IF first impressions are anything to go by, Aldershot have made another sound managerial appointment in Kevin Dillon.

There is, of course, no guarantee that any manager will be a success and Dillon will be judged on results alone - and the Shots have some tricky looking fixtures ahead.

But there is certainly a welcome sense of optimism at Aldershot, after the appointment of John Leppard as acting chairman last week, and now Dillon's arrival.

While there is a gamble in the appointment in that this is Dillon's first role as a manager - bar a brief spell as caretaker at Reading, six years ago - Dillon has been in football for a long time.

He played as a teenager under Sir Alf Ramsey at Birmingham City, ahead of an impressive career in midfield at a high level in the Football League, chiefly at City, Portsmouth and Reading.

More than a decade of coaching followed at Reading, assisting Alan Pardew and Steve Coppell, before he left there in May.

Dillon is a modern coach - he and Nas Bashir, whom Dillon is expected to name as his assistant, both possess the top Uefa coaching badge, the Pro Licence, which they studied for at Reading - and at today's press conference Dillon came across as enthusiastic, professional and determined.

He may have been a No.2 for a long time but he has the demeanour of a boss - and even sounds like a football manager, with his north-east accent (Dillon played for Newcastle United but he is Sunderland born, so is a Mackem, not a Geordie). He has a gravitas that suggests he does not suffer fools gladly and the players will be in no doubt as to who is in charge - but he also showed a sense of humour.

"It's good to get back in the game," said Dillon. "I'm sick of gardening, hoovering and dusting."

Actually, while Dillon had not been coaching this season, he has been busy scouting for Watford. His priorities changed once he had applied for the Aldershot role, however, and his devotion to the potential task was one of the many things that impressed Aldershot's board.

In the past few weeks Dillon has watched several of Aldershot's imminent opponents: Chesterfield, Burton Albion and Bradford. Last Saturday he was not, as rumour suggested, disguised in the away seats at the Rec, but busy watching Macclesfield at MK Dons. Macclesfield are Aldershot's opponents in Dillon's first game in charge, this Saturday at the Rec.

Dillon also watched Aldershot in their recent 3-1 defeat at Shrewsbury, where they played so well for half an hour, before the match turned on Dave Winfield's red card.

"I was very impressed with what I saw early on at Shrewsbury," said Dillon. "I like the way the ball is moved around and played into midfield - the style of play in League 2 has pleasantly surprised me.

"As far as I can see, all the players at Aldershot look like good footballers. We have a bunch of young lads who want to play football, to get the ball on the floor. It's exciting."

He also, incidentally, was quick to back Winfield; clearly Dillon will be keen to protect his players, in public. "I understand what happened [Winfield was sent off for headbutting an opponent] was totally out of character," said Dillon. "It's terrific that a young player like Dave has played 100 or so games for the club. He has a presence about him and I like that."

Dillon said that he certainly liked the sound of two clean sheets, as Jason Dodd achieved in his last games as caretaker boss, but he is, like Gary Waddock before him, a man who likes players to express themselves and enjoy their football. It is unlikely, however, that his side will be quite so gung-ho as Waddock's.

"Gary brought some good players together. After he left, Jason Dodd did a great job stabilising things. This is a successful team and I am looking forward to working with them," said Dillon.

"I have spoken to Gary and Kuhly [Martin Kuhl] and will probably do so again but I'm now in charge and will decide what to do. There are some tough games ahead but that is a challenge - and one I am really looking forward to.

"I'm all for giving players an opportunity," said Dillon. "The players have had success at this club and deserve a chance to impress me. Nor am I one for changing a winning team."

So, don't expect any sweeping changes come Saturday. Two players Dillon knows particularly well are Louie Soares and John Halls, both of whom he worked with at Reading.

Dillon played down Aldershot's ambitions for the season. Currently in upper mid-table, Dillon said: "I'd like to be on the edge of the play-offs towards the end of the season, to give the supporters a bit of excitement.

"I don't want the season to peter out and I don't think that is going to happen. But the club has recently been promoted and 15th was a good finish last season. If we can finish higher than that, that is success for me."

His chairman suggested that Dillon actually has higher hopes still.

"Kevin is very confident that he can take Aldershot onwards and upwards," said Leppard. "I think he's really looking for a play-off spot. We are lucky to have Kevin, he is just the man we needed. If what Kevin told us at interview - if just half of what he has in mind comes off - then he will do extremely well."

After such a long time coaching, Dillon has developed an extensive list of contacts.

"The courses I have been on [for my badges] have been great from a football educational side of things but it's the contacts that you make there that are so important," said Dillon. "Yes, I've got some good contacts."

Those Uefa courses ensure that Dillon has been schooled in modern managing. "I'm very into the scientific approach," said Dillon. "I will not, for instance, be running the players up hills all the time." Instead, expect plenty of ball work in intense training sessions, nutritious diets for all, constructive fitness work and working on the players' self-belief.

"Kevin's organisational qualities and professionalism were head and shoulders above those of the other candidates," said Leppard. "Everyone on the selection panel wanted Kevin. It was a unanimous decision."

"Both of us are new in our roles," continued Leppard. "We've both got the enthusiasm to make a difference. We've got to move the club forward again and I don't see why we can't. There are a lot of hungry people here and we are ready to move it on again."

One of the first jobs Dillon and Leppard must do is try to tie down the players they want to keep at the club to longer contracts. Players such as Scott Donnelly will be out of contract in the summer - and, so long as the team is playing well, there is bound to be interest in the club's best young players.

"We've already talked about that," said Leppard. "Kevin needs to assess the players, of course, but in the next week he'll have gone through every contract and will know which ones he wants to extend. He is fired up for that job already. We don't want to sell anybody and we will fight our corner."

There is a sense that not just Leppard and Dillon go together well, but that Aldershot Town and Dillon do, too. This Aldershot club is still new to the Football League and finding its way - Dillon, for all his coaching experience, is new to management and both club and manager are keen to make a name for themselves.

Dillon even said that the Rec reminds him of Elm Park, where he used to play for Reading, and that he was looking forward to hearing the vociferous Aldershot fans he has heard so much about.

So, it seems that Aldershot's was the very type of job Dillon was looking for - and, equally, Leppard said: "Where we are now and what the club needs today, then there was only one man to appoint: Kevin Dillon."

So, hopefully this is a match made in heaven. Results back down on the ground will dictate whether that is true, of course, starting with Macclesfield on Saturday. That is a game Aldershot will be favourites to win; the fans are already expectant for Dillon to deliver.

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