NPL Division One East
Vill Powell has set an ambitious target for Brighouse Town after signing a new three-year contract.
Powell takes Brighouse to Pontefract Collieries tonight, several days on since the news broke.
Powell, already one of the longest serving bosses in Yorkshire as he replaced Paul Quinn in 2017, believes he can steer Brighouse into uncharted water.
“Two of those seasons (since 2017) have been cut short and we had a lot of development off-the-pitch that myself, (director of football) Charlie (Tolley) and (chairman) James (Howard) and others have been key to,” Powell told Non League Yorkshire.
“Additionally I feel I can achieve a lot with Brighouse Town.
“I know we haven’t had a brilliant season but I look at this season as a bit of a transition because of the age of the squad and where we are financially currently.
“It has been the full seasons (in the NPL) for the likes of Javelle Clarke, Laurence Sorhaindo, Harrison Beedham, Sam Reed, players who have now proven themselves at this level.
“These young players have a point to prove and I still have the hunger to prove something and achieve something at this football club.
“You can’t do anything overnight so you do need that longevity or money to succeed and with Brighouse.
“By the time we get to 2025 my expectation is that we’re playing at Step 3 or Step 2 of Non League Football.
“If I’ve not achieved that in that time I feel that I won’t have achieved.
“There are caveats because you look who you are up against and the finances that are ever-increasing.
“I’m confident in myself to do it.
“It means unearthing gems like Laurence Sorhaindo and Javelle Clarke’s.
“It is going to be hard work but that’s the pressure I put on myself, not the club.”
Powell has already begun plans for next season as Corey Gregory and star striker Sorhaindo have signed deals.
“As a manager you have to be good at multi-tasking as in focussing on the next game and also forward-plan,” he said.
“I spoke to the majority of the group as I want to keep it together.
“I think we’re strong group with a solid foundation.
“We have a solid defence, we don’t concede tons of goals.
“The issue is we don’t score enough goals throughout the team.
“The only conversations that have taken place have been with the group.
“It is then a case of adding a couple more goals into the team (in the summer).”
Brighouse are almost safe after a brief scare in February but Powell says the poor form at the turn of the year was down to injuries.
“If I’m honest there was no point when myself and the lads felt we were in a relegation battle,” he said.
“The table doesn’t lie but we have always been looking above ourselves rather than below ourselves in terms of our mentality.
“We run with a small squad and two-or-three injuries and we haven’t got the depth to deal with it.
“At one point in early January we had nine players out injured and five were integral.
“That’s been the story our season.
“We have never been able to have that consistency in terms of selection.”