Read what Paul Barnes had to say before our first home game of 2023 with Farnborough.

Happy New Year everyone and welcome to Champion Hill.

Firstly, I’d like to thank the support over the Christmas period. Despite train strikes and the cost of living crisis, people have still come out to watch us in their numbers. Boxing Day was a great crowd, and the support at Dover was unbelievable with the noise, it sounded so much louder than the number of fans there. The singing at the end and interaction with the players was fabulous and underlines the message that I always say that it is a collective effort by all, we win together with the fans and we face adversity together with the fans. The players and staff really appreciate it, keep supporting us and we will try and repay that with performances and results.

The win at Dover typifies the lads at the moment and highlights the work they have put in, and the trust that has been built between staff and players. It was a fantastic start to the New Year and you only have to look at the celebrations with the fans at the end to see what it meant.

It was a very good festive period for us, but if I’m going to be picky I’d have liked two more points! However it was brilliant to go unbeaten through December which was our aim, and to ensure we started the New Year with a bang, which we have done. Now we want the momentum to continue and keep pushing up the table.

I want to give huge credit to the players, especially those that might not have been first choice when I came in but who are now playing brilliantly. Relationships have been worked on from both sides between them and the management team which has strengthened that trust and it’s nice to see them being rewarded with playing more regularly, and not only that, but playing very well. This has had a positive impact on the group as it has created competition for places which has pushed our standards higher.

Farnborough will be hardworking today and defensively sound and compact. I’ve watched both of their matches over the holidays and know they will be a threat from set plays and throw ins in particular. They have some good attacking players that I’ve come across in the past, and they also have a solid foundation, none more so than their captain Kevin Lokko, who I know really well, and who leads by example and puts his body on the line. Like us, they have good balance at the moment both in and out of possession, and although it will be tough, come 5 o’clock I hope we have ended their long unbeaten run.

With 16 games coming up in January and February, having that competition for places is a nice headache to have in terms of trying to find a balance to the side. An example of this was learning from Boxing Day to make some tactical tweaks and asking players to perform different roles, and this will be needed over the next two months. Everyone will play a big part and whatever we achieve will be done together.

We have had an honest conversation with what we hope to do in 2023, and although we haven’t set a specific place of where we want to finish, we want to go and prove people wrong where we might have been written off, and finish the season as strong as we possibly can. I want the players to continue to enjoy their football and for us to get our ideas across to them. We do feel like we are getting stronger week by week. If we keep doing what we have been doing, we will be moving in the right direction.

Enjoy the game,

Barnsey