Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
UNITED BOSS LOOKING AT THE BIGGER PICTURE
PLAY-OFF SPOT NOT THE BE-ALL AND END-ALL SAYS BOSS
HAYES & Yeading United are closing in on the Southern One East play-off spots after a good festive period but manager Paul Hughes insists promotion this year isn’t the be-all and end-all.
United have won their last four games, beating Marlow 3-0, Aylesbury 2-0, Northwood 4-2 and then Kempston Rovers 3-0 at the weekend.
That run has seen the SKYEx Community Stadium outfit climb to sixth but while Hughes would love to see his side promoted, he admits he’s looking at longer term aims.
“Every season I want to win the league, that’s just my mentality,” said the former Chelsea midfielder. “But in terms of our club, the aim is stability and putting together a team that is competitive.
“We have had a large turnover of players over the years and it is the task now to get together a group of players that want to represent the club and want to fight for the club and will respect the club.
“It’s about creating stability and an identity for the club. The club has been nomadic for seven years but has now got its own home and that team has to have the identity that we want, which is a team that will fight for every point, fight for every ball and not take anything for granted.
“We want a hard-working team that plays good football.
“That’s the identity we want. If we are working hard and playing good football, then hopefully we will be winning games. If you are winning games of football then promotion is a possibility but it’s that identity and that group of players that we want to establish, first and foremost. If that results in promotion then great, but it’s first and foremost about creating the right foundations.”
And Hughes believes United’s recent run, which came after three consecutive defeats, is down to tightening up at the back.
“We had been on a good run of results before then, winning six and drawing one, but then we had a period where we lost three games in 11 days,” added the United boss.
“It wasn’t necessarily because we were playing badly but through a few simple defensive errors that cost us those games.
“I think now we have tightened up back there. We aren’t making those same errors and have kept three clean sheets in the last four, which is probably one of the reasons we have had that nice run.
“Now we have tightened up at the back and we’re taking our chances when we get them.”
Next up in the league for Hayes & Yeading is a trip to Thame United on Saturday, as Hughes’ men look to extend their run to five wins from five.
“They are a good team,” said Hughes. “We watched them last week against Aylesbury and they have two very good forwards.
“They have been doing so well because those two front men have been scoring a lot of goals for them, so if we can keep them quiet we will win the game, but away from home it won’t be easy.
“If we do get a result there I will be very, very, very pleased.”