06 May 2023 , 11:00
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When Fleetwood appointed Celtic legend Scott Brown as their new manager last summer, many predicted the Cod Army would struggle and go back down to League Two.
Fleetwood survived relegation on goal difference in the 2021/22 season, having stuttered and finished the campaign without a win in seven matches. However, the Cod Army were quick to regroup and hand ex-Scotland midfielder Brown the vacancy following Stephen Crainey's abrupt departure.
This was Brown's first full-time senior management role. He was previously at Aberdeen as a player-coach and worked as an assistant to Stephen Glass in addition to his role on the field. But Brown retired from professional football at the end of last season and had no doubts about joining Fleetwood.
Fast forward 12 months and Brown has proven the doubters wrong. The Cod Army sit comfortably in mid-table, 13 points above the dreaded drop zone. They have lost just 16 out of their 45 League One matches - fewer than any other side in the bottom-half of the division.
Speaking to Mirror Football, via Sky Bet, Brown said: "From when I came in, getting to know all the lads, getting them to understand how we want them to play and going through pre-season, it's been a really good journey for myself, and my coaching staff.
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“We've enjoyed every single moment of it. We had a good cup run; we had a slow start to the season – we had a few draws and couldn't really get into that momentum, but from January onwards, we've had a really good transfer window.
Scott Brown and Frank Lampard earlier this season (Getty Images)"We got a couple of big players in for us that have made a difference going forward and we've managed to win a lot more games. We've put ourselves safe on the board with one game to go and so far, it's not been too bad. There's always room for improvement."
Fleetwood have improved massively since Brown's appointment, collecting at 17 more points and six more wins than at this stage last season. However, the former Celtic star doesn't want to stop there - and is planning to build on what he has started ahead of their final game of the season against Ipswich on Sunday.
"Trying not to get sent off – I think that will be a good start!" Brown added. "It's just a game at a time - good old cliché – I'm enjoying it at the moment and as it is, I can let my hair down a little bit, I can sit back and we can watch, and we can take it a little bit more in because we're in a very safe position with a game to go.
Scott Brown has done an excellent job at Fleetwood this season (Getty Images)"At the same time, you don't want to drop standards and we don’t want to get sloppy as staff, as well as what the players can do. The lads, in the last two games, just have to go and enjoy it, play with a smile on their face and know that we are safe."
Brown signed a two-year deal at Highbury last May and now has 12 months left to run on his contract. There has been speculation about a potential return to Celtic one day, but Brown doesn't want to see past his time at Fleetwood and has lofty ambitions next term.
He continued: "I've got another year left at Fleetwood Town and I’m looking forward to coming back here in pre-season, giving it another go and hopefully push higher up the table. We’re in a good place – we've had a good season – but there’s always room for improvement, we'll take it one game at a time.
Scott Brown also enjoyed a special FA Cup run (Getty Images)"We're going over to Ireland for pre-season, so that will be important for ourselves and the lads to come back in good condition, and then hopefully we’ll hit the ground running at the start of next season."
Since taking the role, Brown has been given support from a number of more experienced coaches in the game. One of those was ex-Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers, who managed Brown during his time at Celtic.
Rodgers is considering one of the most successful managers in Celtic's history and formed a close bond with Brown in Glasgow. Gordon Strachan and Neil Lennon are also still in contact with him.
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Brown finished: "There are three managers I still speak to today quite a lot who have been influential. I speak to Brendan Rodgers, Gordon Strachan and Neil Lennon. I take little bits from all three of them. They've been huge in my footballing career, and they've been huge in my managerial career as well.
"They've taken time to speak with me about coaching stuff, what you need to do, the small details as well. And it doesn’t take a lot to help somebody out now and those three have done way more than enough for me."