Liam has ‘big three’ targets
LIAM Watson has outlined his three targets for the season after Southport’s 10-man FA Cup win over Ashton United.
The Sandgrounders will now welcome National League side Boreham Wood to Haig Avenue despite a testing start to their Conference North campaign.
Watson’s side are currently bottom of the division after winning just one of their opening 12 games but the manager insists he’s trying to do things ‘the right way’ at Haig Avenue.
“At the start of the year, my three targets were to have a cup run,” he said.
“Now this is classed as cup run, we’ve reached the first round. We’ve brought in £49,000 and that’s ticked off.”
Watson achieved promotion to the Conference National with Southport during his first spell with the club back in 2004-05 and the boss admits he’s following the same, organic blueprint once more. The former Burscough manager is now in his third spell with the Sandgrounders and re-asserted that his squad needs further shaping to compete at this level.
Adding to his three targets, Watson said: “We want to have a go at a county cup because it’s always nice to win a trophy.
“Then we need to reduce the numbers in the squad, improve the quality in the squad, try and get an identity in the football club and try and get us playing a little bit better than we have and move up the league table.
“That’s what I’m doing. I’ve tried to do it in a brave way.
“I could have brought a lot of experienced, seasoned pros in and thought that will get me through this year and maybe next year I’ll have to rip it up and start again.
“I’ve tried to do it the right way I did back in 2003.
“Young unknowns, try and get them through the door, get good footballers in the place and try to build it, try and get the fans to identify with our own players and play the right way.”