Aldershot Town FC

Ruiz to start - and new recruits on the way

By Charlie Oliver
March 11, 2010

HISTORY does repeat itself - as far as Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz in concerned.

Last season, Ruiz was dropped by Gary Waddock and replaced by on loan Alex McCarthy — only to win back his place (when Nikki Bull's injury problems resurfaced).

Now, after being ousted by manager Kevin Dillon and replaced by loanee Stephen Henderson, Ruiz is set to be brought back into the fold once again on Saturday, at Bradford City.

Henderson has been recalled by parent club Bristol City and Dillon confirmed that, while he will be bringing in another goalkeeper, Ruiz is back as his No 1.

“I will put Mikhael back in,” said Dillon. “He has been absolutely terrific after losing his place.

“He was a great help to Stephen and has worked ever so hard on improving his kicking in training. Perhaps Stephen coming in was the best thing that could have happened to Mikhael. His attitude has been great and now he deserves to start — but a new goalkeeper will push Mikhael for that place.”

Dillon does not want to sign more players on loan, after having his fingers burnt by Henderson’s recall.

“I want players we can tie to a contract,” he said. “Loan players give you a false sense of security. It’s very disappointing to lose Stephen, he will be missed, but that is how the system works.”

Dillon also missed out on a defensive loan target last week - a central defender from a Premiership club, who Dillon said was now joining a Championship team instead. Perhaps that is Bondz N'Gala, the 20-year-old West Ham player expected to sign on loan at Plymouth Argyle today.

So, Dillon is turning to uncontracted players and he is hoping to bring in that goalkeeper and two others before the Bradford game — probably a defender and a forward. The manager said that the defender had played at a good level and was someone he had high trust in.

With Andy Sandell and Dave Winfield both out with hamstring problems (they may both be fit in a week), Dillon needs either a left-back or a centre-back, if he chooses to move Anthony Charles out wide.

“Charles is an option at left-back, yes," said Dillon. "I’m not comfortable playing Anthony Straker at left-back,” added Dillon. “That is only an emergency option, a last case scenario.”

Straker was regarded as a fullback but was converted to a left-sided midfielder by caretaker manager Jason Dodd in October and Dillon has, more often than not, picked Straker in that new role.

Dillon, who allowed fans’ favourite Lewis Chalmers to join Oxford United on loan last week, has a midfield target too, but said that player is contracted elsewhere until the summer.

"I cannot find a midfielder," said Dillon. "There is one I really want but he's in another team and we will have to wait until his contract expires at the end of the season."

Nor does Dillon expect to see John Halls again this season. The midfielder, much admired by Dillon, is one of the more experienced and classy players in the Aldershot squad but a groin injury has ensured he has scarcely played under Dillon and has not been seen at all for three months.

“John has had so many problems with his operations and rehab,” said Dillon. “It may be a case of making sure we get him right for next season.”

So, Dillon will go with what he has in midfield, where the Shots were out-fought against Burton last week. "I am confident in the midfielders I have playing well together," he said.

But by further bolstering his forward line - as he is expected to do - Dillon still looks keen to try out a 4-4-2 formation, even if the Bradford game may be too soon for that.

That would mean one fewer central midfielder starting, with Scott Donnelly unlikely ever to miss out.

Dillon is very interested in a further forward still, one of the Irish trialists recommended to him by Stephen Hunt, the Hull City player, whom Dillon was with at Reading.

The unnamed striker played in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Basingstoke on Tuesday — but finances may yet stand in the way of a deal. Marvin Morgan returned in that game, too, and is likely to be available for Saturday's match at Bradford.

Dillon praised Reece Connolly, the teenager who is scoring on loan at Salisbury City, but said the youngster is best there for now, before being offered a pro contract at the Rec next season. "If we brought back Reece now, he would not play," said Dillon. "He is best off at Salisbury - he is doing really well, working on his game and enjoying it."

After the dire display against Burton, Dillon is confident his players will bounce back against Bradford, whom the Shots beat 1-0 at the Rec ten days ago.

“I had the players in to watch the DVD of Burton on Sunday," he said. "Players like to be praised, not criticised, but when they watched it and we stopped and rewinded through the worst bits, they soon knew they had no leg to stand on when it came to defending that performance.

"But it’s gone, we move on. We all know that this team has ups and downs. I am confident that they will play well at Bradford."

Dillon played in the top two divisions for 15 years and he was assistant manager at Reading at the same high levels. He admits that working at a League Two - Division Four - club and with the inconsistent players who inhabit that level is 'different'.

But he praised his charges: "They are a hard-working bunch of lads and deserve a lot of credit," he said. "They are the reason this club is doing well. All I ask is that they train as hard as possible and try their best. And, to be fair to them, they are doing that."

The simple truth is that the players' best can sometimes be decidedly poor - as in the woeful showing against Burton, which followed so soon after an excellent win at Chesterfield and a solid one over Bradford. Dillon's team is just three points shy of the number of points they finished with last season, so progress is being made.

"That's an unbelievable stat," said Dillon. "These players have the club as high as it's been since the late 1980s.

"Look at the table. It is no surprise that the likes of Northampton and now Port Vale are coming on strong towards the end. They are big clubs, who have players who are experienced at a higher level, who know how to win key games later in a season.

"We are not like that. I am trying to help the players here by bringing in one or two new ones but I understand that the books have to be balanced, too."

Port Vale came from behind to beat Bradford on Tuesday - Peter Taylor's side are as erratic as Dillon's, having won three and lost three under his tenure.Taylor sounded just like Dillon on Tuesday evening, demanding 'consistency'.

But Dillon appears to be accepting that inconsistency comes with the territory at this level. So, it is hard to predict how Aldershot will play at Bradford, a side they deservedly beat so recently at home. Last season, of course, they lost 5-0 at Valley Parade.

Certainly, Aldershot's midfield must do far, far better than against Burton. The defence, with Ruiz back in goal and a debutant likely to be in there too, must settle quickly, too.

Bradford have only played one other home game under Taylor - a narrow win over Darlington - so expect them to be more adventurous than they were at Aldershot ten days ago. Their play-off hopes look over but Aldershot's, of course, are not.

Seventh place is perhaps just beyond them but a good result on Saturday, with Shrewsbury to come at home next week, will raise expectations once again. The message from Dillon is that Burton has been buried. Now, bring on Bradford.

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