Letter From The Manager - Richard Kay

richard kay

LETTER FROM THE MANAGER

I would like to welcome the players, management and committee of Marston Saints to Bobby Hancocks Park

for today’s league game. We hope you enjoy the matchday experience at BHP. It feels like a long time since we last played at home in the league. A lot has happened since our last home league game against Bure Park where we narrowly lost to Bicester with a makeshift, bare 11, but then reacted superbly to beat Halse away from home Then a superb midweek cup performance to beat higher league opposition in Coventry Copeswood to put us through to the last eight of the Coventry Telegraph cup. Realistically moving to a new league I couldn’t have really asked for a better start with a new group of players. I’ve said all along our main goal is to get promoted back to step 6 which is the level the club dropped out of the Midland league four years ago. It’s a big month for us as a group and club. We need to keep picking up points in the league to cement our position in the top five promotion places then turn our attention to the cups. November is very much cup month for us where we play in the Coventry Charity cup, Birmingham vase and our OSL league cup respectively. We are already in one cup quarter final so the aim will very much be to try and make it three cup quarter finals and the last 16 of the Birmingham Vase come the end of the month. Unlike previous seasons where I have prioritized competitions, with the quality and depth of squad we now have I really want to have a go in all five competitions. That doesn’t mean we can realistically win all five but the aim is to go as far as we can in

Head Coach Richard Kay

all competitions and mount a challenge for promotion in the league. I’m never one to say the aim is to win the league at the start of any season but my expectations as manager of this club is to challenge. If we fall short that is football but collectively the drive and ambition has to be there to set the bar high. Our latest result and performance against Copeswood has to be in the top two performances I have managed in my time at the club. The other being our result and performance last season at Easington

Sports who are a Step five club. It was a fantastic team performance. Full of energy, attacking quality and excellent defensive organisation. The team spirit of this group of players is the driving factor. The team spirit is incredible. I’m now seeing the fruits of so much hard work on the training pitch and a confidence and belief in the process. On to today’s game. It’s been a tough start for our visitors after having to turn the whole squad around. Recently it looks as though performances, if not results, have been better. Huge credit has to go the management and players for sticking it out through a transitional period. I’ve told the players we are now it that period where we have to have a laser sharp focus week on week. It doesn’t matter who the opposition are or what competition we play in. We set the bar high with the performance against Copeswood. Now we are starting to settle as a squad with more continuity and quality additions, the focus is on maintaining a consistent high level of performance.

With so many games in different competitions rotation of the squad will be key to keep everyone fully match fit and sharp. I never like to make wholesale changes but rotation will occur to give us the best chance to attack all five competitions

As always, thank you for your continued support. Enjoy the game

COYS

Our latest result and performance against Copsewood has to be in the top two performances I have managed in my time at the club “

Rich