WE kick off this week with two home games and
six points is our target. I want us all to enjoy our two
home games, relax and dictate.
We
have taken a lot of confidence from our performance at
Nuneaton.
Yes
it was impressive, just as our Barrow 90 minutes was.
But we know we can do even better.
The
scoreline at Nuneaton did not reflect in anyway our overall
showing. So we need to bang in the goals and take our
chances. Tomorrow Kevin Leadbetter starts his two match
ban for his Ashton dismissal.
I
am sure Kevin has learned his lesson but we now pay the
consequences not only for the Ashton result but losing
Kevin's supply of width on the left.
I'll
be looking at the squad in training and make decisions
of how we work down the left.
Alex
Mortimer played for the reserves at Altrincham on Wednesday
night as he regains his match fitness, I'm expecting him
to again turn out for the reserves at Morecambe tonight.
Barry
Simms put the players through a really rigorous routine
on Tuesday night that should top up their fitness, one
or two of our players described it a little more colourfully.
I
feel at this stage it is important to maintain the fitness
gained in the summer and I havenít seen a fitter
side than us.
With
the season seven matches old and the break this week I
have along with my assistant Neil Whalley taken stock
of what we have achieved.
Well
we would have settled for the start but know it could
have been even better.
I
will constantly re examine the squad, questioning how
competitive it is in all areas and strive to maintain
high standards in the weeks ahead.
I
have said from the start the pressure and where it matters
is in those last ten matches.
We
have to be right up there to make those last ten matches
count and it is up to us to do that.
I
took in the Everton reserve match on Tuesday night at
Haig Avenue.
Our
Everton link is a really good one. Our training facilities
are first class at Nether-ton.
While
I have along with Neil (Whalley) enjoyed observing training
sessions led by David Moyes and his Bellefield back-room
staff.
I'm
a young manager and I want to learn and develop my coaching
and management skills each day, where better to pick up
ideas than a Premier-ship club.
The
talk all week has been about our international team the
draw in Austria. England threw two points away against
Austria.
Eriksson
has been too loyal to his main players and if he persists
he wil lose his job. They have constantly let him down.
The
result in Poland makes it four points away from home which
is good.
But
if he keeps doing the same thing England will suffer the
same problems in another major tournament.
Finally
I would like to thank Tony Rodwell for his role as reserve
team manager. Due to Tony's commitments with the Press
Association he has been unable to commit to our reserve
team fixtures this season.
Tony
is an excellent coach and will continue developing our
PASE players during the working week.
Joey
Dunne now joins us a reserve team manager and will be
in charge tonight at More-cambe.
I'm
sure all our supporters will welcome Joey who has extensive
experience as both a player and reserve team manager with
Runcorn and Altrincham.
I
know Joey well and he will work closely bridging the gap
between our PASE apprentices and first team squad. Joey
will also help out with our scouting.
Our
aim is to bring players through from our youth development
to the first team squad. Tony Rodwell, Jon Gautrey and
Joey Dunne all have roles to play in our overall policy.
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