THE manner of my appointment as caretaker manager was not one I would have chosen and I felt for Chris (Brass) during the Forest Green Rovers match.

Such abuse is difficult for anybody to take. I have been in that situation before at Hartlepool and people don't sometimes know the inside circumstances but you're there to be shot at and it's as simple as that.

It's not nice for the families however. My wife was sat next to Chris' wife during the match and said it was difficult for her. She knows what I have been through and she said to Chris' wife that's just football - you have to take the ups with the downs.

Anybody who has been subjected to it knows it's not nice but fans support the team through thick and thin and pay their money so are entitled to have their say and whatever they need to say they will say it. I hope now though that they realise what Chris has been through and when he goes back on the pitch will give him a great reception because he still has a lot of passion for this club and I think going back to being a player will take a lot off pressure on him.

The only reason I am staying on is because Chris Brass and Lee Nogan are as players and, in a way, nothing much has changed. The three of us will still be in it together and give it a go.

We've got no money, can't bring anybody in and have only got 16 players. Some of the fans might want us to get rid of players but we can't because that's not cheap and we need the supporters behind us now.

If it does not work out I will have to go to the powers that be and say I have given it my best but maybe it's time to give somebody else a chance. So far though I have been pleased with how things have gone.

Chris gave the lads the day off last Monday but they came in on Tuesday and I think the news brought things home to them because the dressing room was a bit flat. Myself, Chris and Lee can do all we can to prepare the players but when they go on the pitch we can't do anything.

Chris spoke to them first and then I did. I told them that football is a results-based business and if we don't get them then the three of us don't stay in jobs.

The players were very quiet and I asked if they had anything to say but nobody did. We had no game on Saturday but I think that was a blessing in disguise because we did a lot of hard work on Thursday and Friday. It was like a couple of fitness tests and almost like pre-season training. Now we are looking forward to Saturday's game and both Chris and Lee have been different class in training this week. Chris, like Lee, plays and trains at 110 per cent. He's determined to prove he can still do a job and will do as long as I am in this capacity.

I have not even thought about whether I would want the job permanently. I don't believe in titles and I've told the players I don't want to be called gaffer or boss.

Obviously, somebody has to be in charge and if a decision has to be made I will make it but many people get big ideas about titles and I'm not a title man. Denis Smith used to ask me what title I wanted but it didn't matter to me if I was assistant, coach or reserve team manager.

Whether I become the full-time manager is the last thing on my mind. The first thing is can we get some results to improve our league position. If anything arises out of that I will take it in my stride.

The board have talked about reaching the play-offs but I have said, at the moment, we should not be panicking about the play-offs we should be panicking about going down. We have got to stabilise things because it would be a travesty if this club went out of the Conference.

Updated: 10:49 Thursday, November 18, 2004