GARY BRABIN prepared for his return to football management at Southport by getting up close and personal with Radamel Falcao and Diego Costa – and says he doesn’t live in fear of his head being on Charlie Clapham’s chopping board.
Southport have one of the hottest managerial seats in Non-League football after the chairman ruthlessly disposed of Alan Wright, John Coleman and, seven days ago, Martin Foyle inside the last ten months.
Trigger-happy Clapham has strived unsuccessfully to find the next Liam Watson, the manager who masterminded the club’s revival in two separate spells at the helm in over a decade.
He feels he may have finally got his man in Brabin, who managed the club in between Watson’s two spells before the lure of Cambridge United proved too strong in 2008.
Out of work since being sacked by Luton Town in March 2012, the 43-year-old local lad inspired the team to claim a valiant point in his first game back in charge on Tuesday night, the 3-3 draw with Lincoln City saw the Sandgrounders come back from 3-1 down to snatch a point late on.
He said: “This has been a long-time coming for me. I’m glad to be back and I would like to think I have put my time out of the game to good use. I’ve studied how they coach abroad.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in Qatar and Madrid and thanks to my contacts out there I was lucky enough to spend a few weeks with Atletico and seeing how they operate on the training pitch. Getting to see players such as Costa and Falcao was incredible.
“I want to take those methods into Southport. I watched the game last Saturday at home to Woking (a 5-2 defeat) as I live near to the ground. I’ve never heard the crowd react in that way here before.”
Interestingly, Brabin hinted that the players at his disposal may not fit into the diverse way his teams play – but demanded results be instantaneous.
“We must hit the ground running, that’s not a demand from the club, it’s a demand I am making,” the former Port midfield enforcer announced.
“It’s not a case of ‘See where we are after a settling in period’ because we have to get wins on the board and soon.
“There have been a few managers here in the last year, I know that. I’m not scared of the sack, I just want to bring back entertaining football to Southport. If it’s good to watch and we’re winning matches then I have every confidence I can see it through.
“I have inherited a squad with perhaps a different style to what I want, but we can learn together and hopefully get the club heading in the right direction again after a lot of changes in the last year.”
Brabin has already made the first signing by drafting in 18-year-old striker Amadou Bakayoko on loan from League One Walsall.
