Scouse in the house: Brabin and Carden arrive-la

Sorry about the rubbish headline and picture. Given that we have a new management team from Liverpool, it would have been unrealistic to expect me to get through this whole post without at least one cliched scouse reference. Rest assured this blog isn't suddenly going to be filled with lorra's and gorra's - anyone who's read Micky Quinn's column in the CEN will know how funny that is (ie not very).

So yeah, Brabin and Carden are the new Jimmy and Willy. Like most I don't really know much about our new gaffer, other than that he once broke Jamie Bates' jaw in a dressing room bust up (although anyone who remembers the erstwhile Brentford skipper will recall that he's no shrinking violet). However, I'm sure he's going to be a great success, despite not having a lorra (haha, only joking) experience.

First I know this because it's always exciting when you get a new manager. I don't really understand the doom and gloom attitude of a lot of our fans (and football supporters in general). Surely change is always exciting, what with new players coming in, new systems, even different excuses when we inevitably get turned over by some non-league shower like Stafford or Farsley.

Secondly the man variously known as Sumo ((c) Doncaster fans), the Enforcer ((c) Hull fans), the Brabinator ((c) Southport fans), and, er, dad of Evil ((c)Me) seems to be well liked everywhere he goes, with the probable exception of the Bates household. If anyone still has Sunday's non-league paper, it's worth reading Tony Williams feature on his days with the England non-league team in the early 90's. He speaks with great affection about Brabin, and gives the impression that he was well liked in the dressing room and a major influence in building a good team spirit. Certainly if this is something he can achieve at the Abbey he'll be half way there. And a quick perusal of the Southport messageboard will tell you he had plenty of fans at Haig Avenue, before news of his move south came out when he, unsurprisingly, turned into a parriah of Rendell-esque proportions.

And of course one of the biggest plus points he brings with him is his assistant manager. Carden was immense during the second half of last season, and with him and Evil signed up for next season, the squad suddenly looks much stronger. A spine of Potter - Hats - Carden - McEvilly is as good as anything in the Conference I would imagine, and certainly gives the new man something to work on.

Obviously he is inexperienced, but surely this is better than taking some non-league journeyman like Justin Ediburgh or Glenn Cockrill. No experience is better than bad experience, as our former manager might have said. The Brabinator certainly talks like a manager who's been in the game for a few years. In an interview that was as predictable as Italy boring their way to penalties in last nights Euro 2008 quarter final, he said: "It's a big club, a fantastic club. I've played against Cambridge in the past and whenever I've been here it's impressed me", before assertaining that he is "a winner". Time will tell on that front Gary.