Paul Carden: Resilience will help AFC Telford United find form
Manager Paul Carden is looking for AFC Telford United to recapture some resilience.
Prior to today’s important visit of Boston United in National League North, the Bucks had managed just two clean sheets in nine games in all competitions this term.
Carden feels one of the qualities that helped Telford retain their league status on the final day of last season was his side’s ability to keep themselves in games by not shipping many goals.
The boss believes his squad now contains sufficient quality in attack to see off opponents, but only if the squad can learn to keep the back door shut. The Bucks have conceded 17 goals in the last seven games.
“In the final 16 games last season we beat Spennymoor 2-0 and that was the one game aside the draws where there was more than one goal in it. We need to get back to being that tight.” said Carden.
“When we stay in games, with the attacking players we’ve got, we’ll get chances. We need to make sure we’re staying in the games more.”
Carden admitted this week he accepts the blame for his team playing a more open and expansive style of late after searching for ways to turn early-season draws into victories.
“We were keeping clean sheets, we weren’t conceding a lot for three or four games,” the manager explained.
“All of a sudden we’re undone by King’s Lynn. We go back to being a bit tougher and then we play Fylde and then it’s the same.
“And then Gloucester and last weekend (defeat to lower-ranked Chasetown in the FA Cup) was a disaster. Things hinge on goals, they change games.
“You score a penalty away at Southport we go on to win 1-0 and it’s a different complexion. If we score a deserved winner against Buxton then last Saturday is a setback but it’s been compounded by Gloucester and other defeats it does look the disaster it is.
“We’ve got to be level-headed in our approach. We do need to tighten things up, change a couple of things but there are 38 games to play and 114 points to play for.”
It is a New Bucks Head double-header for Telford, who welcome Brackley Town to their home on Tuesday night.
