LEIGHTON James is playing "patience" at Accrington Stanley, confident in the knowledge that he has enough cards up his sleeve to revive the sleeping giant.

The former Welsh wing wizard - is there a more-capped manager on the non-league circuit? - admits that Stanley's current position, uncomfortably close to the UniBond Premier League's relegation zone, is precarious.

But the Stanley boss isn't even thinking about failure: "We moved in during October and found that many of the things that should have taken place during the summer, like the recruiting of players, just hadn't happened.

"By that time most of the good players around this region had gone elsewhere and we were faced with ploughing on and trying to organise and motivate the squad we inherited.

"The other option is to chuck the chequebook at the job, but even then there are no guarantees. OK, so we have brought three lads in, but it will take more than that over the longer term to turn things around.

"Cash is available. I have been assured of that by the chairman. But I won't go out and pay silly money or just bring bodies in for the hell of it.

"I knew when I took the post that Accrington Stanley represents the biggest job in non-league football around here. I have managed at Morecambe and Netherfield before, but neither had this sort of tradition or potential. "Crickey, we had a lot of success at Morecambe, getting to the quarter finals of the FA Vase and beating Southport in the ATS final, but our home gates only came in at around 350.

"The other week at Stanley we had more than 600 - and we were 17th in the table! That tells its own story."

But James also knows that patience isn't always in great supply within football club boardrooms.

"Yes, that's right, but the people here aren't daft. They know what we inherited and can see what we are trying to do.

"The supporters are realistic too and although they will have the odd little moan from time to time, they can see that it is a job that needs time as well as attention.

"It certainly can't be put right overnight for we are talking about the biggest under-achiever in non-league soccer when we talk about Stanley.

"But we have belief and know that eventually we can get everything in order."

Stanley have drawn no fewer than 10 games during James' short reign. "You look at that record and think where we could have been if we had won half of those and we should have done to be fair."

Stanley go looking for revenge tomorrow when they entertain Spennymoor. James expects to have close on a full squad available and adds: "The game up at Spennymoor was typical of our season. We should have won it by half time - their goalkeeper had one of those days. Then in the last quarter of an hour we go and leak two sloppy goals. It's that sort of frustration that gets to you a bit but, all in all, I'm really enjoying it - the people at the club have been fantastic."

James is waiting for a response from Altricham after tabling a bid for their skipper and former Bolton star Tony Kelly.

"He is just the type of player we need with a lot of experience and a great passer of the ball, possibly the best passer outside the Football League," said James.

"I think they will be reluctant to sell but the ball is in their court and you can only try. We know what we want but availability is the key word."

Kelly, 33, played well for Altrincham against Stanley last week, and has vast experience with several clubs in League football.

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