Russell looking for stability, on and off the pitch
MARTIN Russell is at a junction and has no control over the steering wheel. To his left – money. His players get paid, morale returns to normal and football becomes the focus again. To his right – no money. We all know how that one ends.
Russell can only manage what happens on the pitch and on Sunday he did a fine job as he guided Bray Wanderers to a vital 2-1 win over Sligo Rovers.
It moves the Seagulls to within six points of Limerick but it could all count for nothing if chairman Gerry Mulvey misses his latest deadline to pay players (yesterday).
“The lads that played on Sunday put in an enormous hard-working performance. We probably got the rub of the green in the second half but it was a good ball in (from Gorman). We did as much as them to win the game and we came out at the right end.
“It’s been tough for everybody. Everybody has been a victim of it so you just have to try and make the best of it. We’ll see what happens this week, the chairman came in and spoke honestly to the group the other day and he said he’d like to have things up to date by Tuesday (yesterday).”
With Coughlan, Greene and Galvin gone – and McCabe’s departure seemingly imminent – Russell admits the exodus could be far from over but should the club’s finances stabilize, he may even be able to get the chequebook out and scour for some new recruits.
“More lads will probably be available to move on. We’ve already made a few available. We’ve done things already to help lads and on Tuesday we’ll help them the best that we can.
“We’ll be looking to bring in players too if things go well – that would’ve meant players leaving anyway. The lads are due money to them and the chairman hopes to have that up to date by Tuesday.
“You could see lads going (leaving the club) on Tuesday but we’d like to think that we’ll be in the position to get some fresh blood in as well. We’ll see who we can manage to keep so we just have to get to Tuesday first and see how the land lies.
“We won’t be bringing anyone in and not paying them! If we bring players up to date and we can rejig and, like all clubs are doing, bring players in and let a few go. Definitely nobody will be coming in until the lads are brought (paid) up to date.”