Goalkeeper George Pinner has been a vital cog in the Great Britain and England men’s team for nearly a decade but he still has a boyish enthusiasm for the game that is infectious – one of the reasons he is one of Danny Kerry’s trusted leadership team.
Right now, it is the fact that Great Britain are enjoying a good run in the FIH Pro League [currently at the top of the League] and the prospect of packed stands as Great Britain host a series of matches. Pinner took time out between preparations for their match against Germany to talk about the new league and the way his squad are building towards the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
“Obviously the concept of The FIH Pro League is very different to what we have experienced previously but it’s been really good. I think it’s been different and exciting in equal measures and we have adapted to some of the challenge we have faced with the longer trips.
“To have come away from the first four away games with three wins is really pleasing, we were obviously disappointed not to beat Australia but we have been pleased with the performances and steps forward we have made.”
Head Coach Danny Kerry has now been in place for six months and, says Pinner, the 2016 FIH Coach of the Year has been tweaking and adjusting the squad at every training session. “We’ve learnt a lot since Danny came in. We have played a very different way and that has been tweaked with every training session and game we have had.”
While Kerry is noted for his tactical nous, the squad have backed this up with tough training sessions and some very structured preparation time in the lead up to each match. Pinner says that this has all been part of building strong foundations, which in turn have produced good performances in the team’s away matches.
In a break from tradition, Kerry didn’t travel with the team to Argentina, instead trusting the rest of his coaching staff to run the team in South America. The move served to emphasise the importance Kerry attaches to the team realising how important every member of the coaching staff is to the team. It is a point Pinner reinforced: “Whilst Danny is the Head Coach, every member of our staffing team plays a key role in helping us as players realise our potential. Danny obviously had a very busy 2018 so, in the same way we are looked after as players, it’s really important staff are too – especially with what’s still to come this summer.
“Russell [Garcia] and Kwan [Browne] did a great job in Argentina as they did during our European tour last summer. You never know what could happen ahead of, or during a tournament, so it’s great for us to show as a group (both staff and players) that we can adapt and still go about our business in the same way.”
Great Britain’s 5-1 win over Argentina, in front of a large crowd in Buenos Aires brought a lot of praise for the team. It is something that has given the team an extra fillip ahead of the remaining matches in the FIH Pro League, but Pinner is not getting carried away. “All the games coming up are going to be tough. We still have to play Belgium and the Netherlands home and away, both of whom are arguably the best two teams in the world.
“I also think playing at home will be an exciting challenge for us as a team. We need to ensure we maximise the home advantage and give the British fans something to cheer about. I think the onus is on us as a team to play some exciting hockey to get people behind us. We want the fans to come and watch and make some noise.”
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