Ross ‘loving every minute” as Farsley manager

National North 

New Farsley Celtic manager Neil Ross is “loving every minute” of his tenure at the West Leeds club.

Ross was appointed the permanent boss at The Citadel several weeks ago after two games in a caretaker capacity following Adam Lakeland’s departure to Curzon Ashton.

The ex-Macclesfield Town and Halifax Town striker, whose side host Garforth Town in the West Riding County Cup this evening, stepped up from his role at the club’s under 23s and academy manager.

“It has gone really well and I’m really enjoying it and loving every minute of it,” Ross told Non League Yorkshire.

“It is obviously a step-up from what I have been doing with the academy and the under 23s but my mentality and the players’ mentality has gone together really well so it has worked out well.

“Of course (it was a dream come true to get the job) and as an ex-professional footballer now in coaching and managing, my drive and ambition as a person is to manage at the highest level I can.

“This is definitely something I have been dreaming of doing over the last few years.

“(If someone had said a year ago this is what I’d doing in 2021) I’d have agreed with them because I have that drive and ambition in myself to do it.

“I set myself a target to do that and I’ve reached that target in time.

“I’ve had the ambition and drive to it and it is through hard work that it has happened.”

Ross lost his first game as caretaker boss at Chorley before the 0-0 draw at Brackley Town.

Defeat in his opening game as the permanent boss at Gloucester City followed but the Celts have beaten Bradford (Park Avenue) in the league and Stalybridge Celtic in the FA Trophy in their past two fixtures.

Ross is not setting goals for a certain league position but he agrees he has inherited a healthy situation.

“We haven’t set a target to say ‘look we need to be at this position or that position’,” he said.

“We just want to compete in every game and get results.

“If we can beat the teams around us and always do well against the teams above then it will be a successful season.

“It has definitely helped not been in a relegation battle or had a squad where I have looked at it and thought ‘we need this, this and this’.

“It is a dream to come into a squad with a group of players that we have got to be then able to bring in new ideas, fresh ideas and push forward.”

He added: “There’s always pressure to get results whether you’re at the top, middle, bottom of the league because it is a results-based job.

“But I don’t feel under pressure from the club to get results but on a personal note you want to be picking up results every week.”

Ross has also credited his former Macclesfield team-mate and assistant manager Steve Payne for his influence on the squad since arriving.

“The two games I took as temporary boss, it was (a) quite short (period) to get ideas across,” he said.

“But then since Payney has come in with me we have been working really hard.

“We have been focusing on what we need to focus on which is not conceding goals and things like that.

“It is something we have been working on and results are starting to reflect (on what we have been working on).

“Payney has been spot on and the lads have really took to him and he has gave them a lot of information that they have took on.

“They have been doing stuff in games that we have been working on so it has been a good transition.”

Twelve-times County Cup winners welcome Toolstation NCEL Premier Division high-flyers Garforth tonight.

Recent signing Jason Akiotu is eligible to make his debut and Ross is keen for his side to extend their winning run to three games.

“We take every game very seriously,” he said.

“We have got to get a winning mentality throughout the squad so every game is important.

“Momentum and winning games is only a good thing.”