Maidstone United head coach Hakan Hayrettin says he needs to flush out the squad following relegation
Published: 00:00, 28 April 2019
Hakan Hayrettin says at least 75% of Maidstone’s squad are on their way out of the club.
The Stones will be starting virtually from scratch as they rebuild for National South football next season.
It’s a big job but head coach Hayrettin is determined to get it right and give fans a team to be proud of.
Maidstone ended the National League season with a 2-0 home defeat by Aldershot and Hayrettin can’t wait to get cracking on next season’s plans.
He said: “We’ve got to go again, we’ve got to flush it out, we’ve got to weed it out, we’ve got to do whatever we need to do to get it out.
“We need to get that winning mentality back, get that desire back, get that passion back, get people that want to work hard without the ball back, get people that want to wear the shirt with honour back.
“That’s what we need to do and I’m telling you now, I’m more determined than ever to do that because for a place like Maidstone and to have this amount of support, we need to show those people we care, that we’re going to have a team they’re going to be proud of.
“There’s going to be a vast turnaround, that’s all I can tell you. Many won’t be here.
“I can’t really tell you who but probably 75% are not going to be here, maybe more, because I think that’s what we need.
“We need to get the ethos of a team back.
“There’s no I in team, we need everybody to understand what that means.
“We need to strip everything right back to the bare bones and build on that again and get everybody to understand what’s required because I keep talking about this, to have a turnaround of 60-odd players in one season is astronomical.
“I’ve never known anything like it.
“The boys have done their utmost - it’s not their fault - but when the mix isn’t right, you’ve got to look at the mix and go again.
“I can’t wait. Pride, honour, respect, all these words that mean something to me, should mean something to the players we’re going to sign.
“When you go and sign a player now, it’s not about your ability, it’s about their character, their personality and them buying into what you want to do.
“It’s about getting them to understand what’s required.
“I think you’ve got to start from scratch.
“I think you need to get people that know you, know your philosophy and your ideas and you need to identify talent that buys into that.
“I’m a great believer, and massively because I was of that ilk as a player, that your team togetherness, your spirit, your never-say-die attitude, your camaraderie, your work ethic, your positivity, are all required, then I think it’s your ability.
“If you can get all them in a player and then get their ability on top then you’re on to a winner.”
Read the match report from Maidstone's 2-0 defeat by Aldershot
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Craig Tucker