Thanks to all the fans and members who attended our Meet the Manager session with Liam Watson and Jon McCarthy following the game against AFC Telford. A summary of what was discussed is below.
A special thanks to Liam and Jon for taking the time to join us and talk to fans.
TIY - Meet the Manager with Liam Watson & Jon McCarthy
Date: August 24th 2019
Venue: 1881 Lounge
Telford Game
We had enough chances to win the game, if you can’t score don’t concede, the referee has made a bad decision because Ryan hasn’t even put a tackle in.
He’s refereed the game well but one decision has cost us the game. I was asking Devarn to challenge Ross White by driving towards the area and ask a question and if you don’t buy a ticket you won’t a raffle.
Start to the season
It’s a steady start to the season, we worked our pre-season around a strike force of Dion and Jack. We aren’t using Dion leaving as an excuse and its’ the right decision for the club and for the player, which is really positive but Raul is a different player.
We want to develop players and move them on. 6 performances, 5 have them been decent and the Darlington game wasn’t acceptable.
The first goal is important and in four games we haven’t scored and therein lies an issue.
Jason Gilchrist
I never had a problem with Jason, I quite liked him as a lad and Jon will agree. We had to make changes around the club.
We’ve had a big reduction in the wage bill. We had no choice but to move him on. Jason scored 2 goals in his last 27 games.
My job is the manager and I have to manage the budget and we have to have a wage structure. We loaned him to Stockport County where he didn’t feature too much and he’s ended up moving to South Shields.
Scouting & Transfers
We have two experienced scouts who have an excellent track record at finding players and if we find better than what we have.
Marcus Woods was offered a deal at the end of last season. He chose to go on trial elsewhere and we’ve ended up signing Russell. We have Morgan, Parry and Lacey in the same position and Glynn who can also play in there for us. So we are covered at centre midfield. Wood has now signed for Bradford Park Avenue but he was training with us. We like him but it was just the timing.
Second Goalkeeper
We will use him in the cup competitions - he’s very good.
Jon McCarthy’s Comments
I’ve been at the club 18 months and particularly since Liam has come in, I’m looking at the stand, the bar and the new pitch and the investment into the infrastructure made through Phil and Ian - it just doesn’t happen to clubs at this level.
It’s always felt like we’ve been chasing. We’re disappointed today but there’s a much better platform. We’ve kept 4 clean sheets and conceded one goal from open play.
We’re in a bit of transition but Liam will get that right as he has done so many times before. There’s massive changes at the club and it is a good club to be at.
Devarn Green Playing Up front
Devarn went from Burton to Blackburn for a lot of money as a centre forward aged 16. When you’re a child you tend to play in your natural position.
Blackburn converted him to a winger. We’ve done it a lot with players here. Carl Baker and Ashley Winn were both central midfielders and we made them into right sided midfielders. It works with some players but not all.
We’d be daft not to look at. We are short of goals and Devarn looked lively on the wing. It’s a plan B. Jack and Raul are two honest lads but aren’t as natural goal scorers as others. In the last fifteen minutes things we moved things round. Dean Winnard and team selection for Monday. He’s tweaked his groin. So he won’t be fit for Monday and Paddy is also injured.
We aren’t struggling in positions I’d rather have a smaller tight-knit squad with flexibility. Glynn, Parry and Mohammed will all feature on Monday.
Jon McCarthy on pre-season
I am delighted with how pre-season has gone and I am disappointed we didn’t score against Curzon and we were poor against Darlington. We like to be 4-4-2 and work hard on shape with two banks of four. There’ll be times when you’ll think it doesn’t look as exciting, it’ll be frustrating for you and frustrating for us but when we get it right, we’ll be solid.
Jordan Archer
I really like Jordan, I wanted to try and bring him in when I came back but for whatever reason it didn’t happen. I don’t know how it works, if they (Bury) get expelled but not liquidated then they’re still a business so we’ll have to see what happens there.
Liam Edwards
He is very, very good. He’s a Football League player. He’s always just wanted to play football and unfortunately he’s been injured. When he gets himself sorted, playing week in week out, he’ll go on to have a great career.
League
It’s York who have the league to give away but moving down those play off places could be anyone’s.
The league isn’t as strong as it used to be at the top but now you look further down and there just aren’t those weaknesses that there used to be, you just don’t see those 4-0, 5-0 wins anymore. It’s open to anyone.
![RSS Feed](images/rssfeed.jpg)