Promotion-winner Alex Meechan back to lift AFC Telford United spirits

And now, almost 10 years on, interim assistant boss Alex Meechan has returned to the New Bucks Head determined to turn around their dreadful start to the 2021/22 campaign.

On Tuesday, the Bucks parted company with former boss Gavin Cowan. That decision followed a 3-0 reverse at Darlington – a result which means Telford sit third-bottom in National League North.

Following Cowan’s departure, Dennis Greene was appointed AFC Telford United’s interim manager – with the former Boston boss bringing in Meechan as his number two.

The duo took training and met the squad for the first time last night ahead of tomorrow's trip to high-flying Spennymoor.

And Meechan is confident it won’t take the pair long to lift spirits and get the Bucks moving up the table.

“The first task for me and Dennis is to get some confidence and belief back into the squad,” the former Forest Green Rovers man said. “This isn’t a jigsaw that can’t be fixed – all the pieces are there.

“But something hasn’t been right because the table doesn’t lie, after six games we are third bottom with a poor goal difference.

“What’s clear to me and Dennis, though, is that this is a talented squad. But they have to do some of the basics better.

“They have got to be more aggressive both on and off the ball.

“Out of possession they have got to be more compact. And they have got to work harder as a unit.

“We met the players last night – we are already aware of a lot of them and their strengths and weaknesses.

“And now it’s about going to Spennymoor and putting in a performance.

“We are not going there just to make up the numbers. We’ll go there confident we can get a result.”

While Meechan and Greene have never worked side by side before, the pair have a long-standing friendship following their time in the game.

And Meechan believes it is a partnership that will work.

“Both Dennis and I have been in football a long time,” he continued. “I first got to know him when he was at Boston and I was at Barrow.

“And what he has always done is produce players and teams that are tough to play against.

“He is great at developing players and selling them on for a profit.

“As time has gone on we’ve had many conversations. I even bumped into him on holiday once. And we’ve spoken about working together.

“When he called to offer me the job I couldn’t wait to get started.

“Like me, he will bring an infectious energy which is important because we need to lift the players.

“When I look at back at my time with Telford I remember that promotion-winning season and a club that was vibrant and successful.

“We want to bring that positivity and that kind of feel-good factor back again.”