Player/assistant manager speaks to the press ahead of trip south to face Daggers.
Player/assistant boss Adam Murray believes we are in for a tough challenge when we make the long journey to East London to face Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday.The Daggers, who Murray insists will be a very different proposition to that of Newport County, registered their first points of the campaign in midweek when they beat Hartlepool United.
“It’ll be a different challenge,” said Murray. “I think Dagenham had the thought process under John Still where they were quite physical and direct, but under this gaffer [Wayne Burnett] they do try and play a little bit.
“They’ve got some technical players that we need to be aware of, but we’ve done our homework. We’ll work on them today and prepare for the journey down there.”
Meanwhile, our player/assistant manager says our squad are fully behind frontman Liam Hearn, who had surgery on his knee cartilage injury yesterday.
“The physio [Chris Bowman] went down to see him yesterday and considering the injury he seems to be in good spirits. He’s a real strong character, a strong lad, and we’re all backing him,” continued Murray.
“It shows his character [that he wants to come back stronger]. He’s one of these guys that looks at everything in a positive manner and when there is a challenge in front of him, he wants to have a go at it.
“The team-spirit is incredible at the minute and everyone in the changing room was gutted for him.
“Like everyone has said, we’ll stick by him, whatever he needs we’ll give him and he knows if he ever needs to fall back on any of us for support, he’s got it.”
With Hearn expected to be sidelined until Christmas and no players anticipated to join the club in the near future, Murray says that every player will have to give everything to the cause to make us successful.
“We know the challenge that we’re being faced with,” added the 32-year-old. “It’s part and parcel of football and we’ll do the best we can with what we’ve got.
“The message to the boys is ‘Keep doing what you’re doing’. They’re going to have to give us an extra yard at times, but we’ve got such a good group it’s not an issue.
“We’re going to stick together and get as many points on that board as we can.”
In team news, manager Paul Cox has no fresh injuries worries ahead of Saturday’s clash at the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Stadium.
Adam Murray's interview from this morning is available to view in full on Stags Player.
