Magpies boss on the Wright path

Chorley chairman Ken Wright has challenged manager Matt Jansen and his squad of players to achieve promotion this season.
Chairman Ken Wright believes Chorley can achieve a play-off position this seasonChairman Ken Wright believes Chorley can achieve a play-off position this season
Chairman Ken Wright believes Chorley can achieve a play-off position this season

The Magpies have begun the new campaign in fine style, losing only one of 12 games in both league and cup.

They are currently sitting in a play-off spot in the National League North – two points shy of leaders AFC Fylde – and they are also through to the third qualifying round of the FA Cup after last weekend’s 2-0 victory over Dunston UTS.

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Wright revealed he has been impressed with the way Jansen and his assistant Jamie Vermiglio have gone about their business since taking charge of first-team affairs from previous boss Garry Flitcroft in the summer of 2015.

Last season they guided the team to an eighth-place finish and the chairman believes the duo are on the right path to bettering that and meeting the club’s target this season, which is a play-off place.

“As a football club, you have always got to look to try to improve and do better,” Wright said.

“Obviously we want to try to improve on our position last season so that would mean a play-off place.

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“There’s no pressure as such, but as a football club, you always look to try to set yourself goals and targets.

“We are hoping that we do better than we did last season and the signs are that we could do that, but of course it’s still early days.

“Leagues are not won in September and October, but we have got be pleased with where we are at the moment.

Last season was very much a transitional period at Victory Park after the hugely successful Flitcroft years.

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He spent five years at the helm and guided the club to two promotions.

As Flitcroft’s assistant, Jansen was a hugely influential part of that success but Wright revealed the ex-Blackburn Rovers star is very much his own man.

“I think last season was a transitional period even though Matt had inherited a squad of players who had done very well the previous season – it certainly was not a side that had been struggling,” he said.

“But having said that, Matt is stamping his own brand – if that’s the right word – of football on the team, in terms of the ways and means of how to play.

“He’s changed the way we set up.

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“We’ve been playing with a back three with the full-backs pushed forward.

“He will probably say that keeping cleans sheets is something that they have aimed to do. If you keep a clean sheet, you don’t lose a game – that’s not being negative, it’s a positive.

“I think if we would have had a little bit more good fortune in front goal, we could have had more points this season.”

This weekend, Chorley – who were drawn away to Spennymoor Town in the FA Cup third round of qualifying – are back on league duty when they travel to AFC Telford United.

“They have had an indifferent start to the season, but I remember we lost there last season,” Wright said.