On Saturday afternoon, Welling United are back on the road, travelling to Billericay Town in an Isthmian League Premier Division encounter.

It will be a big day for the Wings as their new manager, Ryan Maxwell and his assistant Billy McMahon, will be in charge for their first league match. 

Having overseen a Velocity Cup victory against Folkestone Invicta on Tuesday, Maxwell is raring to go. After that match he said: “It’s a difficult tie, away to Billericay as our first game, but you’ve got to play everyone at some point so let’s get stuck into it. Football’s all about confidence.”

“An average player with confidence becomes a great player. I’ve said to the boys ‘I’m here to help’ and you can’t help people by having a go at them. The players know that they need confidence and I’m here to install it, with Billy’s help.”

“I expect to win everything, that’s just my nature, and I’m up for every challenge. The players need to have the same mindset as Billy and I. We discussed that tonight, about mindset and expectation, and that will take time to change. Mindset doesn’t change overnight but over time it will. To get a win, of course it will help, and I hope that it will inject some confidence in the squad.” 

For that game he played with three at the back along with wing backs, but that doesn’t mean that it’s his favoured system. He confirmed: “Personnel was the reason for that, and I wanted to see all the centre halves at once so that gave me the chance to do that. I wanted to see if they understood the positional side of a three, I learnt a bit about that. 

“I always analyse the opposition. I always pick my formation with what I inherit and then I decide my formation once I get the players that I want. We are going to be analysing what suits what we have.”

His first new signing, goalkeeper Dion-Curtis Henry, played in the cup match. “I brought Dion in.” he said. “I know he’s played at step two. He played for us last season at Sittingbourne. He’s somebody that I know pretty well and I know what I’m going to get from him.” 

Hosts, Billericay, are in mid-table having themselves had a management chance this season. Danny Scopes replaced Gavin McCann in September after a slow start. They are fifth in the form guide having only lost one of their last six matches with their last league game ending nil-nil at Whitehawk. At home, they have won four, drawn three, and lost once.

Maxwell expects to have at least one further signing in his line up, and will be hoping to get injured Luke Allen and Greg Cundle back as soon as possible.

Picture supplied by Chris Zimmerman.