The first job was to start watching last year’s games from the division they have entered for the first time in club history.
Playing style, shape, systems, restarts, dead-balls, how many times the ball goes out of play – Jenkins wanted to drill into as many games and teams as possible. By the start of pre-season they’d watched every team at least once.
Then when pre-season kicked off, they were out on the ground getting eyes on as many teams and styles as possible.
“We sounded like a broken record, the staff,” the 32-year-old says. “We were telling the boys, ‘Listen, we’re good enough. We’re here for a reason. We’ve got enough to survive, hurt teams and enjoy it’.
“We banged on about, ‘You’ve got to believe’. I think now we’ve had a couple of good results and a few good performances, that belief breeds itself. It’s less us enforcing it and more the boys promoting it in the changing room. They can feel it.
“There were a lot of doubters outside the football club saying we’re going to get battered each week. I had direct messages saying we’ll go straight back down!
“To see our first eight games and where we are – and where we should be points wise – is really pleasing. The tough thing now is it’s going to get even harder.”
City arrived at NonLeague's top table through the National League South play-offs, beating Worthing in the semi-final before a 4-0 demolition of St Albans City in the final.
That same scoreline against Boreham Wood on Bank Holiday Monday put their first three points on the board, followed by a 3-3 draw at leaders Solihull Moors before an impressive 5-2 win over Hartlepool last weekend.
Peace of mind
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 17, 2023-Ausgabe von The Non-League Football Paper.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der September 17, 2023-Ausgabe von The Non-League Football Paper.
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CRAIG'S BOOSTS
MANAGERIAL stalwart Craig Edwards is back in charge of Barking – 23 years after he left!
LENNIE GETS THE LOVE
VETERAN caretaker chief Lennie Lawrence says he is “excited” to be handed the reins at Hartlepool United permanently – just a few weeks before his 77th birthday!
MOTORS FEELS LIKE HOLMES!
WHEN he was younger, Danny Holmes played video games that simulated being a football manager.
REES HITS FAB FOUR AS TOWN ROMP IT
RICARDO REES struck four times to help Merthyr Town maintain their spot at the top of the table with a dominant home win against play-off chasing Havant & Waterlooville.
DULWICH DISPLAY DELIGHTS COACHES
GOALS from Danny Mills, Luke Wanadio and Lorenzo’s stoppage-time finish fired Dulwich Hamlet to a comfortable win over fellow play-off hopefuls Potters Bar Town, though the scoreline doesn’t tell the full story.
ANCHORS A RAPID
ASHTON UNITED hit two goals in two minutes to come from behind to win at Stockton Town.
SEAGULLS KEEP THE HEAT ON ROMANS
BATH City were made to pay for their mistakes by high-flying Weston-super-Mare.
CLINICAL COLEMAN KEEN AS MUSTARD
CIAN COLEMAN’S hat-trick lifted Buxton to their highest league position of the season as they became the latest side to frustrate Scunthorpe.
KEV SEES RED IN REE PANT!
SOUTHEND United boss Kevin Maher hit out at referee Abigail Byrne following his side’s defeat to Yeovil Town at Roots Hall.
MARVEL MATTY DENIES MOORS
BOTH managers insisted their teams deserved more after Altrincham came from behind to steal a point in a six-goal thriller at Solihull Moors.