Ford looks to instill confidence into his side

WELLING UNITED boss Andy Ford says he is trying to instil confidence into his side ahead of their trip to St Albans City on Tuesday night, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Wings were comfortably beaten 2-0 by league leaders Chelmsford City yesterday at Melbourne Park, which means the Park View Road outfit have picked up just one point from their last three games.

As a result, they have slipped out of the play-off places in Blue Square South and Ford, speaking to BBC Radio Kent yesterday, sees that as a problem.

“Yes, two sloppy goals (conceded) again today,” he bemoaned. “That’s unfortunate, but that’s what’s undone us today.

“We went with three midfield players today, tight midfield players, but you wouldn’t have thought it.”

Ford added, “I tried to sort it out at half-time and tried to make it a bit tighter. Quinny (Rob Quinn) had an injury and had to come off and Jack (Parkinson) come on and done very, very well today. I thought Graeme Andrews at the back was very good today, but there were some other players a bit below par today.

“It’s a disappointing run that we’re on at the moment and we’ve got to get ourselves out of it.”

Ford revealed he has concerns with training facilities and that he needs a quick strike partner for leading scorer, Charlie Sheringham.

“Our training’s been disrupted for nine weeks, we haven’t been on grass for nine weeks now and we haven’t been able to do things that needed to be done,” he said.

“Moses (Ademola) has gone back (to Brentford), we’re not quite right up top at the moment. Charlie likes to play with someone whose quick and likes to get in behind and Moses was producing that and I can’t really find that person at the moment who will get the best out of Charlie and also someone along side him - that’s a problem at the moment.

“We’re waiting for Moses , I don’t know how much longer we can wait.

“Brentford are down to 18 players and they’re in a promotion battle and they obviously want Moses back to back up their squad, which is understandable.

“I understand the situation but we tried to wait, it’s been the wrong decision really. I should’ve tried to get someone right away, but hindsight is such a wonderful thing.”

Ford added, “We’re always looking for players, if anyone’s out there who is a bit better than what we’ve got, than obviously we’re interested.

“The top quality strikers, goalscorers, they’re few and far between, especially this time of the season.

“Maybe we’ve got to get another young striker out from a League team and try and get another one in on loan. Maybe that’s the route we’ve got to go.”

Losing to the Essex giants has ruined Ford’s weekend.

“We’ve just hit the rails at the moment,” he admitted. 

Ford added, “We’re all in it to win it. The best feeling as a manager is winning football matches. When you’ve won, you’re really felt that you’ve put in your work in and you’ve deserved it and it’s all been worthwhile - there’s nothing better than that in my opinion.

“But the other side of the coin unfortunately is when you lose, there’s nothing worse and your Saturday nights and the whole of your week can be really, really miserable.

“You’ve got to look at it from up above and see where we’ve come and I’m still in it to win it. I’m not in it to be mediocre and it’s been a bit disappointing over the last three weeks.”

Ford says his hair-dryer treatment hasn’t worked and he will be putting his arm around some of his players’ shoulders to give them the belief to end their disappointing run at Clarence Park on Tuesday night.

“I don’t fear away games, I think sometimes we can play a bit better away from home,” he said.

“But the main thing is confidence. Confidence is a big word, a massive thing in football. If you’re winning, it gives it to you, managers unfortunately can’t give players confidence.

“They can talk to them, how well they’ve done but the only way players get confidence is by winning football matches and if you lose a few on the road the un-confident ones sometimes think they aren’t as good.

“So it’s down to the staff and us to try to encourage them. I’ve tried it both ways, I gave them the hair dryer treatment last week and it didn’t really work.

“I’ve got to put my arm around their shoulders a little bit as we are a young side and still learning and sometimes I’m a little bit frustrated as they’re not learning as quick as I want them to.”

Visit Welling United’s website:  www.wellingunited.com

Quotes courtesy of BBC Radio Kent: www.bbc.co.uk/kent

St Albans City v Welling United
Blue Square South
Tuesday 27^th January 2009
Kick Off 7:45pm
At Clarence Park, York Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 4PL