Ian Long's 'won't happen on my watch' Rushall stance as he gives lofty personal target

Long, who took up the job at Dales Lane in late April this year, has had just over two months at the helm and is said to have settled in quite well after a spell away from the game, writes Olly Foster.

This is following his resignation from Walsall Wood FC in October 2024 following off the pitch issues at the club.

Now, Long is ready to kickstart pre-season, and the 2025/26 season.

"Settling in has been quite easy really," Long said. "I know the club, I know the people at the club, obviously the chairman and Nick (Allen) I played for.

"I felt quite comfortable already in my surroundings, to be honest. The football side of things. You're just picking things back up a little bit. Sometimes you forget some of the things that you say and the things that you do.

"But we're quite into pre pre-season now and it's not doing too bad. It's sort of like getting on a bike, I suppose. And once you've done that, you can just jump on at any time and off you go."

Since taking over the reins at the club Long has made many additions to the playing ranks at Rushall.

"Well, hopefully I brought them in so they win football matches," he added. "There's lads that we bought in that know the club so we expect a lot from them and we brought some young, inexperienced lads in at the level, but lads that we really rate and think that they can do well and I think we've got a nice blend.

"Just making sure that more so the more experienced lads that they're bang at it really. They're up for the fight and the battle. You can get players that are after their last few earners and obviously that's something that's not going to happen under my watch.

"So it's just making sure that the players that we attract to the club are up for the fight and they're still hungry for success.

"I want to make sure we sign a lot of local players, which is really important to me. Getting those local boys in, we've signed Carter Lycett and Sam Unitt, two local lads that have played for the youth, come through the youth system there."

Many of the players in which Ian Long and his staff have brought to the club are those who he has worked with at his previous clubs.

However, the Rushall manager has also brought in some outside additions, players he hasn't worked with.

"Players know what to expect from me and I know what to expect from them," he said. "I know the levels that they can get to and they know what level to perform to. They know what's expected of them from that point of view.

"I expect things to be done correctly and I expect football to be high up their agenda and if I don't get that, they know I ain't going to be happy about it."

Rushall suffered relegation last season from National League North, and this year will be playing their football in the Northern Premier Division.

This comes after the club originally appealed the FA's decision to put them into the league, which was unsuccessful. However, Long and his squad must look ahead to what will be an interesting season, and meet all their targets and aims.

"From a club's point of view, it stabilises step three," Long said. "From my point of view, anybody that knows me, I want to be up there fighting at the top end of the table.

"From my point of view, I think we built a squad good enough to compete at the top end and that's what I'll be looking to do. Obviously, if we throw in an FA cup run, that would be great.

"You go into it with a lot of optimism. So I don't think there's any pressure on us to bounce straight back up into the National League.

"Sides have got to travel a long way to us, so we want to get off the mark as quick as we possibly can. I hope the supporters come down and back us, because we will be trying to play a good style of football."