Bully warning of good Hyde-ing
Stafford boss Steve Bull has warned his side not to take their opponents lightly as they go to Hyde United in the Blue Square North tomorrow (3pm).
Stafford boss Steve Bull has warned his side not to take their opponents lightly as they go to Hyde United in the Blue Square North tomorrow (3pm).
Rangers go to a team in some state of disarray, the fans still smarting from the departure of legendary manager Steve Waywell, who ended a six-year spell in charge last month.
Now ex-York duo Neil Tolson and Chris Brass are in charge, fareing little better than their predecessor. The side sit just above the relegation places and have lost their last three games.
Stafford, conversely, are in the play-off places and go to Ewen Fields with one of the best away records in the league. With basement boys Hucknall to follow on Tuesday at Marston Road, they will be looking to take maximum points for their own promotion challenge.
To do that, Bully knows they have to do more than turn up.
He said: "It never happens like that. When I used to play for Wolves, we would beat a top side and then go and lose to one of the bottom sides. I hope the same thing that used to happen at Wolves doesn't happen to Stafford.
"The team can take the points, we are very capable of that, but to do so need to put in the sort of performance we did against Northwich."
Bully's search for a new striker will also go onto the backburner until after the Hucknall game, with striker David McNiven expected to lead the line, after his manager decided not to send him to Fleetwood on loan after all.
Loan deals for Port Vale's Kyle Perry and Nottingham Forest's Emile Sinclair have proved unsuccessful, while another possible option in trialist Mark Gardner - brother of Villa midfielder Craig - looks to be on shaky ground after the striker failed to show up for training last night.
That said, the Rangers boss has not ruled out something happening with Gardner in the future.
He said: "He knows the situation and it is up to him if he wants to come down. He has shot himself in the foot really, because I was thinking: 'crikey, this guy has scored three goals in the reserves, i'll have to take a closer look at him.
"To be fair, I don't think Mark knows what he wants to do. But we are still here as an option for him at this point."
Stafford have also been drawn at home to league rivals Southport in the third round of the Setanta Shield, with the tie to be played on the week commencing November 2.
Bully is still smarting from a 3-0 league defeat to the Merseysiders at Marston Road earlier in the season, although he expects them to be in the promotion shake up at the end of the season.
He added: "They are the team to beat and are favourites for the title in my eyes. But we will roll over for no-one. I expect a lot better than I got when we last played them."
