Langney Wanderers' new boss outlines exciting vision for the club

Trevor Knell: Welcome to Langney Alex! How pleased are you to be back in County League management?

Alex Walsh: Thank you, I’m extremely glad to be here. It’s something that I’ve wanted to get back into and I’m grateful for the opportunity given to me by Langney Wanderers. I love every aspect of managing a team and am looking forward to getting started at this club.

I wanted to make sure it was the right club for me and having spoken with the chairman I felt that this was an exciting project which I was pleased to accept.

TK: Who made the first move to get you into the club?

AW: Football is a huge network; most people know of players/staff at many clubs. But I had noticed that the role was advertised on social media through Twitter, I then applied and met the club and was subsequently appointed first team manager.

TK: What was it about the project at Langney that excited you the most and persuaded you it was the right job to accept?

AW: For me it was a case that I had to be sure the next manager role I took was the right one for me. I had had a couple of clubs contact me recently, but I was adamant that it needed to be somewhere I could with the help of my coaching staff build something exciting and develop players in an environment where they could flourish.

It’s clear to see for any manager or coach that the facilities here are second to none, when I met with the people behind this club I felt their energy and effort of how they want to grow this club and that is what excited me and was a big factor in me accepting the job.

TK: How do you think the experiences you faced at Loxwood will help you going into this new challenge?

AW: Of course, it was a great experience for me as it has been at every club, I’ve had the privilege to work for. I’ve been lucky to work with some excellent managers and certainly learnt from them.

Stepping into Loxwood was something I was proud to do and although last season didn’t work out as we had planned, myself and Nathan (Bowen) were pleased with the achievement of keeping the club in the Premier Division the season before. It’s time now however to move on and fully focus on this next chapter at Langney.

TK: Having come in with pre-season just about under way, what are your early thoughts on the squad you’ve inherited?

AW: It has been a quick turnaround from being appointed and now needing to hit the ground running, but I believe that is a good thing. It gives us time however to assess the current squad and to find out what areas we need to strengthen.

We’ve had great numbers training for both the first team and under 23’s and I’ve spoken to a number of the squad so far and am looking forward to meeting a few more over the coming weeks. I’ve inherited some good characters and I’m looking forward to seeing the squad develop over the pre-season period.

TK: Are you looking to add any new faces from players you’ve worked with in the past or hoping to tap into the resources around Eastbourne and Langney?

AW: A bit of both really, I want to make sure we are competing for the best local talent around, but I will hope to add one or two that are familiar to me. Before all that though I want to focus on the lads that are here now and to start to build things around them.

TK: What are the expectations from the club for you and your coaching staff for the coming season?

AW: We will set targets and individual goals in-house. We want to make sure we play in a way that is exciting to watch, that’s a priority for me, something the fans and club members I hope will buy into and then results will follow.

TK: We’re still awaiting the confirmed start date for the new season, are you working to any kind of timeframe?

AW: We do have information from the FA regarding the competitions they run, and we are using that as a timeframe for the moment. We also have pre-season fixtures scheduled like most clubs so we are as prepared as we can be.

TK: How have you used your time away from management before the Langney job was offered to you?

AW: I coach football for a living and that takes up most of my time. During lockdown it’s mainly been doing 1:1 sessions and then lately more small group sessions with players.

TK: What can Langney fans expect to see from your team?

AW: Maximum effort from me, my staff, and my players. We want to excite people as I’ve said, scoring goals and being a tough side to break down. I’m confident we will get there, it’s a long season but if we lay down our standards and expectations early, then we should reap the benefits.

Read more of Trevor’s non-league articles at www.footballwriting.blog