Newly appointed Bootle manager David McNabb has expressed his pride after succeeding Steve McNulty.
The former Warrington Rylands and Macclesfield boss returns to management to take over at Vesty Road following the resignation of the ex-Tranmere Rovers defender.
McNabb has an eye-catching CV after winning back-to-back promotions with the Gorsey Lane outfit as they rose through the North West Counties before winning the Northern Premier League West title on the final day of the season last year.
He mutually agreed to leave the club he guided to FA Vase success at the beginning of the season before replacing Danny Whitaker as Macclesfield manager.
Due to work commitments, both he and assistant manager Tim Lees were forced to step down but their time away from non-league football lasted just a matter of months.
McNabb now believes he is ready to jump back into management and has outlined his hopes for the role at the Berry Street Garage Stadium.
“It’s a massive privilege, it’s a historic and famous club in the Liverpool area,” he told Off The Park. “It’s a brilliant community club, some of the things they do particularly with inclusion, kids teams, it’s a massive club and a hub of the local area. It’s a massive privilege to get the job.
“I was ready to get back in, I was missing it, I’ve been spending the time off watching games which is good because you can take more information in without the pressure of planning and preparing for the games.
“I’ve enjoyed the break, watching games and trying to learn, looking back on what I could do better on but I was well and truly ready to get back in. I was missing it so it’s a good opportunity to get in, finish the season strongly and start planning for next season.
“Macclesfield was a little bit different in the daytime training and what the club is trying to do is move as fast as possible but Bootle have got massive ambitions as well,” he added on the differences between the two clubs.
“They’re a club who want to progress through the leagues, the timescale will be different and what the club can achieve will be different long-term but there’s some fantastic people involved at the club and they want what’s best and what’s for the local area.
“There’s a really good feel-good factor around the team, the owner, the chairman and treasurer so it’s really positive.”
On Thursday, the new Bootle boss took first-team training ahead of the visit of Colne this weekend. They sit 14th with six games remaining in the Northern Premier League West.
Six points separate the two sides going into Saturday’s clash, McNabb admits that they are a little bit “too close” to comfort with the drop zone as he looks to waste no time in picking up his first win in charge.
He added:” We want to try get another win or two under our belts as soon as possible, hopefully start on Saturday if we can pick up a couple of wins early doors then the last two to three weeks we can start to build for next year and implement the style of play.
“It is a little bit too close to comfort to not be concerned about it but the quality in the group is more than good enough and it should be higher up the table in terms of what ability they’ve got.
“It’s about more smiles on faces, the hope is to get three points as quick as we can, the next few games are going to be difficult but get three points and hopefully enjoy the last five or six games.
“People talk about promotions, winning leagues and stuff like that, it’s not just about that, it’s about a project and build the club both on the pitch and off it. The vision that the club has sold to me fitted with what I want to do. You want to be apart of something that’s bigger than yourself, part of a group that wants to achieve something and enjoying yourself while you’re doing it.
“Hopefully we can bring a brand of football that the fans can enjoy and appreciate, it does take time, it’ll probably be next season by the time our true identity gets stamped on the team,” said McNabb continuing on what style of football he looks to bring to Vesty Road. “Over the next five weeks, it’s about trying to pick up as many points as we can, get smiles back on people’s faces and enjoying it again.
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind couple of days, I wasn’t expecting it but really excited to get started, meet the fans on Saturday. It’s Non League Day, massive game against a side in the same situation, hopefully get a good following behind us, fans behind us, lots of noise and try get the first three points.”
The club wasted no time in appointing their successor ahead of a busy end to the season. A source at Bootle told Off The Park: “It was important to identify suitable candidates that matched our ambitions; so it wasn’t that important that it was quickly, more that we identified the right person who was the right fit for the club – and also that the club was the right fit for them.
“Of course, it helps as we have six important league games left and the manager will be able to assess the squad and make the tweaks needed to hopefully pick up points between now and the end of the season.
“We’re very happy that Dave has joined us. He’s got a fantastic football cv and is still very ambitious and driven to succeed.”
[Featured image: Warrington Rylands – Mark Percy]
