CLIFF AKURANG believes he won't have to change much at Heybridge Swifts after taking over at the club last week.
The former Barnet striker and player-coach at local rivals Maldon & Tiptree, took charge of his first game as a manager on Saturday and saw Swifts record their first win in ten league games as they beat Chatham Town 1-0.
Having only met the players on Thursday, Akurang revealed he was impressed with what he saw on the pitch on Saturday after a solid performance.
"They've definitely made a good impression on me," he revealed. "I thought it was a case that maybe players are not good enough and lots of changes were needed. But from what I've seen I don't think it's going to take a lot to turn things around.
"I said to them it was a massive opportunity for everyone at the club because I don't know what went on in the past.
"As far as I'm concerned everyone's going to get an opportunity but if they're producing results like that it's going to be difficult for the ones that I haven't seen yet, because it'll be tough to change what's on offer.
"They have got their shirts now they just need to keep it and keep working to that standard."
Akurang changed the line-up with some familiar faces in unfamiliar positions but had the belief they would do a job and also had high praise for his newly appointed captain Danny Barber.
"I felt confident I could put players in certain positions and ask them to do a job like Gayly [Aaron Gayle] in the midfield, [Joe] Pearman moving wide and Chris [Bryan] going up top.
"They looked like they've been playing there for years, so I was really pleased with the communication of everyone and long may it continue.
"Danny [Barber] is someone that I've known for a long time, so we're good friends. I know what he's going to produce and he's Heybridge through and through.
"If you cut him open he'll bleed Heybridge so for the young guys he sets the example and that's what I need at this club at the moment, to get us up the table, so I wanted to make a statement.
"That's the direction I want to pull and he's going to lead us.
"I haven't seen what they did in the past as I've not been able to see many games but going off of what I've heard about certain individuals mentally, physically, and what I saw in training, these were the guys who stood out for me.
"They had that rapport with the rest of the boys, they were the voices of the dressing room, so it only made sense to me that they would lead the boys out."
