Management Want to Stay with Reds

Simon Redhead has confirmed he wants to stay at Redditch United, who have been relegated from the Blue Square....

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Published 27th April 2011

Graham Hyde

....Bet North, next season along with his management team of Graham Hyde and Dean Meyrick.

Redditch signed off for the season with a 2-2 draw at home to Corby Town, which followed on from a 4-0 defeat at champions Alfreton Town. But Redhead said he felt his team had been competitive since he took charge, despite them not winning a game, and he would be seeking talks with chairman Chris Swan in the next few weeks to decide what was happening.

He said: “I have absolutely loved every minute of it.

“Circumstances have been difficult but I am realistic enough to know that I wouldn’t have been given the opportunity if things were great at Redditch. “You have to take the opportunity and make the best of it and I like to think we have done that.

“I hope that we will have a chance to be competitive in the Zamaretto League and be able to attract the right players for the right seasons to the club.

“You need a good team around you and if you can get that you can achieve things. I believe we have that team in place at Redditch.

“You want to manage at the highest level so the chance to manager at Conference North was a fantastic opportunity and I didn’t have to think too long about it.

“I feel we have done a pretty good job and the feedback I get is that people enjoy the way we play the game.

“Having not won any of the fifteen games is not perfect but I feel we have been competitive.

“The club needs to be on a sound financial footing and if it takes us two or three years to get out of the Zamaretto League then that’s what we will have to do.

“We would prefer to be at full throttle and go out to win it next season but that is down to the chairman.

“ I believe I am the man to do that – not just me but with Graham (Hyde) and Dean (Meyrick) and the whole team.” He added: “This side will certainly need extra players for next season, players with more maturity and the sort that extra money is going to bring you.

“Five or six of the youngsters have really grasped their chance and would hold their own in this level or the Zamaretto – we just need to add a few players around them to give ourselves a better squad.”

But Redhead was realistic about what is needed to compete a high level of non-League football.

He said: “We also need more professionals.

“It is very difficult to compete at this level and ask players to turn up on a Saturday and twice for training when they have work commitments and not get anything for it.

“It all depends on what the club wants to achieve. If it wants promotion then we will need a few more players – if it wants mid-table then we will probably need six or seven extra players.

“Chris Swan said he would make decisions about budget after the final game of the season – which is now – so I would like to think that in the next week we will know what sort of budget we have and what the expectations are.

“I would like to think that most of the players are on board, they see what we are trying to do.

“It has been an absolute privilege to someone like Graham Hyde in board, he has such a professional way of doing things and he has helped a number of the players develop.

“It is not just about money, it is also about playing in a nice environment and to feel that you are learning and getting better as a person and a footballer.

“We certainly don’t start playing football for money at a young level – we play for enjoyment. Money can sometimes be problematic.

“That said, it does bring you better players and that was there to see against Alfreton where they have the resources and there was a big gulf between the sides.”

On the Corby game, he said he thought Redditch deserved a point.

He said: “I think a fair result was a draw as both sides put a lot into it.

“I was disappointed that we got ourselves into the lead twice and could not hold on to that lead but that’s been the story over the fifteen games we have been here.

“The boys did a lot of things right and I have been very pleased with them over the course of those fifteen games.”

[Source: Redditch Advertiser]