THE squad spirit at Worcester City is excellent at the moment and it is helping us keep away from the behind-the-scenes issues.

There is a lot happening off the pitch at the club, but we are keeping the players focused by not talking about it, training and playing.

They worked really hard for an hour-and-a-half on the artificial surface at Brickfields on Monday evening and that was good to see.

We haven’t just signed players who do their jobs and don’t converse with their team-mates. We have got players who are good at their jobs but also fit in with the atmosphere in the changing room.

As a player and a manager, I have travelled on some team buses when you are desperate for somebody to put a film on to give the players something to do. But, on our coach, it’s lively and the players make up their own entertainment because we have got a lot of long trips.

Whatever happens off the field is out of our hands so we have got to keep the football side up and running because, on the pitch, things are pretty good and we are picking up points.

We started the season slowly, but it has got to the stage now when conceding goals is almost a shock and that was the case in the 2-2 draw at Hampton and Richmond on Saturday. However, both the goals came from set-pieces which was disappointing, as was the performance of referee Anthony Coggins.

The same official sent Craig Wilding off last season at Weston-super-Mare. I don’t like to talk about referees but it was all people wanted to talk about in the bar afterwards. When both benches are unhappy with the performance of the official, I think it says a lot.

But we earned a good point, the fans came out to support us and we gave them something to cheer about on the way home. It would have been an injustice had we lost the game.

If we were getting beaten in every game I would be very worried but the performances have been pretty good since the Basingstoke match in August. I am happy with how it’s going and by Christmas I expect to be a fair bit higher in the league.

We play Weston in our next match at St George’s Lane on Monday night and that’s a game I expect to get something out of. Midfielder Jordan Fitzpatrick might not be available as he still hasn’t trained because of his ankle injury but Alfie Carter will be playing for the reserves tomorrow night.

When Alfie is fit, it will be like having another new signing and when we have got everybody available the squad is looking strong.

Myself and Carl Heeley know what we have to spend in the budget. I think we have been pretty shrewd and the squad is in good shape.