ANDY BURGESS: MY FIRST FULL SESSION AS COACH

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I was pleased to take my first full session as ‘coach’ this evening due to assistant manager Paul Holden being unable to attend. I was only informed at lunchtime so I spent the afternoon working out a session plan based on what numbers the Gaffer had given me and what specifics he wanted to concentrate on, which was mainly quick play around the opposing eighteen yard box.

As I live in Liverpool, training days for me start at about 4 o’clock when I have to meet Nick Rogan to travel down the M62, M6, A14 to get to Corby. It takes us around 2 and a half hours on a good day (few and far between on the M6) and today it was Nick’s turn to drive, so as per normal I had to find a testing quiz for him on the internet on my phone. Nick is a very clever lad, so Big Bobs Pub Quiz is far too easy. Today I found some Science and Nature questions and he was on fire – 17 out of 20. Bear in mind, each question he gets, if he doesn’t know the answer he’ll somehow fathem a guess which a lot of the time is correct.

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The lads enjoyed the session I think and I had some positive comments from a few of them afterwards which is also nice. I joined in the 7 a side at the end and we won 10-9. Its always nice to be able to pick your own team (and rules) when you’re the coach!

Tonight’s journey home had Nick moaning about Stan Collymore on TalkSPORT. Not really because he doesn’t like or agree with his comments but because he cant stand his accent or defination of some words, in fact his impression is quite amusing. We arrived home around 12:30, ready to jump straight into bed and spend the rest of the week preparing for the weekends fixture.

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ANDY BURGESS: A POSITIVE START TO THE SEASON

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It’s been a positive start to the season in many ways. The squad of players that the manager brought together over the summer is extremely competitive and although they are many new faces, the lads have gelled really well and really quickly and I think that has been reflected in our results.

Because of those reasons, there were always going to be a few teething problems but I think we’ve coped well. A lot of players who have played a lot of games for us already – James Ozmen and Jordan Smith to name but two – are new to this level but have looked every bit capable of competing for a regular slot. I believe in Nick Rogan, Matt Rhead and Smithy we have three of the most dangerous and potent strikers in the Blue Square North – all of whom bring different qualities and traits and all of whom complement each other, whichever way the gaffer decides to go in games.

For me, it’s been a bit stop start recently as I have been sidelined with a groin strain. That has been even more disappointing for me as I have a brand new pair of Umbro’s to break in and I love a new pair of football boots! It has allowed me however to step into the ‘coach’ part of my player/coach position, and I was sent to watch Altrincham verus Guiseley last week by the Gaffer. It was good to be a neutral at a game and sit back and enjoy without any worry about the score.

Can’t wait to get going again though and help the lads push back on up the table.

Burge

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WAYNE ALLISON: ANOTHER DOOR CLOSES…

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I’m bitterly disappointed to be leaving the club in the manner it has happened.

I was hoping everything would get sorted out because I would like to think that all three of us have done a reasonable job of keeping the team in the division. We all worked very hard last season and over the summer to make sure we were in a better position to be starting the next campaign.

Things have dragged on and the uncertainty of who would be in charge and whether all three of us would still be here has been hard but we have all just carried on as normal but the Chairman has decided that there’s only funding for one coach so it’s me that’s left.

I really enjoyed working there, the fans were great and I had a great relationship with Les and Shaun and the rest of the staff. It’s been an education and an experience which I hope will stand me in good stead, when another opportunity arises.

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WAYNE ALLISON: WHAT NEXT?

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I still don’t know what the future holds, I keep getting asked about it. The first thing people say is congratulations and then they ask what’s happening next season and to be honest I don’t know, as yet nothing has been decided.

Les opened talks about staying last week but he is now on holiday so things are on hold. I hope that when that all gets resolved then that will affect me as well and I will be staying at the club. The three of us have worked together really well this season and I think it could be a long and successful partnership and I have loved being back at Prenton Park.

After keeping the team up we would now all like the chance to instill our own philosophy on the club and style of play and also bring success to the club, which it deserves. That is what we all strive for because we all have a long standing affinity with the club and it goes way beyond just a job.

Les has shown some great leadership qualities in particular where the staff and team dynamics are concerned. Myself and Shaun work fantastically well together and with the team he achieved the balance, quality and desire needed to compete at League 1 level.

Hopefully I will be back for the start of pre season training in June, in some capacity, it is something I am looking forward to already. If everything does go to plan though I am due to miss the first couple of days as I am on the Coach Educators Generic course, with the FA and PFA. In essence it is learning how to train and assess coaches in order to improve the standards and quality of coaching in this country.

Finally I want to congratulate Les who has now passed his PhD. I know how hard it is, after I passed mine earlier in the year, it was very hard trying to do the work and getting in to college, with the so many games and I cant’ imagine how Les fitted everything in, while keeping so calm and focused.

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WAYNE ALLISON: TIME FOR EVERYONE TO HAVE A WELL DESERVED REST

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Now the season is over I can actually take a breath, look back and reflect on what a fantastic achievement it was to stay up on the last day. It was a great feeling when the final whistle went because things had been a bit touch and go for a while.

The fans were brilliant at Edgeley Park but they have been excellent all season so it was good to finally give them something to cheer about.

We have all worked incredibly since we took over in October as well as long days on the training pitch, Les, Shaun and I have all been out watching games involving our opponents, scouting players we’d like to add to squad and making sure the players know everything they need to know ahead of games.

Although all the hard work may not have looked like it always paid off – ultimately it did when we stayed up and it was great to see everything come together.

We always thought it could go right down to the last game of the season, we hoped it wouldn’t and we did have opportunities before then to secure our safety but consistency was a problem for us. In the end though none of that matters and we can all now look forward to next season.

