SURVIVAL IS ELEMENTARY FOR WATSON
STEVE Watson says he always believed Darlington could pull off The Great Escape in National League North.
That belief has been reinforced by three wins in the last four games for the Quakers ahead of yesterday’s crucial basement battle at home to Banbury United.
Tuesday’s victory at Curzon Ashton was the first time since December 2022 that Darlington had secured back-to-back wins which left them three points from safety – not too long ago they were cut adrift by a daunting nine.
Watson, the former Premier League star with Newcastle, Aston Villa and Everton, was appointed at Blackwell Meadows on New Year’s Eve, becoming the club’s third manager of the campaign following the departures of Alun Armstrong and Josh Gowling.
And the former Gateshead, York and Chester, admits this has been his biggest challenge of his career.
“I have taken over clubs in 15th or 16th place but never have been second bottom with so much ground to make up,” he told The NLP. “That is the challenge of football, and I would not have taken it on if I didn’t think it was possible.
“As soon as I came in and met the lads, I knew there was a lot more ability than results showed. It was just a case of trying to get it out of them which we are starting to do, but there is a long way still to go.”
Watson, who won only two of his first seven games in charge, sees green shoots of recovery.
“In the last two games we have done things we have fond really hard,” he went on. “We came from a goal behind last weekend, which we hadn’t done for about 35 games, and put back-to-back wins together which have been massive.
“It has been a tough season with a lot of knockbacks and setbacks, but this will give us belief for the last 10 games.”
Darlington’s turnaround is all the more impressive given that Watson and his assistant Terry Mitchell have not made sweeping changes.
“We don’t have the squad to play like other teams in the league,” the boss added. “We can’t go route one as, every time we do, we give the ball to the opposition because we don’t have the personnel.
“We have tried to instil a footballing philosophy and to play with patience.”
By day, Watson has coached at Newcastle United’s academy for the last 18 months – and admits return to management hadn’t been on the radar.
“I am really settled back in the north-east and would have only taken a job which suited me to work with both clubs which this enable me to do,” he concluded.
“I have been working with the U14s and U15s which provides a good blend to my life.
“I come here and there is pressure and life is hectic, and then I go back there and develop lads and hopefully they will become the next Lewis Miley.
“I have a really good balance, but this is a lot tougher than coaching the academy.”