Former Dover boss Chris Kinnear told Jake Leberl he was mad to take charge at Crabble.

Kinnear is the most successful manager in the club’s history across two spells, twice taking them into the Conference and challenging for a place in the Football League.

Leberl played under Kinnear at Margate and served as his assistant manager at Hartsdown Park.

He followed him to Dover in 2013, where the pair spent five years before Kinnear’s dismissal.

The pair remain friends and it was only natural Leberl should seek his old mentor’s opinion when the chance to succeed Mitch Brundle came up last month.

Dover are in a desperate position in National League South, 12 points from safety, but there have been signs of improvement.

The new boss has got them organised and working hard - typical Kinnear traits - with Whites collecting five points from three games before losing 2-1 to an injury-time goal at Aveley on Saturday.

“I’ve spoken to Chris a little bit,” said Leberl. “He thinks I’m mad.

“But I think it was a case of give it a go and see what happens.

“So far we (Leberl and No.2 Mike Sandmann) have got the boys a bit more organised.

“I’ve always stayed in touch with Chris.

“We don’t speak regularly but we’re in touch and he’s always there if needed.

“I spoke to him when the job came up. I spoke to him a couple of times. He’s such a good guy. I’m sure he’ll always be there for me.”

Leberl is hoping to make changes to the squad to give Dover a fighting chance of staying up.

They could do with some more experience and the side are too small for Leberl’s liking.

Finding players at this time of the season is never easy - particularly in Dover’s situation - but that won’t stop them trying.

“If someone’s played 100 games, that’s experience, it doesn’t matter how old they are,” said Leberl.

“But lots of the lads haven’t played that many games, so we lack a bit of experience in that sense and we lack a bit of size.

“That’s how I see it, anyway.

“The chairman (Jim Parmenter) has been really good but it’s finding lads who are available to come in and who are right for us.

“I don’t want to keep doing short-term deals or loans.

“I’ll do loans if I have to but I want to work with players who will hopefully stay and build a squad that people recognise and understand. I think that’s the way to do it.

“It’s hard to attract players in our position but the club’s had good history and good pedigree in the past.

“Boys will know that it’s been on a bit of a downward spiral and we need to pick it up, run with it and move it in the right direction.

“We’re definitely going to need characters.

“I can’t worry about what went on in the past this season, or the results they had. I can only focus on the here and now.

“We’re harder to beat and we’ve just got to keep believing we can get out of it.”

Dover host Truro this Saturday (3pm).