Time to evaluate

Speaking midway through his first week as Worksop Town manager, the former Lincoln City caretaker told the Guardian he was relishing the busy fixture schedule.

“It’s fantastic,” he said.

“We’ve got games Saturday, Wednesday and Saturday and it’s brilliant.”

“I spoke to the players at training on Monday and told them we have three matches and three training sessions, that gives us six chances to see what they’re about.”

“That will take us up to 15th October and we have to be in a position then to make decisions.”

Clark took charge of his first training session as Tigers supremo on Monday night at Worksop College, but conceded that match days will teach him far more about his new staff.

“Training was okay, but it’s hard to see what you’ve got.”

“I’ve spoken to a lot of people, like Ronnie Glavin, the chairman, and Andy Lake.”

“There’s obviously a problem when you’ve got the second worst goals against and the second worst goals scored.”

“There’s a problem in both boxes.”

“We need to find out the problem, and until they step over the white line against 11 competitors you don’t know exactly what it is.”

“I’m coming in blind, and after every training session I will learn something but after every game I’ll learn about our units, the back five as a group, how the midfield work together and what the front two do.”

The 44-year-old has wasted no time in putting the feelers out for potential new signings, although he insists the current squad will be given a chance to prove themselves.

“I’ve been on the phone to a lot of professional clubs, to semi-professional managers and agents, to see what’s out there.”

“We’re compiling a list of names and numbers.”

“If we think we can bring in better we will do when the time is right.”

“The lads have got a chance, it’s important that they step up and show me that they want to be at the club.”

Clark, who was appointed on Saturday night and left Stamford joint top of the Evo-Stik First Division South, is determined to turn the club’s fortunes around – and fast.

And he expects players to come round to his way of thinking.

“It has to change, and it will,” he said.

“If the problem is organisation, if it’s mentality, we have to bring people in accordingly.”

“I went to see Harrogate against Frickley this week and Harrogate played really tidy football but had no penetration, they flattered to deceive.”

“My team won’t be like that.”

“They will work hard, they will do those runs in front of the ball and if they don’t, they wont be here long.”

His reign as Tigers boss begins in earnest on Saturday when in-form Nantwich Town visit Sandy Lane.

The new gaffer is excited by the challenge.

“I will learn more when we’re put under pressure.”

“It’s great that the lads got the win over Chasetown, but you don’t learn a lot when you’re three and four nil up.”

“I will learn more about the appetite to get us up the table in tight games.”

“I can’t wait for Saturday, we will do a little bit about them before the game but the first three games are about us,” he added.

q For more Tigers news see pages 86 & 87.