New Ebbsfleet United boss Harry Watling says he will eschew long-term targets and tackle National League season week by week
05:00, 20 September 2024
updated: 06:46, 20 September 2024
New Ebbsfleet boss Harry Watling wants to take it week by week.
The 34-year-old penned a two-year deal at Stonebridge Road when he took over a side sitting bottom of the National League.
The Fleet immediately closed the gap on the teams above them by beating Hartlepool in Watling’s first game in charge. But he’s not going to set long-term targets.
“We need to just steady the ship, we need to take it one week at a time,” said Watling.
“It’s one game so I don’t want to get carried away. I’m not going to look at the league table. I want to win every game, we’re not going to set up not to lose, we want to be front-foot.
“I thought the fans again appreciated the team’s endeavour and work-rate on Saturday.
“With every job, your trajectory is down to your work and the product you put on the pitch every week.
“It’s a great start but it’s always how you finish. We’ve got out of the blocks but now we’ve got to get our heads down, move our arms and legs and start to swim to the top and keep going.”
Read more: Watling’s midweek scouting mission
Watling hopes to have injured trio Luke O’Neill, Dominic Poleon, Jim Kellermann available for this Saturday’s trip to Sutton.
The Us are managed by Steve Morison, a man Watling knows well as he was working in Millwall’s academy while Morison was firing in the goals for the Lions’ first team.
“It will be a tough game,” noted Watling. “Steve will have them super-organised. He’s putting his foot in the game in terms of being a young manager himself.
“He was a fantastic player, I watched him a lot at Millwall and he went on to do big things and then came back for a second spell. It will be great to share a game with him.
“It’s a brilliant challenge and I’m looking forward to every single one of them. I’m really lucky to be given the opportunity to coach against these guys.”
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