TOP TABLE: DEAN EDWARDS (DE)  -  ROSS DRAPER (RD)
Event chaired by ROD HADLEY

All answers by DE unless stated; Rod began by telling us that he had just completed the signing of 4 new players

Q: Defence has conceded a lot of soft goals - why don't we play Rapinder alongside Decio?
A: Rap signed as cover for Decio, similar players, it's a very physical league, Rap's strength isn't heading, it wouldn't work

Q: no pace on right-hand side of defence
A: Ant played there Saturday, he's quite quick

Q: any chance of signing loan players from league clubs?
A: we've fallen away through inexperience, young lads wouldn't be the answer (DE quoted example of a Leicester player on loan at Telford who he saw at Hinckley on Monday, worst player on the pitch)...... we're trying to teach our lads the game but there isn't enough time with our busy playing schedule - and they don't always do as they're told (DE quoted some recent examples); conversely if you go for experienced players some are asking for silly money, DE quoted Carl Palmer and Peter Knox as examples - we're not prepared to pay over the odds and risk going out of business, some local clubs are in danger of doing that

Q: Is Matty Elliott fit enough to come on as sub to strengthen the defence?
A: no, his fitness has gone

Q: What is the feeling in the dressing-room, do you believe we can reach the play-offs?
A: (RD) nothing has changed, still good banter and team spirit
DE: the management, chairman and club staff are as disappointed as anyone that we've fallen away; but remember the lads have to work as well as playing, DE quoted examples of players whose job and personal circumstances have changed, one who had to work from 4am before the NFU game and having got home at 2am was back at work at 4am. We brought in players to boost the squad but if they weren't going to get a regular game they moved on

Q: How many bids have there been for Masha?
A: None, though maybe interested clubs are waiting until the end of the season. DE outlined the steps which have been taken to try to get Masha to iron the errors out of his game.

Q: Run of defeats - why? - don't opponents have the same problems as us as outlined above?
A: Some clubs can afford to pay players enough so that they don't have to worry about off-field matters. We're making no excuses but off-field problems can impact players' performance

Q: What is your ambition personally and for the club, how long do you want to be here, where would you go, ditto the players?
A: the good players wouldn't leave us for local NL clubs, they're aiming for league football. DE original aims were Conference with HTFC and that remains the target, If we don't get promoted we will regroup in the summer

Q: Three consecutive downturns after Christmas - why?
A: No explanation. Next season, in similar circumstances, we would aim to bolster the squad with experienced players at that time. Note we have two players who have scored over 50 goals and we have scored 103 in all competitions but we have to defend better (including defending from the front); alarm bells were ringing at Worksop when we conceded 2 goals at 5-0 up. Signs of improvement in the last 4 games

Q: How can we get Elliott Durrell back to form?
A: Some comment about his role in the team, and about off-field arrangements. 4 of the players are now sharing a house, one of them is Decio who is very professional in terms of diet etc... and he is hoping to bring another Portuguese midfielder over for next season.... Foreign lads can't believe we don't train every night!

Q: How can we bolster the squad and keep them?
A: Players won't sit on the bench unless the money is right, hopefully if we are successful with bigger crowds and more sponsorship we can afford to pay them more

Q: Has Teambuilder been used to boost the squad?
A: We are aware we can use it; we did dip into it to pay Tyrone more when Eastwood offered him substantially more than we were paying him

Q: any plans for a reserve team?
A: Ideally we would but it costs, so probably no; it's a problem that the only football we can offer players not in the first team is Youth team - hence lads have to go elsewhere to get a game or play on Sundays, and that brings its own problems

Q: Goals conceded on LH side of defence/Ty groin injury hasn't recaptured form/tell us about the new signings
A: right-winger fromShrewsbury/ with Luke Edwards gives us the option to play 4-4-2/Quistin re-signed/big centre-half from Fisher Athletic/Gary Hay who will continue to play at Redditch until/unless we need him/keeper Woolliscroft 1st-year pro from Wolves and a 36-yo keeper from Torquay - all signed in case we need them for the play-offs, deadline 5pm Thursday

Q: what is the plan for the rest of the season?
A: We play Whitby twice, Guiseley on Saturday and clubs at the bottom of the league. Aim for 5 wins from 8 games, 6 would see us definitely in the play-offs, remember other top clubs have to play each other. The clubs at the bottom will be fighting but they're there because they're the weakest teams. Gary Flitcroft in at Leigh with consortium but they're too late to impact this season.

Q: How did you feel about Saturday?
A: Not impressed with FCUM. Lots of passion - spilled over into tunnel fracas. (Ref didn't see it - but he did report the fan who ran onto the pitch, Rod has had to write to the authorities with his explanation for that). Set pieces have cost us, we're trying to teach the lads how to deal with them but they don't always do as they're told

Q: Is the squad at full strength for the run-in?
A: Ben Bailey suspended Saturday. Mark Briggs is off to the USA again shortly and won' t figure on Saturday. Many of the players who have moved on are still held on NPL contracts, we have 30 altogether on whom we could call. Adam Burley has been released today to join Belper

The meeting was effectively concluded at this point, though there was then some further discussion along similar lines, and comment on poor press coverage, Rod and Dean explained that we do all we can to get publicity but the press aren't always co-operative