Lee Cattermole confident Gateshead can find form ahead of Southend United clash

Lee Cattermole remains fully confident he can improve Gateshead’s fortunes as his out-of-form side prepare to host National League title candidates Southend United on Saturday afternoon.

The Heed have won just one of their first eight games under the former Sunderland and Middlesbrough midfielder and Wednesday’s defeat at Kidderminster Harriers means they have claimed just a solitary point from their last six league fixtures. It also means Cattermole’s side head into this weekend’s International Stadium meeting with the Shrimpers sitting second from bottom in non-league’s top tier.

Despite their poor form, Cattermole has insisted his side can come out of a poor run of form and insisted his players have shown signs they can trigger an upturn in results in the near future.

When asked if he still believed he can improve his side, the Heed boss told The Echo: “Definitely, definitely, yes. I feel I have so much more to offer the team and the club and so much more to give. I know how quickly football can change, I know how much points on the board could not be much worse.

“In terms of performances, I feel there are performances that deserved more in terms of Sutton and Harrogate. We deserved points out of them so it’s not been an amazing start but there are definitely signs of it shaping up internally where I can see it’s heading the way I want it to head. We have to come out of the other side of this period - but I’m not going to hide and say it’s all rosy. It’s absolutely not - but we can come through it. Every team has a spell, this might be ours, so we need to come out of it and move on.”

Challenge

Saturday’s game will see Cattermole goes head-to-head with another former Premier League star after former Newcastle United winger Kieron Dyer was named as Southend boss during the summer.

The former England international has started his own managerial career in impressive fashion after his side lost just one of their eight league games to move into third place in the table ahead of their trip to Tyneside. Cattermole is relishing the test his side will face when they look to disrupt their visitors push for promotion and boost their own hopes of remaining in non-league’s top tier.

He said: “It’s a great challenge, it really is. Everything we are doing and everything I’ve seen from other managers and their staff, they all operate on a really high level and it’s up to us to ensure we are doing the same. It’s great experience but it’s a serious industry and we need to do well. I’m loving the challenge, I think it’s a really good league and the managers you come up against are of a high level.

“I’m looking forward to meeting Kieron, to see how he is feeling about it and enjoying it, and his team are doing really well so I’m sure he is quite happy. I’ve got nothing but respect for the league and I’ve always had a chat with the other managers to pick their brains and I understand that’s where I am at on my journey."

‘Good energy’

The Gateshead players wasted little time in preparing for Saturday’s game after returning to training just hours after they were back on Tyneside following their midweek defeat against Kidderminster. Cattermole revealed he saw ‘lots of positive signs’ from his squad as they look to return to winning ways on their home patch.

“There were really pleasing signs in training,” explained the former Sunderland captain. “It was raining but the lads were out on the pitch and we didn’t get back from Kidderminster until late - but they were out running around and having a bit of fun with each other. Lads that didn’t get minutes did a small-sided game and that was really good energy and you’re looking at it all thinking they’re ready to go out on the pitch on Saturday. There were lots of positive signs and we are ready to go again.”

‘That will all be resolved internally and professionally’

The buildup to Wednesday’s defeat in the Midlands was dominated by a report stating several members of the Gateshead ranks had been told to train separately and were now part of what was described as a ‘bomb squad’. Cattermole has stressed the situation will be ‘resolved internally and professionally’ and hinted he could look to add further new signings to his squad if some players are moved on.

He said: “For me, I have been given the opportunity to bring players in and we all know how the game is with that. We have a big squad at the moment so that probably has to be a situation where players have to go out before more players come in. We’ve had conversations internally with the lads. I do see the stuff that comes out - but for me, my focus is on the group I’m working with and the team. That will all be resolved internally and professionally, which is how it should be.”

Home debut

One new face that has arrived over the last week is Leyton Orient goalkeeper Noah Phillips after he agreed to join Gateshead on loan until the middle of December. The 21-year-old earned praise from Cattermole after making his bow at Kidderminster in midweek as he now prepares to make his home debut against Southend.

“He started well. It’s the first time we’ve done that where we sign someone and he goes straight in and plays. He was good, he did well, he didn’t have a lot to do but he looked composed, he kicked it well. We are really pleased with him.”

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