Toolstation NCEL Division One
Ex-Serie A star Daniele Mannini will be back in the Beverley Town squad this weekend, Dave Ricardo has confirmed.
The former Napoli winger has featured twice for Beverley in early August but a holiday and bad injury has ruled him out ever since.
But he is set to be on the bench for Beverley’s trip to Staveley Miners Welfare.
“The story of it is that he played two of the three opening games and then he was going on a month’s holiday until the end of August,” Ricardo told Non League Yorkshire.
“He was going to Ibiza and back to Italy with his family.
“He came back and he said ‘in two weeks I’ll be fit again.
“I can remember him doing a fitness session at training and he was doing squats.
“He was fine and he came over to talk to us.
“Literally ten minutes later his knee blew up and basically it was something to do with cartilage.
“That was at the beginning of September.
“It has been two months and he’s been going training at 6am every morning trying to get fit again so this weekend will be the test of twisting and turning and contact.”
The extraordinary story of Mannini signing for Beverley is one of several good news story from the club who are enjoying their first season as a Non League club.
The growing fan-base is another achievement as supporters are flocking in large numbers to watch Beverley home and away – much to Ricardo’s delight.
“That’s a testament to the supporters and the town,” he said.
“I knew they would buy into it.
“I didn’t think they would buy into it this much.
“I was going to be happy with an average of 150.
“I think the average is over 200.
“That’s fantastic.
“We only charge £3.50 and in most places you can’t get a pint for that these days.
“Our away form is not too bad, it is probably above mid-table.
“Our home form is a bit of a problem and it is a shame we haven’t been able to give back to the fans who come and support us.
“For me as a local lad it hurts and I feel it personally.”
Beverley were like a bull in a china shop in the opening three weeks of the campaign as they won their first three league games.
Times have been tough since and Ricardo says injuries and unavailability are plaguing his side.
“Non League Football is tough to crack and when we spoke last I was warning people that although we had won the first three that we had to improve and bring in other players to stay in the top half,” he said.
“Everyone knows we work on a win bonus and we can’t have the depth that the likes of Campion, Brigg have and we can’t keep 16 or 17 good players happy.
“We have used three goalkeepers this season.
“We have been without the likes of James Piercy, Tom Bennett, Danni Mannini, Reece Moody, Nathan Ofori, Brad Freer and you’re looking at six players who would get into our eleven.
“At various times we have been missing them severely so we’re asking 16 or 17-year-olds to do a man’s job and step up.
“They have done well but we have been lacking that little bit of consistency and quality at times.
“We have just managed to get Matty Plummer because it was blindingly obvious we needed some experience at the back.
“He has played in the last two but James Piercy has missed the last two because of work commitments so those two haven’t played together yet.
“Piercy is back (for Saturday) and Reece Moody and Danni Mannini are both fit for the bench but then we have lost Ollie Baldwin who has been in a car crash.
“Craig Muirhead, Callum Stone are unavailable and our left-back Luke Wheeldon is missing so you get three back but lose three.
“Even if I was Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp, if I have a different set of 17 players or even 11 most weeks (it makes it difficult to get results).”
In terms of league games, after Staveley, Beverley host Selby Town before travelling to Horbury Town.
Ricardo is hopeful the tide will turn.
“The next month is a big one,” he said.
“We are away to Staveley tomorrow and that will be tough as they are playing well.
“Then we have the East Riding Cup game against Brid.
“Those two are very tough games.
“Then we have a run-in to Christmas where we should have the majority of the players back so we should be firing then.
“I’m not panicking yet because when we get the players back we’ll go on a run like anyone can in this league.
“But we need to do it sooner rather than later.”