New Dudley Town boss tells players to cut out bad habits
Dudley Town's new manager has warned his senior players to cut out the bad habits because there is plenty of talent in the youth set-up snapping at their heels.
Dean Whitehouse, who won the double with Tividale in 2011/12, has returned to the West Midlands Premier League after spending four years away from football due to family illness.
He takes charge of his first game tonight when Town visit Nuneaton Griff in the Birmingham Midweek Floodlit Cup.
In the league, Dudley sit second-bottom with two wins from their first 18 games and Whitehouse isn’t afraid to throw some of his youngsters in at the deep end.
“The youth team was the main pull,” he said. “I’ve watched them three or four times and they’ve got some good kids.
“We’ve got a great youth set up and credit to our youth team managers, they’ve really done it well.
“From the bottom up its really good but the top has fallen down.
“We called a meeting on Saturday and told the senior players a few home truths.
“Some think they’re better than they are, some attitudes have to change.
“I know the kids coming through won’t let me down. In that (Midland) Junior Premier League it’s done right, people they’re playing against are better, and they’ll work for you.
“A lot of our players have got bad habits – they’ll have a chance, I’m not dismissing anybody at all – but I’ll see where we stand in a few weeks.
“It isn’t a problem for me to go out and get players either. I’ve got enough contacts to go and get the help.”
Whitehouse is used to being at the other end of the table, but Dudley’s flourishing youth set-up was the reason he agreed to join.
He has brought Richard Taylor, captain of his double winning Tividale side, with him as a player-coach.
Dudley haven’t played a home game since October because badgers have been digging up the pitch at The Dell.
They have been granted permission to play at the Handrahan Stadium until the end of January.
“We’ll trying to make it feel like home until our ground is up and running,” said Whitehouse.
His old club Tividale went top of the league on Saturday with a 5-3 win away at Cradley Town.
Daniel Smith and Joe Lawley each bagged a brace while Demetri Brown added the other.
Tividale leapfrogged Wolves Sporting, who beat Shepshed Dynamo 5-0 in the third round of the FA Vase, but the new leaders have played two games more.
Sporting have already scored 77 goals in the league this season, the third highest tally in the country in step six of non-league.
Just one goal behind them though in fourth are free-scoring Wolverhampton Casuals.
They came out on top of a barn-storming 10-goal thriller at Shifnal Town, triumphing 6-4 away from home.
The Cassies may be ninth in the league, but their goal difference is better than Tividale’s.
Smethwick, who are 13th, lost 2-0 at home to Wednesfield, who are eighth. Dudley Sports, 15th, lost 2-0 away at Hereford Lads Club, who are 10th.
