Following the 1-0 win at Boreham Wood on Tuesday, Gary Johnson highlighted the presence of recent signing Frank Nouble, who has made an almost instant impact – both on and off the field.
“It was very good to bring Frank in, that experience is what he gives you. Not only experience on the pitch, but he’s got that calmness and coolness off the pitch,” said the Gaffer.
“He’s not a ranter or a raver, but when he talks to people, you listen. I think they respect what he’s done, what he does, and what he’s going to do, because every game he plays, he gets a bit more fit. He’s desperate to do well for us. We got him because he wanted a challenge, he didn’t just want to see the season out somewhere in mid-table, and we were able, between me and Downesy, to have a chat with him, and convince him in the end, because he took a couple of weeks to make his decision to come to us.
“We’re very pleased he has, because he is a presence – and they are important at this moment in time. We’re really pleased to have him, and we haven’t yet seen the best of him, but we will do, and I’m sure he’ll play a big part in our recovery. You can’t say we’re going to win the league, because he can see the league table, but I think he’s played with players that have played with me and Downesy, and I think they helped in convincing him that we were the right club for him at this moment in time.
“The Club, of course, have done well, because you have to look after somebody who’s got a family – one very young, four or five-week-old baby, and a couple of other kids – so the Club’s done very well to assist us in bringing Frank here.”
In addition to praising the impact made by the former West Ham & England U19 forward, the Gulls boss once again took time to pay tribute to another passionate show of support from the travelling Yellow Army in midweek, and reiterated the vital role that United’s loyal fanbase can play during the closing weeks of the season – home and away.
“The pressure is always going to be there, but what you want to do is ramp the belief up, because if you’re going into war, you need everyone believing in what’s going on, at least until you lose the war, and we’re in a ‘sporting war’ scenario.
“We’re all disappointed where we are, but if we can get that wave of enthusiasm, and that wave of belief that we’re going to do it, then you’ve got a better chance than if you haven’t got that belief or you haven’t got that enthusiasm. I was really happy with the gate that we got against Dagenham for instance, with the away support that we’re still getting, we want to do it for them basically, that’s what we want to do.
“If it all comes off, then people can look back at themselves and say ‘well, I gave my support all through that’. If it doesn’t come off, then they can have their opinion, if you like, and be disappointed, but not at the moment – everyone’s got to give it a go.”
