PORT HAVE GONE BACK TO SQUARE ONE AGAIN
IT was sad to see my old club Southport in such a state on Tuesday night. I know what a tough job that is. I made a decision when I arrived last December that I was changing nothing. I wanted to inspire a group of players who needed to be galvanised – not just try and piece together a whole new team. I’m a big believer that you can’t sort out a mess by ripping things apart. My methods gained a positive result, we won eight out of ten matches, including six on the bounce. I think I only signed one new player, saving the club money and with an aim to motivate the players and inspire them to reach their full potential. I was so proud to see the team go from the bottom of the table to the top half inside six weeks. We were never going to carry on at that rate, but that response I got when I arrived kept the team in the National League. I think my record of 31 points from 18 games stacks up. I was disappointed to see Andy Bishop dismantle the side the minute he came in. In turn, Steve Burr – who is a good manager and will do well given time – did the same when he arrived. It doesn’t surprise me to see them in the bottom four. I was concerned to see Southport play like they did on Tuesday. After losing poorly at home to Bromley on Saturday, I expected a reaction. Solihull were fantastic and found their goalscoring touch after the break, looking fitter, stronger and more organised. Southport are a good club, but they have certainly got to improve... and quickly.