TT BLOG

Clive Hayward – @Byehorse

Clive blogs about Paul Wotton’s latest presser

PRESS CALL- FEBRUARY 12th 2026

Although it did start to spit with rain as I walked up the hill to Plainmoor for this afternoon’s presser, the sun was out when I came out afterwards. A freshly-showered Paul Wotton had bounced into the Dave Thomas Media Suite, and it was great to listen to a manager still very much in love with his craft.

Injuries and Availability

Quite a busy news week.

Jordan Dyer- as feared, the scan has shown bad news. The injury which saw Jordan walk tenderly off in the first half at Dover is a Grade 2 hamstring injury, and it is likely to see United without their first choice centre back for 6 to 8 weeks

Callum Dolan- Wotton confirmed that the medical advice on Callum is that he’s not going to be able to play again this season.

Kieran Wilson- there was much better news about the young Scottish loanee. Exeter City have agreed to let him remain with us until the end of the season. Wotton:

“He can settle now. He’s done well. He wants to win. He wnts to be here.”

Joe Hatch – The TUST-funded loan striker has sustained a knock in training which ruled him out at Chippenham on Tuesday. Although he couldn’t train today it’s possible he will be in contention for the bench against Maidenhead on Saturday.

Outbound loans:

Matty Carson- Our Northen Irish wing-back is back from Taunton but may well go out again to get more games

Sonny Fish- The burly striker’s loan spell at Folkestone Invicta is due up on Monday. Although he hasn’t played as much as Wotton had hoped, it seems the plan may be to keep him in the building on his return.

Denzel Akyampong- The popular young right back may become the latest Gull to go on loan, next week.

Maidenhead:

The boss wasn’t going to break the habit of a lifetime. Our next opponents (we’re back at Plainmoor for only the second game of the New Year) will be tough, he said. He referenced our excellent performance at York Road in November, but warned that since then the Berkshire club have changed their manager, changed their shape (I understand they are now 5 at the back merchants) and have had some good results.

They sit eight in the table, so they will want to give a good account of themselves on Saturday.

Chipper About Chippenham:

Paul seems to have bounced back quickly from Tuesday night’s shock defeat. He will often say that it is important in football to get over disappointments quickly, and he was certainly practising what he preaches today.

There are times, he said, when managers will “kick walls” after defeats (“I’ve got that in me”), but he said this wasn’t warranted on Tuesday, He was upbeat about his team’s performance, saying that he was pleased with the second half improvement after a rather “passive” first 45 minutes. He said, rightly, that on another night we would have won the game.

He was pleased with the players’ reaction afterwards, reporting that there was a mixture of reactions, with some being angry and others quickly shifting towards looking forward to Saturday. Above all, he is pleased that players are

really now finding their voice. He wants to hear them, and said it is markedly different to last season and even to the early part of this campaign.

There were some boos at the end (in Tuesday, not today!!). I asked him about that, and he was fairly philosophical, saying:

“You’ve got to have crocodile skin to be a football manager.”

He also made the same point that many managers do: theirs is a tough job, not made any easier by the fact that most of the fans reckon they could do it better!

Two Eds are better than one:

Wotton is happy to have got Ed James in from Exeter. It was clear that cover was needed at centre back with Jordan Dyer possibly out until April, and it sounds as though Ed fits the bill. He may well be competing with Ed Palmer for the slot alongside our newly-shorn skipper Sam Dreyer. Although James’ mini-interview on the club website betrays an Exeter accent, the young Devonian has represented Wales at Under 21 level. If he turns out to be half the player that Joe Rodon is, he’ll be doing ok! Wotton:

“He’s a defender. He’s a good size. He’ll get his chance.”

Curse, What Curse?

Sadly, the lustre on January’s Manager of the Month trophy is already starting to fade, but Wotton again paid tribute to the whole club, saying it was in reality an award for everyone. He also pointed out that he has won a few of them before, and actually normally wins the next game!

Saturday will do….