I can't worry about job, says Accrington Stanley boss (From Lancashire Telegraph)

I can't worry about job, says Accrington Stanley boss

1:40pm Friday 22nd February 2013 in News By Chris Flanagan, Sports reporter

LEAM Richardson says he cannot worry about his own job as Accrington Stanley attempt to climb out of the relegation zone tomorrow – insisting he remains confident he can turn around the club’s fortunes.

The Reds, who have won only one of their last 16 games, host fifth-placed Cheltenham having dropped into the bottom two following Aldershot’s win over Torquay on Tuesday night.

That victory was not enough to prevent Richardson’s friend and former Bolton team-mate Dean Holdsworth being sacked by Aldershot just a day later, and the Stanley boss has seen his own position come under scrutiny after the Reds’ slide into deep relegation trouble.

But Richardson, only three months into his first job as a manager, is determined to battle on and succeed at Stanley – stressing that he cannot afford to live in fear of the sack.

“Even when I was a player I never worried about losing,” he said.

“I don’t worry about failure or fear of anything because I believe in what I do.

“I work hard and I’ve spent a lot of time in the professional game.

“Whether it’s now, 10 years or 15 years, I’ve always said I will be a good manager and a good coach.

“You face adversity and you come through it together. It’s a team sport and I’ve said to the lads if you try to be an individual you will fall at the first hurdle. If you’re a team and pull together you’ll go a lot further.

“That’s the same for the staff, the kit man – at a club like this you must all come together and come through it.”

Richardson hopes that Stanley’s drop into the relegation zone could focus the minds of his players as they attempt to end their bad run of results.

The Stanley boss, who yesterday signed former Blackburn Rovers midfielder Amine Linganzi and is also trying to add a wide man or a striker to his squad, has received the public backing of his players this week.

“I think it’s encouraging that they believe in what you do and they acknowledge that we’re together in this,” Richardson said.

“Being in the relegation zone will make a difference in a sense that no-one likes to be there, it could be a shock factor that works in our favour.

“I get up and I want to work even harder. If the lads have got that mindset, we’ll be in a good place.

“What it does do is show that we can’t control anything that anyone else does, you’ve got to look after your own performances. We’ll be taking the game to Cheltenham, we must win the game.

“And the fans are so important. I’ve played against some very big teams in the cup, I’ve played in some big games when we came into the league and when we were in the Conference, and they have always played a massive part.”

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