Toolstation NCEL Premier Division
Paddy McGuire is pleased to see the “progress” Thackley have made this season.
Thackley are ninth after 15 games and the Dennyboys were as high as sixth until a couple of weeks ago.
In recent years they have been languishing in the bottom half.
“You only have to look at the results (to see the progress),” McGuire told Non League Yorkshire.
“I know last year we had the pandemic stuff but we drew too many games.
“At the end of December we only had eight points.
“We’ve hit 20 points by the end of October which to me, that in itself is massive progress.
“That is the first thing I look for.
“Are we better than we were at this point last year?
“We certainly are and not just points-wise.
“The way we’re playing and the strength of our squad, we’re miles ahead of where we were last year.
“We’re pleased with that but we’re not giving too many pats on the back because we think we should have won more games than we have.”
Thackley visit Bottesford Town tomorrow and McGuire wants to see his men find some “consistency” with their results.
“This year the league is so open and anyone can beat anyone,” he said.
“In this league, three wins together puts you near the top and three losses together puts you down near the bottom.
“I think the key word for everyone is momentum and being on winning runs and having winning habits.
“You’ve seen Grimsby and Eccleshill putting runs of results together and they are out leading the way.
“We have to look for that consistency.
“We’re a lot more consistent than we have been but if you take out the one bad week where we lost to Grimsby, Winterton and Garforth, then we’re still in a much healthier position.”
He won’t set a target for this season but he is focused on finishing in the top ten and building a solid platform for future campaigns.
“I think every season is a disappointment if you’re not in the top ten,” he said.
“We have limited funds, resources so we have overachieved every year with what we have got.
“However, the amount of time everyone puts in it from the players, the coaching staff, the committee, we must do more than just survive and be around it.
“We’re looking for success as every other team is.
“We’re in a process and we’re doing it in a way that allows us to be sustainable.
“The club off-the-field is in a very healthy position and we’re building step-by-step.
“It is no secret about where we want to get to eventually.
“Thackley has never been promoted out of the North East Counties and we want to be the first team to do that.
“Whether that’s next year or the year after or the year after that, it depends on where we’re at.
“Things can change so much from year to year with new teams coming into the league from the league below or teams getting re-zoned from the North West.
“We’ve kept a fairly settled squad for a few years which gives us an advantage in the sense we are well-organised and well-drilled.
“It is quality that wins you games and if you have the funds to bring that quality it makes life a lot easier.
“We have to do our work on the training field to develop the players we have and sometimes the players who develop quickly get taken by clubs above which is natural.
“We want to be in a position where we can keep players here and we can progress as a football club.”
A further success from the season so far has been the club’s new reserve team which has already fed players into the first team.
“We have had Ras Diamond starting games,” McGuire.
“He’s come through the reserves.
“Brad Longhorn has featured in the last two games.
“We have had James Garthwaite and Ian King sign on as well.
“We’re producing players for the first team a lot quicker than we actually thought we would.
“The reserves also gives a platform for lads in the first team squad to go and keep their fitness up but the way the reserves is developing is really pleasing.
“It is great for the football club that we are identifying local talent and they are being given an opportunity to show they are good enough.”