How Do You Feel The Season Is Going?
We couldn’t have had a worse start to the season, as a group we know and have discussed the performances and know they weren’t good enough and we have dropped too, many cheap points. But we have worked hard on the training Ground and stuck together. We haven’t gone out and signed players left right and centre to turn things around. I believe in the group of players and the quality we have in the squad. We’ve had to stay positive and work our way through the tough times, and I think our current performances and results show we are going in the right direction. A big positive, although we would have liked a few more points on the board we are 7 games unbeaten, playing. Slowly growing with confidence. This isn’t an easy league, there will be a lot more twists and turns over this long season, so we will take it one game at a time, nothing more and prepare ourselves right for each game. I am happy with the direction we are going as a team. A big positive also is the support we have had every game home and away from the fans. We appreciate the backing and support.
What Do You Hope To Accomplish This Season?
As I said when I first took the job, I won’t ever hide from the fact as a club we want and need to get promotion and the aim and end goal hasn’t changed. We have given ourselves a tougher task with the points we have dropped early in the season so we have some ground to make up, but the pressure is on the sides above to keep winning and not dropping points, we will just keep our heads down and chipping away, game by game. We believe in this group of players and what we do as a management team, so we will be in and around it all come the end of the season.
What Can We Improve On?
We need to improve on our game management at times and learn to see games out. My sides won’t be a side that just shuts shop up and hangs on to things, we give the lads freedom and want them to play with confidence, and we just need to be clever on the later stages of games in the right areas.
What Do You Enjoy The Most About Being The Manager?
I enjoy everything that comes with being manager of this club. It’s a great club to be at. We have a great group of players who give us everything, we are backed by fantastic supporters who follow us in numbers home and away which is great to see as a manager. I also enjoy the pressure and expectations that come with managing this first team, it makes me more determined to succeed and give our fans and club the good times back. I also want to give a lot back to my Chairman and Vice Chairman, who have had faith in me to be the man to lead the club and back me 100%. I couldn’t ask for better people to work for.
Who Are The Most Challenging Team We Have Faced This Season?
The most challenging teams we have faced so far have definitely been the top 3. Newark are a very good side and I have a lot of time for their manager he has put a strong squad together who will be right up there come the end of the season. Dinnington town are another strong, physical side. Gaz and Tom have done a great job turning the club around from where they were last season. They did a job on us in the first game, something which is always tough to take as a manager you always want to get off to the best start with a win. But I also think that game did us lot of good and has helped us moving forward. Harworth Colliery again is a strong side in the league. It is a good club from top to bottom and Bren has done a great job rebuilding them after relegation last season. They have set there stall out this season and again it’s a side I think will be in and around come the end of season. We have all 3 to play again which I am looking forward to as the big games in the league are what we are in football for. But all the sides in this league are capable of taking points off each other it is that kind of league.