Defiant boss Lavery says he will ‘never panic’ as Poppies face nervy title run-in
"We are top of the table, what's the panic? There are seven games to go and I will never panic."
Boss Richard Lavery has hit back at the Kettering Town critics after the Poppies beat Alvechurch 1-0 on Tuesday night to return to the top of the Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central.
Pressure has been building on Lavery and his players due to an indifferent run of form since the turn of the year, losing six of 14 matches played.
But with seven matches of the season remaining their title fate is still in their own hands.
The Poppies are a point clear at the top ahead of a huge clash with third-placed AFC Telford United on Saturday, and Lavery was in a bullish mood after the midweek win.
There were none of the usual exuberant post-victory celebrations from Lavery, and asked if that was a reaction to the criticism from some sections of the support, the boss insisted: "It is never a dig back at the fans, the fans that come home and away.
"Yes, you'll get the minority that don't know football, but the majority know I am doing a good job.
"We are top of the table, what's the panic? There are seven games to go and I will never panic.
"We are still in the mix, and when I took over last season I would have taken this all day.
"When I took over we were bottom, and now we are top of the table with seven games to go. I know what I am doing."
Lavery was speaking after owner George Akhtar and director of football Fabian Forde had gone public with the details of Isiah Noel-Williams' shock departure from the club last week.
The pair made it clear that it was the player and his representatives who pushed for the move rather than any issues behind the scenes, with speculation spinning around social media.
"This is no word of a lie, me, Fab and George speak probably three or four times a day on the phone," revealed Lavery. "I have said to them, let's go back with something because silence is not good.
"We have gone back with something and we have shut people up that jumped on the bandwagon.
"We have told the truth about what is going on, we are united as a team, we are definitely united as players, and I am just hoping the fans are united as they see what is going on behind the scenes.
"Social media is a bad place isn't it? We have put that right."