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Story posted: Friday, 2nd February 2001

McGinlay's trip down Quality Street
Story courtesy of Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers boss John McGinlay is poised to kick-start the second phase of his Moat Ground revolution by adding "extra quality" to his squad.
The player-boss's efforts to asses the squad he inherited from sacked predecessor Brian Kenning have been hampered by a string of postponements in his first month in charge but the Scot has already seen enough to know that his team lacks one quality vital to sides looking to pick up trophies: consistency.

It has been win one, lose one so far for the former Bolton striker with Saturday's scrappy victory over Rugby United marking the first time Rovers have picked up back-to-back victories since McGinlay took over at Christmas.

The Moat chief has also been dismayed at how little chance his side have had to get the ball down and play, saying: "Every game as been a battle so far."

But he pledged this week: "It will get better. We now need to bring in people that are going to raise the quality of the squad. We've got boys who will stand up and battle. We just need more quality."

And while McGinlay was embarking on a series of scouting missions to eye up potential recruits he confided: "I've got people in mind: we're looking at games. We're going to be putting notice in for a few players. Then it's a matter of seeing if we can persuade them to come to the club. As a squad we need strengthening all round. At the moment we haven't got enough competition for places. We don't want to bring in people who are as good as we've got now: I want to raise the quality. We need consistencey and an injection of players could help achieve that."

With the Moat Ground coffers hardly bursting at the seams, however, it is inevitable that, as new faces arrive, existing players will be shown the door.

And while McGinlay was not mentioning names this week, players who have played only minor roles so far during his brief reign - utility man Adie Doughty, defender Karl Reynolds and keeper Ian Selby, for example - are likely to be among the first to be sacrificed.

McGinlay's mission, however, extends far beyond his current first team squad. "The other side of things is we've got to sit down and assess everybody we've got and I mean the first team and the reserves. I want to see some youth boys coming into the reserves: the reserves are not in competitions to win them; if they do it's a bonus.

"They're there to service the first team and the youth team is there to service the reserves."

McGinlay's vision of a revamped Gresley Rovers, meanwhile, has the full support of tireless chairman Mark Evans, who was planning to go scouting with his manager this week.

Said Evans: " I certainly back John's plans. He still wants to give certain players time but he reckons we're only three or four players away from being a good side and he's looking to bring those players to the club. We're both very keen to look outside the Dr Martens western Division. There's a lot of movement among players inside the league. But we want to look at players who are perhaps not so well known in this division. We've already had discussions with people who will scout for us. We're looking to build a side for next season."
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