Latics chairman Simon Corney has supported his decision to appoint almost unknown Darren Kelly as the new manager at Boundary Park after a backlash from fans that they would sever connections with the club.
Corney commented, “My message to the fans is give the guy a chance. The board and I are all confident we have made a good decision in appointing Darren. Time will tell, but you get fans at every club who aren't always happy with who is appointed. Now it's Darren's job, and mine, to change their minds. I think he'll bring an exciting brand of football to SportsDirect Park (Boundary Park).”
“We will need more than a few new players but it's not just about the manager attracting them; it’s a group effort. I'd like to think we will help him get the right players in - but once the season starts, judge us then. It was a long and exhaustive process. We met some excellent potential managers and some very experienced ones, but you have to go with your gut feeling and what you've seen in the interview process."
"When Darren came I got the same feeling I had with Lee Johnson. We have a pretty good record with managers at this club, though it isn't just me who should take credit. After we all met Darren, he made it very hard for us not to pick him. He is under no illusions, everybody knows football is a results business. If we do well, we'll look very smart and so will Darren. If things don't go well, we'll have to deal with that as well. I firmly believe that we've got somebody here who is going to bring a lot to the club. We've already talked extensively about what direction we're going to go in. We are looking forward to proving a few people wrong.”