Paul Carden out to find balance to unleash his AFC Telford stars

It has been almost three weeks since the Bucks appointed former Warrington boss Carden and the new man at the helm is yet to oversee a National League North fixture or a game in front of home supporters.

It is two weeks since his sole game in charge, the comfortable FA Trophy success at step four Felixstowe, but Carden can finally turn his attention towards the priority of league matters, where Telford find themselves bottom of the pile and three points adrift of their rivals.

Ironically, Carden’s first league match and home bow is against Kettering Town, managed by Paul Cox who came very close to taking the hotseat vacated by Gavin Cowan after agreeing to take charge of the Bucks, only to decide to stay with the Poppies at the 11th hour.

For Carden it is finally a chance to truly kick-start a new Bucks era and sample a home New Bucks Head atmosphere, having been on the opposing side on a number of occasions.

The Liverpudlian explained how it has not been ‘information overload’ for his new players, with a focus on defending, positioning and organisation. Above all, though, Carden is focused on unleashing the attacking instincts of Jason Oswell, Elliott Durrell, Kyle Bennett, Dom McHale and Brendon Daniels, among others.

“In terms of the work, it’s hard work, the sessions have been physically tough, because we’ve had a window of opportunity to be able to do that without having a game,” Carden said.

“In terms of information it hasn’t been information overload. We’ve put little bits and pieces of organisation into the lads without swamping them with it.

“Bits and pieces to do with the defence, how we defend, how we defend as a team, just positional stuff with and without the ball.

“It hasn’t been over-powering, too much, I do like to keep things simple, but I do appreciate the need of work put into the players for organisation when it comes to being a good team, tough to beat, but also being productive and having an end product.

“It’s striking a balance, we’ve got some very good attacking players, if we can give them a framework to make us organised and still express themselves, that’s where we need to be at to get them producing goals and making things happen.”

Striker Oswell is in red-hot form with six goals in eight games while Telford could start winger Daniels for the first time in a number of months.

Carden said of the long wait to play: “It just happens, it’s fell on us, it is what it is and we deal with it.

“We used it to our advantage in terms of training, to get lads who would’ve been managed through two games (back fit).

“You can’t control those things, so control what you can and make the most of the situation, which is one we’ve done.”