughout his career, and as a youngster

“Having the six months for now allowed me to come here alone without my immediate family who are still in the US at the moment and it is something that can be looked at later, for now the full focus is about picking up results.

“I’m coming into a side that have lost nine goals in the last two matches so the job doesn’t get any harder. We have a good squad of players and on the training pitch I have already seen that. The guys we have here are good enough and can improve further - they just need belief and confidence and it is my job to instil that.”

Rennie is no stranger to the Bairns and the new boss recalled his teenage years, which were mainly spent in Larbert.

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He said: “I can remember I had written into the club to see if I could be a ball boy back in the day. It was an experience I’ll never forget. At Brockville we were right next to the opposition dugouts so you saw all the famous faces of Scottish football at that time.

Rennie took training for the first time on Wednesday morningRennie took training for the first time on Wednesday morning
Rennie took training for the first time on Wednesday morning

“It was my first experience of really falling in love with football in that sense so the club has a place close to my heart. I’ve followed the club closely throughout my career and guys like John Hughes and David Weir are players I can remember enjoying watching.”

Ahead of Saturday’s match he confirmed that every player had a real chance of making it into the team if they work hard.

“There are still a lot of players around here who can make an impact, confidence is the key to getting the best out of the players we have. I am looking forward to the match and seeing the Falkirk fans in person at a match.“We need to change the mindset quickly and back the players’ abilities because I know this squad can do much more than they are doing at the moment, even looking back to the start of the season the level of performance was really strong and we need to get back to that level of confidence.”

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With the January transfer window looming, he confirmed the wheels were well in motion with regards to players coming in.

“I’ve made a lot of connections over the years so there might be opportunities for loan players in England and things like that. For 15 years I’ve been coaching and recruiting and that forces you to get to know people,” he said.

“We have people in mind of course and myself and Kenny (Miller) have connections all around the world. The infrastructure is really strong here and we have things that other clubs don’t have even above us, which is a bonus for me.”