Working with Postecoglou and following the data - Salford's new boss Cklamovski

FC Tokyo's average attendances rose to 34,000 during Peter Cklamovski's time at the club [Getty Images] Salford City's surprise decision to appoint Peter Cklamovski as their new manager on a long-term contract has its origins in Japan, eight years ago. Cklamovski might be relatively unknown to the English game, but he was very well known to Salford's chief executive. Gavin Fleig joined the League Two club in October 2025, after 17 years under the City Football Group umbrella, the last seven as director of talent management. It meant he came across scores of coaches and managers at CFG's 12 clubs. Among them was an Australian coach, who was impressing as understudy to Ange Postecoglou at the J-League title winners Yokohama F Marinos. Postecoglou's journey since - Celtic, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest - is well documented. Cklamovski's - Shimizu S-Pulse, Montedio Yamagata, FC Tokyo and the Malaysia national team - less so. But the 47-year-old Australian has impressed, both in terms of results and an expansive style of play. It was always in Fleig's mind to get in touch if ever he was in a position to appoint a head coach or manager. When Salford decided to remove Karl Robinson following their League Two play-off final defeat by Notts County last month, he put Cklamovski's name forward. "You go through the normal processes," said Fleig. "What does the data say? What does our market network say? What do our contacts say? Who comes to the table when there's a vacancy and wants the job? "Through all those steps and everyone we've spoken to, Peter was the outstanding candidate on all the metrics that are important to us." Cklamovski was impressing with Malaysia and was about to begin preparations for an Asean (South East Asia) Championship campaign that starts with matches against Myanmar and Laos next month. But he had already experienced a 'bit of a reflection point', about his career and a growing desire to succeed in Europe. As luck would have it, Cklamovski was with his wife and two children right at the end of an extended holiday in the United Kingdom -watching plenty of football, including Everton's 3-3 draw with Manchester City on 4 May - when Fleig got in touch. "I said we'd love to meet face-to-face in a couple of days but he said he was due to fly back to Malaysia that evening," recalled Fleig. "He rang me an hour later and said, 'I've cancelled my flight'." In addition to the data, the intent also impressed Salford's bosses. No experience in England? No problem Salford City chief executive Gavin Fleig sat between co-owner David Beckham (left) and football director Paul Scholes during the 3-0 League Two play-off final defeat by Notts County at Wembley [Getty Images] As Cklamovski and Fleig sit in a quiet executive area in the main stand at the Peninsula Stadium, now undergoing a repaint as the club prepares to return to its original orange colours next season, the rationale for appointing someone with no direct experience of English football is sound. In announcing his appointment, Salford said Cklamovski has a 'reputation for having an attack-minded style that captures the imagination of supporters'. "Peter," Salford say, "brings a fresh approach at an exciting juncture for the club." Yet as Cklamovski knows from the experiences of Postecoglou, success outside Europe, no matter how notable, tends not to impress too many football fans in England. "For me it all comes down to a belief in what you do and a belief in how you do it," said Cklamovski. "It's a process driven, evidence-based approach and you don't waste a second in any day. If you have the mentality to get better every day, you have a process to it and focus on how you can execute strong team performances, results will follow no matter what part of the world you're in." It would be interesting to know whether Postecoglou has spoken to co-owner Gary Neville about Salford during the World Cup given the pair are both working at the tournament for ITV Sport. Cklamovski has spoken to Postecoglou, who he describes as a mentor. A partnership that endured for 15 years began with the Australia Under-17s squad. The bond was so close, Cklamovski worked with his friend in the lower leagues in Greece as Postecoglou rebuilt his career after falling out with former Australia international and TV pundit Craig Foster live on air in 2007. They were side-by-side when Brisbane won the A-League in 2011 and Australia won the Asian Cup four years later. "I'm always in contact with him," said Cklamovski. "He's given sound feedback on many things on my coaching journey, this being one of them." In addition to speaking exclusively to BBC Sport, after flying back from Malaysia as he tied up the loose ends of his national team exit, Cklamovski's first full day at Salford was spent dealing with administrative issues and getting to know people at the club. He did not speak to Neville or fellow co-owner David Beckham as part of the process. His family are due to join him in just over a month, by which time pre-season training will be in full swing. As Robinson was sacked despite finishing one place off automatic promotion and being beaten by Notts County at Wembley, the task is obvious. "That's what I'm here for," he said. "I'm not here to have a holiday. I'm here to achieve success. "I'm looking forward to the challenge. It's a great opportunity. "The club's got lofty ambitions and big dreams. It's something I'm really hungry to chase."