Heath Wants Six Of The Best

Last updated : 18 January 2007 By Covsupport

Caretaker manager Adrian Heath looks likely to get six games in charge of the Sky Blues. Heath who took over from Peter Reid as temporary manager in his first spell knows that how City do in the next six matches will affect his chances of becoming the permanent City manager.

With City having to pay off Micky Adams, the Stoke City supporter is unlikely to have any money for new players in what is left of the transfer window. said to the CT: "This is a big club with a history in the Premier League. "It has fallen on hard times in the last few years but this is an opportunity for me.

"I am under no illusions about the size of the task and I haven't got a magic wand and I can't suddenly make the players playing with no confidence play at the top of their form.

"What we have to do, somehow, is get a result, and hopefully that will start to inject a bit of confidence back in the group because they are pretty low at the moment. "But the one thing I do know is that this group of players can win and have won games at this level, so it is not as though we are dealing with a group of players who can't cope in this division.

"I won't be the players mate from now on, I am the one who has to make the decisions and leave one or two of them out on Monday night at Plymouth when I will the bad guy all of a sudden.

"So although I do know the players and have an intimate relationship with them, I think that changes and the assistant tag comes off.

"There are some tough decisions to be made in the next few weeks and hopefully I will make the right ones to get us some results and give me the opportunity to keep the job."

Added Heath who met Sly Stallone at Everton last Sunday: "We know we are on the canvass at the moment and we are going to need all the help of the supporters, especially at home. "Maybe because there has been a change, they might come in with a different frame of mind."