Trewick failed to make step up to top job at Hereford United

8:00am Tuesday 16th March 2010

By Richard Prime

That was John Trewick’s opening gambit as he addressed the assembled press corps after his first home match as Hereford United boss, against Milton Keynes Dons in May last year.

On that occasion, he had seen his side look worthy of at least a point before losing to a solitary goal four minutes from time.

The previous week, another hardly-merited 2-1 defeat at Northampton had begun the Trewick era.

On reflection, that match had done little to inspire confidence even before it began with United naming six loan players, rather than the permitted five, in their match-day squad.

While that error has not been repeated this season, the general sense of ill-fortune has certainly remained.

Trewick has not seen the greatest of luck – he has often railed against referees who have wrongly, or harshly, awarded decisions against his team, or failed to punish some opposition misdemeanour.

He certainly seemed unsure of what his best side was, right from the start of the season when there was little continuity of selection, especially in the key centre-back area.

Too much chopping and changing of the side – some of it, to be fair, forced by injury or suspension – failed to allow players to get to know one another’s styles on the field of play.

And, as the squad was composed almost entirely of new players, a feeling of togetherness – at least on the pitch – might have helped the gelling process.

The failure to retain popular players such as Ben Smith, Steve Guinan, Kris Taylor and Dean Beckwith was greeted with raised eye-brows in many quarters.

But if the players brought in had been superior, then that would have been overlooked.

Instead, however, Trewick’s signings, although impressive, in many cases, on paper and in flashes through pre-season, failed to really establish themselves.

With the notable exception of Adam Bartlett in goal, the spine of the side – through centre-back, central midfield and central striking – failed to live up to promise or reputation and, after seven games without a win, United were already in some turmoil.

Rumours abounding that Trewick had tendered his resignation in mid-September after the seventh of those games – a defeat from a goal yards offside at Grimsby – scarcely promoted a feeling of stability.

But the arrival of a rash of loan signings brought a temporary improvement that prompted a feeling that everything might be well after all.

Through October and November, eyes began to turn towards the higher end of the table. And a spectacular win at Northampton on December 1 brought fresh hope that the play-offs may yet be within reach.

But some dreadful performances either side of Christmas in the stop-start months of December and January swiftly took away any feel-good factor.

And the failure to recruit any player of note in the January transfer window depressed matters still further.

When United’s home record, which had at least provided some contrast to the appalling away form, started to falter as well – with crowds dropping to hitherto unthought-of levels – it became clear that the end was approaching.

A fine win at Cheltenham brought brief respite, but the Trewick era ended as it had begun, on a losing note, following the home defeat by Macclesfield.

Those who had dealings with him will strongly hope that Trewick, a most personable man, will bounce back quickly within the game that is his passion.

But it seems that he will be remembered at Hereford as an excellent coach – associated with the most successful Bulls side in a generation or more – who was just unable to make a comfortable transition to the top job.