FA Vase Interview With Chichester Manager Miles Rutherford

What are your thoughts about the upcoming Vase match?

It’s exciting for the club, the players and everyone connected. It’s a big game. We’ve decided to go up on Friday afternoon otherwise the Saturday would have been too much of a long day. It’s a bit of an upheaval for some but when you’re looking forward to a game it’s good for the club, good for the players and creates a good atmosphere for everyone. We’ll go up there and give it our best shot. We’re not expecting an easy game at all. We know that Northwich will be a very strong side. They’ve made lots of signings recently as well and we know that we’ve got a very tough game ahead but it’s something we’re looking forward to. It’s not made any easier for us because we’re missing a couple of players. The whole club is looking forward to it though. It would be fantastic to get into the last eight. On the day it’s eleven against eleven. There’s always a chance but we’re not expecting an easy ride one bit. We know it’s going to be a really tough game.

But you go into the match in a good run of form.

I look at it a little bit different to some people. Some managers look at games and go we’re fantastic, we’re this, we’re that but I’m a little bit different. Some people may say I’m a little bit negative but I go into games wanting to be an underdog and I always played games like that. It brings the best out in some people. I think our side’s a bit like that as well. If you go into games thinking we’ve got a very good chance of winning the game sometimes games go against you. So I’m excited we are playing a very good side. They’re an unknown quantity and I’m hoping the players react on the day and we put in a good performance. I’ve said this to the players all year, when we play sides that we know are going to give us a tough game, if you get beat and you perform well on the day you can’t ask for anything more. It’s about attitudes and work rates and that’s all I ask. If everyone works as hard as they can and you get beat on the day then you won’t be disappointed as a manager but it’s different when you go to games and you’ve got people that don’t do what you know they can do effort-wise. I’m not talking about on the ball and quality of player. Sometimes everyone has a bad day but if you work hard and you lose the game all you can say is we’ve tried and we’ve done our best. I’m hoping everyone gives me 100% on the day and 100% work rate. I can’t ask for anything more than that.