NEW Canvey manager Glen Alzapiedi says his predecessor John Batch was let down by under-performing players.

Batch shocked the local football fraternity by standing down from the Park Lane hot seat last week after six years in charge.

It came after an indiffererent run of results left the Gulls struggling to keep up with the play-off pack, but new boss Alzapiedi feels Batch was not to blame.

He said: “John has been an extremely loyal and faithful man and manager to the players here.

“And, to be honest, they haven’t rewarded him for his loyalty.

“We have some talented individuals here but they have not played with the same team cohesion that we did last season.

“But I’ve worked very closely with John and I know the strengths and weaknesses of all the players here.

“So in the short-term I’ve got to try to get them playing to their strengths and as a team again.

“But I do have an idea of where we need to strengthen, and what sort of players I want to get into the club.”

Alzapiedi said he was delighted Batch will continue as a director of football at the club with a primary responsibility of scouting for new talent – a role he carried out so succesfully during the Jeff King era.

He said: “John will be the man who will go and find me the type of players I want.

“I’ll give him the photo-fit of what I need and in what position, and John will go and find those players.

“He will leave the football side to me, which is fine because I am an experienced manager.

“But I would struggle to find the time to look for new players, so it will be the perfect relationship.”

Batch watched from the stands as Alzapiedi took his place in the Park Lane dug-out for the first time as manager on Saturday.

Alzapiedi felt they showed a big improvement on recent performances and, although they lost to Cray, he said afterwards he felt honoured to take over as manager at one of Essex’s most famous clubs.

He said: “John trusts me as a manager and as a coach, and the main thing for him was he wanted someone here who has a big feeling for the club.

“I never played for this club, I’m not from the local area, and I have not been brought up as a Canvey fan.

“But one thing about me is I am an extremely loyal person, and when I commit myself to a football club or anything that’s a big commitment for me.

“So I’ll give everything to make this club successful.

“John would not have handed over the reigns to me if he did not believe I had Canvey Island at heart so it’s an honour for me, not only to manage the club, but to know that someone like John trusts me.”