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WAYNE ALLISON: THE ONLY WAY IS UP

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We’ve got two games now at home and we are definitely looking to build on the excellent results at Gillingham and Southend.

Looking at the table we know that if we can take maximum points from the next two then we could find ourselves four or five places up the table but we are not thinking about that just yet.

All we want right now is for the players to continue giving as much as they have done since we took over and carry on being hard to beat because that is always a good base going into games.

We are reliant very heavily on our home form, just as any other team in the bottom four are. There is always expectancy from the fans to do well at home, make it a fortress and be difficult to beat but you are going to lose one or two, as we did against Oldham, the important thing is how you bounce back and see if you can get back to back results.

The fans have been brilliant this season despite not having too much to cheer about at times. I know it is an old cliché but you really can make a difference. It is not just about the 11 players on the pitch but everyone in and around the club and that includes all the fans who travel home and away.

We have played Leyton Orient three times already so we know all about them but we think we have improved a lot since then and hopefully they will go away on Saturday agreeing.

So get behind the players, over the next two matches, make a lot of noise and hopefully we will give you something to cheer about.

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WAYNE ALLISON: I’M BACK AND SMILING

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I have been away for a while but I am glad to be back. I’ve been ever so busy with two games a week and long trips up and down the country so apologies for not updating this as often as I should.

We have done ever so well in recent weeks both performance wise and the accumulation of points which we are all absolutely delighted with.

Winning at Gillingham was excellent, it was particularly pleasing to go 1-0 up and actually see a game through. The game at Southend was pleasing for different reasons because we went a goal down and fought back and got a very deserved equaliser.

The win away from home has been a long time coming but we don’t tend to dwell on what’s happened before and the length of time between away wins. What we look for is performances and if we perform to levels we can then we know we can pick up points here and there. We have done well recently with points also at both Charlton and Huddersfield so any points we can pick up away from home are gratefully received.

The credit at the moment has to go down to the consistency of the players’ performance. They have reached new heights. We do demand a lot from them, we push them hard and they are responding and they are getting their rewards right now and now we can catch not only one team but three or four.

- you can read an interview with Wayne on the Football League website by clicking here – where he talks about his latest achievements.

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MARLON BERESFORD: A NEW WORLD

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I have been very busy getting the new business off the ground and running it has given me exciting new challenges, which is healthy after going from being a professional footballer where there was a certain level of comfort that surrounded being a sportsman at a high level. In my playing days I would do a couple of hours training in the morning on a week day and then I would be free do get on with what I liked for the rest of the day.

Don’t get me wrong it was a fantastic situation to be in as a professional footballer and I am very grateful. I’m in a totally different environment now working long hours in front of the computer screen and at the moment it seems I’m working every second but I can’t complain because we have fantastic business goals, which I am thoroughly enjoying working towards.

Away from the business I’ve been doing the commentary with Burnley which has been super although I’m not brining them any luck – the games I have covered so far they’ve lost but still they have been very entertaining and again it is another new experience for me so it is very good to be involved.

We went to White Hart Lane at the end of September and the Burnley boys lost 5-0 against a very good Spurs side that are growing stronger and stronger under the guidance of Harry Redknapp.

It was still a great day out for me even though we lost because I’m working with a great team and as I mentioned in my previous blogs I love a bit of hospitality at the grounds and so far I must say that the food at Tottenham Hotspur was very good. Unfortunately we were running a little late when we visited Stamford Bridge in August so I missed out there, which is a shame because I’ve heard they do put on a good spread!

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WAYNE ALLISON: SURPRISED TO BE BACK AT PRENTON PARK… BUT LOVING IT

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It’s been great to be back at Tranmere, it all happened very quickly but I had no hesitation when Les Parry rang me and asked me to go in and help out.

It’s been seven years since I left, after three years as a player, and it did feel weird walking back in but it’s been really enjoyable so far.

I have been desperate to get back out and do some coaching and it has been a welcome distraction from having my head in books, as I try to finish my PhD. We obviously don’t know how long it will last for but we are just getting on with things until we’re told otherwise.

I would love to make it a permanent thing as it is a great club and with some more work on the training pitch we are all confident things will turn around and results will come.

We all felt that without the penalty, on Monday, Stockport wouldn’t have scored but when you are down there luck so often deserts you.

At the other end though I thought we did really will and certainly created the better of the chances, we only had a couple of days to work with the players and it does take time when confidence is low – which is inevitable after the recent run of results.

We have tried to change one or two things, largely in a bid to change that luck and the mindset of the players which have understandable been affected by the way things have gone. The important thing is to get the players enjoying training and thinking positively – this then transfers into games and goes a long way to getting results.

Things are working well with Les and Shaun, we have a good understanding of each other and how we like to work and hopefully Saturday will see the rewards for all the hard work we have put in.

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DAVID WATSON: HART STOPPER

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I was delighted that Joe Hart signed on loan until the end of the season from Manchester City. I think he’s a top goalkeeper and one I think is going to be a world class stopper in the years to come. It was nice of him to say that when he joined Birmingham, it was because of me. I’m honoured he would say something like that and I am determined to get Joe performing on a regular basis and hopefully after a successful season with us he can make England’s World Cup squad next summer.

It’s a fantastic challenge for both of us, firstly to get Joe playing well in the Birmingham City first team, which will help us stay in the Premier League but at the same time our other challenge is to get Joe on the plane to South Africa next summer.

He’s a young boy with his own goals and knows where he wants to be so it’s great to have someone so determined to succeed. He has a very open mind when it comes to the modern world – he works with Prozone and watches video playbacks of his matches and training sessions to develop his game. He is a very determined lad and I hope we can make him a much better goalkeeper. Keep an eye out on his developments over the season.

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