Sticking together as a team

It was great to get a reaction from the players with two wins in a week following the disappointment of our FA Trophy exit at Stamford. After a bad result like the Trophy game everyone has to look at themselves, including the management.

We spoke to the players to discuss what went wrong and freshened things up a bit by making a couple of personnel changes and that has reminded people that they have to perform week-in week-out to keep their place in the side.

It’s right that the team comes in for criticism when we don’t perform. It reminds me that I also need to look at myself to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to improve and progress. We also have to stay together when we go through a rocky patch. We have a uniqueness about the club at FC and we’ve come a long way in a short space of time by being United on and off the pitch. Above all we’re together as a team. That’s what makes us strong.

We need to make sure that we keep up the high standards we’ve set and the two wins in a week are helping to put us back on the right track. Last Sunday against Eastwood Town, going in 4-0 up at the break was a massive boost. It would have been nice to continue in that vein in the second half and run up a big total but Eastwood were into damage limitation in the second period and kept us out well.

We had plenty of chances but weren’t able to convert them but I’m not going to complain about a convincing 4-1 win and six points in a week that has moved us up four places in the league.

Before Saturday’s away trip to Ilkeston, we had a full week of training with no midweek game which will give some of the new lads in the squad a chance to integrate. With games in hand and some hard but winnable games ahead over the next month, hopefully we’re well placed to make further progress up the table.