Kisnorbo: 'Work ethic and mentality'

Matt Spiro: Your life has been a bit of whirlwind of late...

Patrick Kisnorbo: "I came here literally eight weeks ago trying to adapt my whole life, and a whole life change to France, a new challenge at Troyes, trying to find the right way to do things here, trying to do the right things by the club, by the team, by the city and it's all been quick to do. But, the transition is the transition and I'm trying to adapt and do the best that I can at the moment."

I think it is fair to say that here in France it was a surprise appointment, not many people expected that. Was it equally a surprise for you?

"Yeah, it was. I was telling you before I just finished playing an A League game and I got a phone call the next day regarding this opportunity so, again, it has been crazy. But, my whole life I've always battled against the odds, I've always been doubted you know and it is part and parcel of what we do so hopefully with some hard work and trying to get some things we want to implement in here we can really push on and hopefully one day, I'm not going to say it's now, hopefully one day you'll see a different Troyes."

You got off to a positive start with a draw against Nantes, a game that you played pretty well in and could've won, then that excellent victory in Strasbourg. That's really important for the confidence I guess, isn't it?

"Yeah, you know, again I didn't know what we were facing to be honest when we first played those couple of games. Nantes are a fantastic team and again I thought we could've got something out of that game, OK it was a draw, happy with that, and then we went away to Strasbourg. 2-0 up, 2-2, it's going either way, and it was great determination from the team to get their way through a bit of difficulty and score the goal at the end which, again, was great to see by the team."

Can you tell us a little bit about what you're trying to instill here?

"I think, number one I'm trying to instil a mentality of hard-working, honest, never-say-die attitude. I came from that type of growing up, I instilled that in every team that I've coached and I want to instil it here where, you know, the odds are always against you but you always find something within our group. It's not going to happen overnight, but through training and belief and just showing a few things it's starting to improve - but there's a lot of improvement to go. Then it's the work ethic. I've always coached teams that were physically very good, again we play against a lot of very good teams but I think if we can't match them technically we can match them physically. You see the best teams, the best countries and the best clubs, they start with this physical level. We go off the City style of play, but if you cannot run, the city style of play doesn't work, and you can see that with Manchester. They work hard and obviously then they have the ball but it's the work ethic and the mentality that really is the start and the basis."

Is it realistic for a team like Troyes, who don't have the budget of a Manchester City, to try to play in the Manchester City way?

"In my opinion, yes. Look, I understand there's a financial gap between ourselves and the top ten teams in Ligue 1 but if we can instil these and get better at these, money can't buy everything right? I think when I look at it, we want an identity, the CFG want an identity. We started this at Melbourne, so we are not Manchester City no but I think Melbourne played a lot like Manchester and I think maybe as time goes on the other clubs will want to sort of do the same and maybe this is my job at Troyes."

You give a lot personally on the training ground, we saw that this morning, we can hear that in your voice during this interview. That's an important part in the way you work and getting your ideas across?

"Yeah, I haven't known any other way to be honest with you. I was like this when I coached the under 20s back in Melbourne. I feel like if the players are going to give me 100% or I want 100% on the pitch then I have to do the same. I've always been like this, I am the way that I am. I look at myself first before the team, so if I don't give 100% on the pitch, how do I expect my players to give me 100% on the pitch. Sometimes the language barrier is difficult, I'm not going to lie, I try and use certain phrases in French, but I am what I am. I try and help the players as much as I can, and if I can do that; whether it's by yelling, walking up the pitch, using my hands, I'll do anything it takes to help the team. And, I'm a passionate guy, I wear my heart on my sleeve, you know, I'm a guy from the west in Melbourne, I'm passionate, I kick every ball, it is what it is with me and I can't see myself changing."

One other thing I noticed this morning, it's just a detail, but before the training session starts you guys go round, you give each other little checks, little hugs. Tell us, what's the thinking behind that?

"So, I introduced that in Melbourne to start with. It's just to let everyone know to have a good training session, that we're here to train, we're here to compete, we're here to get better and if the players can feel that every day and get confidence from the coaching staff and the players to help it, then why not. But, I think it's a good introduction to start and it shows that good continuity, good camaraderie that once the whistle goes, we're here to work and that's it."

Do you have, in your current squad, the players to keep you up?

"Definitely, we have, and it's getting them to realise that they can. Before I came I noticed that Troyes was up and down like a rollercoaster, you know Ligue 1, Ligue 2, Ligue 1, and we really want to create a place where we can stay in Ligue 1 and keep improving and improve our continuity. What I'm trying to implement is a possession game and I know not every game you can control possession but I thought that game there and a couple of the other games, the training has really been paying off in that aspect and we're trying to control games more. As a player, you always want to play at the highest level, as a coach you want to coach at the highest level and against the highest teams in that same bracket. So, that's part of my vision, but also I've got to be realistic and I've got to take it one game at a time because I know this is going to be a marathon, it won't be a sprint."