A watching brief will be 'so important' for new Kettering boss Cox

New Kettering Town boss Paul Cox will be watching on from the stands when the Poppies head to Curzon Ashton this weekend

Cox was confirmed as the Poppies’ new manager yesterday after the club completed a 30-day search for a permanent replacement following the sacking of Nicky Eaden last month.

However, caretaker-managers Steve Kinniburgh and Luke Graham will remain in charge for the big clash at Curzon who, like the Poppies, are struggling at the wrong end of the Vanarama National League North.

Cox is set to watch on from the stands as he familiarises himself with the current Kettering squad, a process he says will continue into what will be his first training session with the team next Tuesday.

And, while he will be holding talks with the players and backroom staff before any “big decisions” are made, Cox insists he is not going to panic despite the Poppies’ lowly position at the foot of the table.

“Tomorrow is going to be so important for me and that’s why I have taken the decision to just view the game and not be directly involved,” Cox said.

“I need to learn so much about the players that we have got.

“I know there are some good players here but, at the same time, I need to find out all the aspects of what is going wrong because the league table never lies.

“When you are losing games consistently, there is something that isn’t right and we need to get to the bottom of that.

“So I need to gather as much information as I can from tomorrow and the training session on Tuesday. I will be talking with the players and the staff and seeing what they want to do before the big decisions have to be made.

“It’s a 24-hour job at the moment, the phone has not stopped. The guys at the club have given me every single bit of information I have asked for and it’s already been fantastic working with them.

“And there is certainly no panic from my point of view. There is still an amazing amount of the season to go.

“I will need to know who wants to be here and who is ready for the bumpy road that is coming because it won’t always be straightforward.

“That will be when we need men to stand up and we will need people who are willing to play for the shirt and the supporters. Those are the kind of players I want.”