Dumbarton boss Stevie Farrell has thanked the club’s board for trusting him to spearhead a promotion push after relegation last season.
At the half-way stage in the season, Farrell’s men sit four points clear of Stirling Albion at the summit of the League Two table – with Saturday’s clash between the sides at the Rock called off due to a waterlogged pitch.
And reflecting on his time in charge of the Sons, Faz admitted he always knew his first season would be a struggle – but that he wanted the club to follow a longer-term plan.
Speaking to the Lennox’s Fraser Clarke on the Sons’ Rock and Goal Podcast, set to be released later this week, the gaffer said: “I knew the season before I came into Dumbarton had been a struggle. And I knew last year was going to be a struggle.
“I knew League One last season would be tough with our budget, but I felt it was the right move to make because there was a longer term project at Dumbarton – if the board backed me. And I needed that. I needed trust.
“A lot of people wanted me out the club after relegation. Which I understand.
“But I felt the sustainability of the management team, the consistency of the player group and the vision I had would benefit the club.
“We kept nine of last season’s squad, this year I’ll be looking to keep 12 or 13.
“That’s the model of Montrose and Arbroath and they’ve arguably been the best performing two part-time clubs in Scotland. But they weren’t always.
“Dumbarton had to look at a longer term approach. And, to be fair, everyone on the board bought into that.”
Following relegation most Sons fans were expecting a clearout, however the spine of last season’s squad remained – with Farrell explaining the decision.
He continued: “If you asked our fans last year then, because of the way we performed, they’d probably get rid of most of the squad.
“I felt that wasn’t the right decision, and time will tell what it was.
“I felt if we kept the nucleus of the squad and added players like Aron Lynas and Ally Love then we’d get stronger. On the results we’ve seen so far this season, that has been the case.
“There’s still 54 points to play for though, so our most important game is always our next game.
“That’s been the mentality in our dressing room.”
Having added six new faces to his squad in the January 2022 transfer window, Faz is expecting a far quieter month at Castle Road this year.
He added: “We’ll only bring in if we think the players will improve our squad. I’m not going to bring in numbers for the sake of bringing them in.
“January is a hard window. We’ve got clubs who are looking to get loan deals done and there are not a lot of free players about.
“We’ll be doing our work and looking in England as well.
“I’d like to bring in one player, possibly two.
“But I’ll only bring them in if they are right for the club and right for the squad.”
