The former Chelsea and England left-back has landed his first head coaching role with the Italian Serie B side and he is keen to implement a “tactical shift” towards an attacking game.

He told The Guardian newspaper: “When I arrived the team hadn’t won in six or seven games. Confidence was low.

“If I did the same thing as the previous manager, it wouldn’t work. I want this team to reflect the fans. They are humble, hard-working people who work every day to afford a ticket. We need to give them everything on the pitch to reflect that work ethic.”

Asked his footballing philosophy, he added: "To win games. To do that, we’re implementing a tactical shift. Possession-based, but attacking. Playing between the lines, playing fast.

“I want intensity without the ball, staying in the opposition’s half, sustaining attacks. I don’t want wingers defending; that’s not their job. I want them on the ball in front of the goal.”

The 45-year-old former footballer wants his side to have “patience”.

He said: “We play against a lot of teams with low blocks, 10 players behind the ball, you need patience.

“But control of the ball gives us more opportunities to attack. If you just play long, it’s 50-50 in the air, the team gets stretched, and you can’t press effectively.”

And Ashley is confident he can take the team back to Serie A.

He said: “Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen a dramatic change in the players’ mentality. They’ve embraced change and want to be better. I’m not saying it will happen this season, but the idea going forward is that we need to be in Serie A.”