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Caretaker manager Kevin Watson has insisted he’s ready to become Ebbsfleet boss.
Watson took charge for Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to Maidenhead after Fleet owner Dr Abdulla Al Humaidi called time on Garry Hill’s tenure.
Former Reading and Colchester midfielder Watson believes he has enough experience to take the job on.
“Myself and (managing director) Dave Archer went up to meet the owner on (lasr) Wednesday,” revealed Watson.
“We had a frank discussion, I told him I’d like the job.
“We spoke for about an hour and he said ‘okay, we’ll see how it goes’. That’s it, that’s all I know.
“I’ve served my apprenticeship as assistant four times, with Mick Harford at Luton, Teddy Sheringham at Stevenage, Ronnie Moore at Eastleigh, just now at Hungerford with Ian Herring.
“I’ve managed at Bishop’s Stortford and I played nearly 500 games. I don’t need another apprenticeship, I’m ready.”
Fleet sit bottom of the National League – but that is not going to put Watson off.
He’s seen enough at Stonebridge Road in his first fortnight at the club to give him encouragement.
“It is being thrown into the fire, taking over a team that is bottom of the league,” added Watson.
“But if I thought it was a no-win situation then I would have stayed miles away from it and said go get someone else.
“I’m not going to shy away from any challenge. The crowd have been magnificent, they appreciate the situation and they’ve already been good to me as well.
“I would say to them to stay with us because there is a team out there waiting to get out.
“For whatever reason this club finds itself at the bottom of the division. I would like the opportunity to turn it around.”
Watson’s football philosophy of a passing game will win him friends but he knows results need to come quickly and he has little time to turn things around.
The Maidenhead defeat was Fleet’s fourth loss in a row and they have won just two matches all season.
“Everyone says judge me after 10 games, I think that’s only fair,” said Watson.
“I had a discussion with the owner and the fact is I’m taking over a team that’s rock bottom of the league.
“Are you going to get 10 games? Probably not. If it was the start of the season, would you? Probably.
“He seems like a fair man, it was the first time I’ve met him. He told me what he wanted and what he would like and I hope he has seen enough to trust me for a bit longer.
“I think I need a couple of players. You’d look at this group at the start of a season and think there’s plenty there, and it didn’t look like a team playing with a lack of confidence.
“It looked like a team that wanted to get on the ball, wanted to play. It just wasn’t to be (last Saturday).”
