WE ARE READY TO PUSH ON NOW!
Stringer’s Clarets eye promotion
ROD STRINGER thinks promotion last season could have done Chelmsford City more harm than good – but is convinced the Clarets will be ready should they do it this time.
Stringer’s side topped expectations by finishing fourth in the National League South table before beating Dartford to reach the promotion final.
But, despite leading against tenman Ebbsfleet United, they conceded twice to lose 2-1 as the Fleet sealed their ticket to the National League.
It all came on the back of an uncertain time for Chelmsford following the collapse of a takeover by Jade Group at the beginning of April – something the club admitted put them under financial pressure at a crucial stage of the season.
But a new proposal from Betsi Limited – who co-own Chelmsford racecourse – is in the offing, which the club hope will put any uncertainty to bed.
Stringer admits making the jump to Step 1 may have been too soon, regardless.
Ambition
“The final was a wonderful occasion, but obviously it wasn’t a wonderful result,” he said.
“If I’m being deeply honest, if you analyse where we are as a club, I think with the takeover not being done and everything else, I couldn’t actually say we were in a position where we were totally ready for the next level.
“I think this coming season will be different. As much as I was disappointed in the result, I just feel it would have been a real ask to get ourselves prepared after the playoffs for the National League.
“It’s a big jump and a jump you need to be ready for. I think it would have probably caused us a little bit more harm.
“If we do manage to get up this year I think we will be in a lot better place as a club. As a football manager and as a team, of course we would have loved the opportunity and we would have given it a very good go.
“But I know how hard that leap can be and you need everything in place to have a chance of staying at the level.”
The former Aveley, Brain- tree and Bishop’s Stortford boss has been busy in the summer market with four new arrivals.
Experienced midfielder Scott Davies, former Whitehawk attacker Michael West, ex-Southampton striker Lee Barnard, ex-Strortford defender Paul Rodgers and Braintree midfielder Harry Lee have all signed.
Star attacker Robbie Willmott has left for Newport County, while striker Louie Theophanous has been lured to bigspending Billericay Town as Stringer accepts some of last season’s team may be exploring their options after a good season.
He says he won’t wait around forever, however, as he looks to get his squad settled ahead of their return to pre-season training.
Takeover
Remarkably, Stringer didn’t bring in one loan player last year and he wants similar depth again for the new campaign. But he accepts expectations will be higher this time out. “That’s a little bit of a problem because we massively overachieved last year,” he said. “We had a rollercoaster season trying to get the takeover sorted out. But everyone got paid and it’s making sure we now get on with our everyday thing on the park. “If and when the new takeover goes through, then we’ll be that much stronger as well. We’re in a good place. We lost one home game last year – if we lose more than that people will say, ‘Oh, they’re not as good as they were last year’.
“People will now be looking for one thing and that’s for us to win the league. It’s not that easy. Teams are going to come to us and raise their game. Probably us and Dartford, because of where we both finished, are going to be up there as favourites now.
“But all we can do is get back in pre-season, get them prepped as best we can and hopefully by that time I will have finalised the squad.
“Last year I didn’t take one loan all season – I don’t know if that’s ever been done in the history of Non-League! Fortunately we had a good enough squad we could rotate around when we had injuries and suspensions. That justifies why we finished where we did.
“If I’m two players away with ten days to go then I’m in the right area.”