SWINDON Town manager Richie Wellens says he is not in the business of giving Al Pacino-like team talks before games – instead claiming his pre-match discussions are becoming shorter every week.

With Town top of League Two and just 15 games remaining, Wellens was asked whether his pre-game conversations with his team are becoming less about tactics and more about mentality and heart as the season has developed.

The 39-year-old believes there is a common misconception among fans that players are delivered rousing speeches before every kick-off – instead, the reality can be quite different.

Occasionally, Wellens said he will make sure his side’s level of intensity is above its normal level, but in recent weeks – and certainly against Exeter City last Saturday – the Town boss insisted he gave a concise and impactful pre-match talk to his players.

Wellens said: “I would suggest that as the season goes on, if the pressure intensifies then my team-talks might need to change.

“But it’s about getting the balance right and judging each game on its merits.

“There are no Al Pacino-like speeches or anything like that because if you do them all the time, they wear thin and they can lose their effect on the players.

“My team talks in recent weeks have been quite short – it’s been two or three things and that’s it – and I’ve been keeping them short and sweet.”

Prior to Exeter arriving at the County Ground last weekend, the general feeling around the club was at its most heartening for a considerable amount of time.

Eoin Doyle and Jerry Yates had been announced as returning for the rest of the season while six other incomings earlier in the month meant most felt Town were now strong favourites for promotion.

However, Wellens says he does not feel the same way and felt it was appropriate to remind his players that no one would simply walk up to them and hand the club a place in League One.

He said: “Before Saturday, it was a case of ensuring the mentality was right.

“Because we’d made all these signings – Doyle, Yates, Muskwe, Hope and Palmer – and people were saying: “wow, Swindon are a shoe-in for promotion now,” and I didn’t like that.

“I didn’t like that at all because promotion is won on the pitch.

“So I emphasised that to the players, but as the season has gone my team talks have actually got less information in.

“The players have all fully bought into the way that we play, and they know what is expected so they don’t need me to keep reminding them.”