CALL it arrogance, call it disrespectful. Ronnie Moore calls it ‘just having a bit of fun’. The new Eastleigh boss may be the division’s ‘Special One’ if you believe his Twitter bio, but one thing is for sure – it’s all about to get rather interesting.
Moore is the man charged with bringing the ambitious Spitfires to life, and the man in possession of the division’s biggest playing budget.
It’s true to say Eastleigh, built on a foundation of businessman Stewart Donald’s millions, aren’t popular with long-standing members clubs’ fans who spend purely what they bring in.
Last Wednesday, Eastleigh sacked manager Chris Todd just four games into the season. But popular Moore is a crowd pleaser, and his Twitter account will add even more fuel to the fire.
Describing himself as ‘The Best Manager in the National League‘, he recognises he is a sitting duck for trolls.
But the 63-year-old told The NLP: “It’s all just a laugh, I have that on my bio just for a bit of fun. I love it!
“I’ll probably get dog’s abuse on there, but I just won’t go on after a couple of drinks and things will be fine. Maybe I’ll have to post less now I’m back in management, but I like to communicate with supporters; twitter is a great tool for that.
Joking
“Don’t read too much into me being ‘The Best Manager in the National League’. I was The Best Manager in the Football League if you looked at my page a few weeks ago – I’m sure Rafa Benitez may have something to say about that!”
Moore has the experience, the guile and the CV to suggest he could be a success on the south coast. He hasn’t got a pre-season to work with his players, but clearly Donald’s sizeable chequebook remains open despite a summer of big spending.
“It’s a good club,” adds the former Tranmere, Hartlepool and Rotherham manager, who signed a two-year deal. “The staff here are first class – now we need to get things right on the pitch.
“I’m looking to sign three new players but I’ve already worked with four of the current squad. There’s quality here, but we’ve got to start proving that now.”
