Simplistic approach breathes new life into battling Guiseley
GUISELEY captain Ash Palmer has hailed the clarity of thought and uncomplicated approach of manager Paul Cox, who he believes is starting to make his impact felt at Nethermoor.
The Lions may, in the words of the fiercely ambitious Cox, only be at “the tip of the iceberg” under his watch, but signs of definitive progress are evident after two months in the post.
Off the pitch, the club are pushing forward plans to go fulltime and, on it, the players are increasingly buying into the ethos of Cox, if recent results are anything to go by.
After securing their first National League win of the Cox regime at home to Solihull Moors on October 21, the Lions followed up seven days later with their first away league triumph of the season, at Woking, to move out of the relegation positions. Another positive step arrived in Sunday’s FA Cup first-round Roses stalemate with Accrington.
Guiseley became just the second side this season to stop the League Two high-fliers from finding the net and can head over the Pennines for the replay at the Wham Stadium next Tuesday with quiet confidence.
Palmer acknowledged: “We need to keep doing what we are doing, which is playing with a high tempo, keeping positive and hopefully reaping the rewards.
“Since the gaffer has come in, he has made everything really simplistic and clearly told everyone what he wants them to do and the lads are buying into it. We are going in the right direction.
“He has not made anything too difficult and everyone is working hard and getting on with it and we are gelling together.”
The second round draw of the FA Cup paired Guiseley – assuming they can get the better 0f Accrington – away to Mansfield Town. Doncaster Rovers will host Northampton or Scunthorpe while Bradford City will take on Plymouth Argyle at Valley Parade. SLAVEN BILIC insists he is leaving West Ham with his “head held high” after he was sacked with the club languishing in the bottom three.
Saturday’s 4-1 home defeat by Liverpool was the final straw for the Hammers’ hierarchy, who axed Bilic with just over six months of his three-year contract remaining.
Former Manchester United, Everton and Sunderland boss David Moyes is anticipated to be named as his successor, and could be appointed today.
Bilic guided West Ham to seventh in his first season – the club’s last at Upton Park – and despite a tough maiden campaign at the London Stadium they rallied to finish 11th.
But the Hammers have won just two league matches this season, against Huddersfield Town and Swansea City, having begun the campaign with three successive defeats – shipping 10 goals in the process.
Bilic admitted he understood joint-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold’s “desire to make a change” as they attempt to guide West Ham away from the foot of the table.
“I am sad that it hasn’t worked out in the way we wanted this season,” Bilic said in a statement.
“But I leave with my head held high, along with some wonderful memories that I will always cherish.
“I was confident that we would be able to progress this season and continue to close the gap between expectation levels and reality, but unfortunately it has not been the case.
“I believe in my qualities and wanted desperately to fight on to turn things around, but I understand the club’s desire to make a change.”
Sullivan and Gold will hope Bilic’s successor can shore up a leaky defence and get more out of big-money summer signings Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez.