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Nick Davis is delighted with the new-look VCD Athletic squad that he’s put together in just eight weeks.
Former Sittingbourne boss Davis took charge at the start of July after leaving his role as assistant to James Collins at Faversham.
That Isthmian League experience has proved key in his recruitment and the likes of Paul Vines and Lea Dawson should shine at Oakwood this campaign.
It’s a club that is close to Davis’ heart, having started his career there as a teenager.
“I made my debut for VCD at the age of 16,” he said. “I started in the youth set-up and played 150 games for the club.
“I have a really good feeling for the place and I’m delighted to be given the chance to manage them.”
It’s been a busy period for Davis but he’s recruited well – with Phoenix Sports trio Ashley Probets, Jack Hopkins and Jack Barry adding to the experience in his camp.
“It’s taken me eight weeks,” he said. “I had no players and we’ve had to build a squad from scratch and put a pre-season in place.
“We were probably a month or six weeks behind everyone else.
It wasn’t ideal preparation but with the games we’ve had, against the likes of Dulwich and Dorking Wanderers, I don’t think pre-season could have gone any better.
“We’ve got a really good backbone of players. There’s characters and winners in there and we’ve got some good youngsters as well who will hopefully feed off the experienced players and learn as much off them as possible.
“We are trying to get the balance right but it’s difficult when you have to come in and build a new side.
“Jack Hopkins captained Phoenix last year, Lea Dawson won the league with VCD and Horsham and cleaned up at Horsham’s awards, Malachi Hudson played in the Conference, I can’t speak highly enough of Jack Barry as a centre-halve.
“We will have to tinker with it a bit but I want to have players that will be together for two or three years and get that consistency.”
Davis refused to “sugar-coat” their 6-0 humbling at Cray Valley in the FA Cup last weekend.
“It was bitterly disappointing,” he said. “We knew it was coming too soon for us.
“They were very good and we were equally as bad. There’s no qualms from us, we just didn’t turn up.
“I can make excuses all day long but it just wasn’t good enough. It’s history now – we’ve got to move on.”
The challenges keep coming for Davis as VCD open their Isthmian South East campaign at home to Whitehawk this Saturday.
“They were in the top three or four when the season ended last year,” said Davis.
“It’s going to be tough but it’s just great to be back playing football again after all that has happened.
“We’re a work in progress – not many managers can come in after eight weeks and be perfect.
“There will be changes as we’re not the finished article yet.
I know it’s the same for everyone as no-one had played for six months but Cray Valley have been together as a team for years, we had 16 changes.
“It’s not going to be perfect early on but, apart from two hours last Saturday, it’s gone to plan. Maybe that was a wake-up call, and they say you learn more from defeats than you do when you win a game.”
First four league games: Sat Sep 19: Whitehawk (h), Sat Sep 26: Whitstable (a), Tue Sep 29: Three Bridges (a), Sat Oct 3: East Grinstead (h).
