Workington Reds boss Chris Willcock insists tomorrow night’s home game with Ramsbottom isn’t about him.
The spotlight has fallen on him early in the season because he left Ramsbottom to join Reds in late summer after both were leading promotion contenders for two successive truncated campaigns.
Willcock said:“It’s just another game as far as I’m concerned. It could be Marine or Clitheroe but it’s not about me, it’s about the players.
“Of course it’s well documented that I’ve managed both clubs but it’s about what happens out there on the pitch. AlI I’m interested in is getting back to winning ways.”
Reds have followed five straight League wins with two successive draws and although still leading the table their advantage has been cut to two points.
Absentees – largely through injuries – have affected the make-up of the team and Willcock has had to bring in five new faces to bolster his squad.
“Consequently the team hasn’t taken shape as I would have wanted. Indeed we have had to play differently from when we started the season and players have been asked to operate in different roles.
“I must have run over a few black cats on the way to Workington because I’ve never experienced an injury list like this one. I daren’t look when someone goes down on the pitch,” he says.
Brad Carroll (only just back from a hamstring injury) limped off again on Saturday and Sam Smith played on after picking up an early ankle injury in Saturday’s game with Leek Town.
But on the positive side, without six senior players for that game, Willcock could have three of them back for the Ramsbottom clash – central defenders Kyle Harrison and Dan Wordsworth, along with winger Rowan Roache who missed out on Saturday through illness.
Ramsbottom are four points behind the Reds in seventh and suffered a last minute 2-1 defeat at Prescot on Saturday.
