Atkins diet -Ailing Gladiators
November 22nd, 2008 - Posted in Atkins Diet“Daily updated tips to lower cholesterol atkins diet—– New Matlock boss Mark Atkins says the top priority at the moment is to make the Gladiators harder to beat.
Matlock lie just above the relegation area, but having played more games than anyone else, their position is precarious.
”I’ve seen three of the games while the caretaker managers have been in charge and therefore I know quite a bit about the squad.
”Matlock lack both leadership and experience on the pitch.
”So the first thing to be addressed is to look at our defensive work and to tighten up in certain situations to stop other teams from finding a way through so easily.
”We need to tighten up all over the pitch. The attacking play is good but we’ve got to make ourselves harder to beat.”
Atkins, who began his playing career as a full back with Scunthorpe United before making his name as a midfielder in Blackburn Rovers’ Premiership title side of 1994/95, knows plenty about the art of defending to pass on his knowledge to his new charges who have conceded 49 goals in 22 league and cup games so far this season.
Initially at least, he is prepared to give the present squad the chance to prove their worth to him.
”I was going to bring someone in straight away but I’ll probably hang fire for the next couple of games to give the lads the chance to work with me and to see how they react to me.”
Atkins is confident that he can turn around the Gladiators fortunes.
They have now gone seven league and cup games without a win, being defeated on five occasions, so a win is now becoming increasingly urgent.
”The aim is to stay in this league so we need to get some wins as soon as possible and get some points on the board.”
Atkins’ first match in charge is more like a home game for him as Matlock are at Frickley Athletic on Saturday.
He lives barely 20 minutes away from South Elmsall at Finningley, near Doncaster, and he is anticipating a tough game against a side managed by former Matlock skipper Billy Heath and that has his brother Steve lining up in defence.
”It’s never an easy place to go. But in a way it’s a good first game as I’ll probably find out more about the character of the team than I would if we were playing one of the top clubs.”
The Frickley clash is the second of a quintet of league games against fellow strugglers, with the run starting off badly as Ossett Town won 3-1 at Causeway Lane last weekend.
Their next league fixture is at home to Worksop Town next Saturday which is followed by the return game with Frickley and a trip to Prescot Cables on December 13.
A speedy transformation of results looks to be essential to Matlock’s hopes of survival.
The Matlock job came at just the right time for Atkins.
After a playing career which took in over 500 Premiership and Football League games, including a £1 million move from Blackburn to Wolves, Atkins played in the UniBond Premier for Harrogate Town before becoming assistant to John Reed at Wetherby Road.
