IT'S been a busy week not just for Aldershot's new manager, Kevin Dillon, but for his players, too.

Normally the players have Wednesdays off (provided the 1st team or reserves have no fixture) but Dillon decided to get them in for training on both Tuesday and Wednesday.

"The players had Monday off as the club and I were busy with the press conference and the like," said Dillon. "I was tempted to give them Wednesday off, too, but I wasn't comfortable with the players having two days off in the week.

"Training has been really good. The players have been tremendous, they have a terrific attitude and are a good bunch of lads.

"And it was not just about impressing a new manager. I can see that it goes beyond that. There is great spirit among the squad.

"The lads clearly have an attacking ethos, which I like, but they have just had two clean sheets, too. And I do believe that building from the back forms the basis of the best winning teams.”

Dillon is a modern coach, possessing the top Uefa coaching badge, the Pro Licence — in Monday’s press conference he joked that he was a ‘doctor of football science', thanks to that qualification.

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop myself doing some coaching, I’ve been doing it for 13 years,” said Dillon.

In all likelihood, Dillon and his assistant, Gary Owers, will share the coaching duties.

“Sometimes as a manager you need to stand back after you have done the preparation and let the assistant or coach get on with things.”

Owers ran his first coaching session with the players on Wednesday — after Dillon had met them for the first time the day before.

While Dillon is a Mackem who played for Newcastle United, Owers is a Geordie who played for Sunderland.

The 41-year-old midfielder, who also played for Notts County and Bristol City, has managed Forest Green Rovers in the Conference and has recently been working on Portsmouth’s coaching staff.

“I’ve known Gary for 20 years. He had a great playing career and has been desperate to get back into coaching,” said Dillon. “He has all the attributes required to do the job. He is a proper grafter and has a presence about him — and I like that.”

Dillon has played for some famous managers, including Sir Alf Ramsey, when Dillon broke into Birmingham City's side as a teenager, and Jim Smith, at both Portsmouth and Newcastle. As a coach, he was No.2 to first Alan Pardew and then Steve Coppell, both at Reading.

"It was Alan who promoted me to assistant," said Dillon. "When he left, I was keen to get the main job but Steve Coppell came in and he has been such an influence. I have learnt so much from him."

Dillon said that one of the most important lessons he has been taught by Coppell is not to put too much pressure on the players. "Lots of pressure rarely brings reward," said Dillon. "I want the players to enjoy their football. All I ask is that they are always on time for training and that they are prepared to work as hard as possible in those training sessions.

"The players have the ability to play at a higher level," added Dillon. "But only by hard work will they get there.”

Dillon is unlikely to make too many changes to the Aldershot team — in the short-term, at least.

He pointed out that Coppell spent a couple of months assessing his players, after arriving at Reading.

“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.”

It's not just the players who have impressed Dillon; the whole club has already made quite an impression. “I like that the staff behind the scenes at the club are all Aldershot supporters,” said Dillon. “They have grown with the club and give everything to it. There is a different feel here [to other clubs] — the people here deserve success.”

Dillon now sets out to try to bring those good results on the pitch, starting with Macclesfield — a match Aldershot will be favourites to win, so the fans are expectant, already.

Dillon watched Macclesfield lose 1-0 at MK Dons in the FA Cup last week but kept his thoughts on the Cheshire team — who are 18th in the table, but have lost just twice away from home — to himself. “I’m more concerned with our team,” he said. “The players have a winning mentality and we need to keep that.”

Macclesfield have won their last two away matches in the league, albeit at struggling Cheltenham Town and Darlington. In their last two matches in League 2, both at home, they surrendered 2-0 leads to draw with Bradford City and Dagenham & Redbridge.

Aldershot failed to beat Macclesfield last season; indeed, but for a last-minute equaliser from Kirk Hudson at the Rec, they would have lost both games.

Keith Alexander's team will be no pushovers, especially if Ricky Sappleton, who scored a scorching equaliser against the Shots for Bournemouth last season, is fit enough to start after a recent infection.

Algerian Hamza Bencherif will also probably play up front but Gareth Evans, who scored home and away against the Shots last season, has moved on to Bradford City. Danny Thomas, who also did well last season against Aldershot, is now at Kettering. Key defender Sean Hessey has been out injured all season and Saturday will probably be too soon to see him return.

John Rooney, brother of Wayne, should start in midfield, while Macclesfield have an even more exotic goalkeeper than Aldershot's Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz: Jose Veiga has played for the Cape Verde Islands.

As for Aldershot, John Halls — whom Dillon worked with at Reading, as he did with Louie Soares — should be fit enough to make the squad but Dillon said that Halls needs a reserves’ game before he can come into the starting reckoning.

"We've brought the reserves' fixture at Crawley forward to next Tuesday as there are a few guys who need a game," said Dillon.

Another one of those is Ben Harding. "Ben's a very talented player," said Dillon. "Gary [Owers] knows him well from their time together at Forest Green. I'm looking forward to having Ben fit and fighting for a place." Dean Howell is another player nearing fitness, too.

Dave Winfield is suspended but Adam Hinshelwood should be fit, after getting the all-clear from his knee specialist.

"I'm really pleased," said Hinshelwood. "My surgeon has studied the scans and he says that all the major components of the knee are healthy. I'm still feeling some discomfort but the specialist thinks it is more a hamstring problem. Hopefully with lots of massaging and stretching before and after matches I can get through games fine."

After being forced off after an hour two games running, Hinshelwood has played a full part in Aldershot's last two matches, in which they have kept their first clean sheets of the season. The quarter of Ben Herd, Hinshelwood, Anthony Charles and Andy Sandell has looked a very solid defensive unit.

"It's not just about the defence," said Hinshelwood. "Everyone has contributed to the clean sheets. I think it has helped having an extra holding midfielder [caretaker manager Jason Dodd had Lewis Chalmers and Louie Soares playing behind Scott Donnelly]."

On the back of the win over Bury, Hinshelwood believes the side can go on a good run, starting with Macclesfield.

“We are confident of beating anyone at home,” said Hinshelwood. “So, it would have been nice to have a home draw in the next round of the Cup.

"But we need to get back to winning ways in the league and climbing the table — I don’t really believe there are three better squads than us in this division. We certainly have an eye on getting back up into the play-off spots soon.”

Hinshelwood said that it was 'settling' for the players to have a permanent manager appointed. "I cannot praise Jason Dodd and Paul Williams highly enough," said Hinshelwood. "They came in and did a great job with the players, even though they had the 'caretaker' tag hanging over them.

"But it is a lot more settling for players to have a permanent manager. The new gaffer sat us down on Tuesday and outlined his plans."

Hinshelwood is expected to continue as captain but he said Dillon had not yet spoken to him about that.

"I'll just have to wait and see on that front," said Hinshelwood. "Hopefully I will continue but it's the manager's decision and I will respect whatever that is.

"I think it's a good time for the new gaffer to come in. Our injury problems are easing and the squad is looking good. Now we need to get back to winning in the league."

Indeed: a home win on Saturday will be just what ‘Dr Dillon’ ordered.

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