KEITH WILSON insists the departure of Heybridge Swifts captain Andrew Joslin sends a message to rest of his players about what he expects from them.
Former manager Jody Brown brought in Joslin last season, with Wilson making him his club captain.
But Swifts announced that they had released Joslin this week, with Wilson feeling he did not have the player's full backing in the dressing room.
He said: "I made AJ captain and he was one of the guys who stayed with the club over the summer. But I just didn't think that he was with me and I needed my captain to be 100 per cent behind me.
"He is very opinionated. Now, I may have misconstrued his opinions but I just felt that it was destructive and derogatory to the rest of the team and I couldn't have that. So at the end of the day I felt that he had to go.
"I think it sends out a message to the guys who don't know me well or haven't played with me before, that it doesn't matter who you are. I have not come here just to finish bottom half or mid-table, I have come to Heybridge to be successful, so I need everybody rowing in the same direction."
Swifts have not enjoyed a good start to the season, only picking up nine points from as many games.
But Wilson believes that if his team work hard then they will be able to turn around their results, starting with a trip to his former club Burnham Ramblers on Saturday.
He said: "We are struggling at the moment, I thought we would have a better start, but I knew it would be tough because of the way the club was when I came in. So for that reason even more I need everyone going the same way."
