Linnets boss seeks assurances after play-off defeat

Adam Lakeland is seeking assurances from the club’s hierarchy over next season after missing out on promotion from the National League North.The King’s Lynn Town boss has led the team from the brink of relegation to the league play-offs in the space of 12 months.But what happens going forward remains unclear, with Turn Sports Capital and the Blue and Gold Supporters Trust still locked in discussions over a possible takeover.Speaking after the 1-0 play-off eliminator defeat at Chorley on Tuesday night, Lakeland said: “There’s a lot of noise at the minute around the chairman (Stephen Cleeve), Joe (Phua), Turn Capital, the community, the Blue and Gold Supporters Trust.”I just think there needs to be a resolution one way or another, so we can crack on and work because it’s certainly not going to help me in the summer if there’s noise in the background.”I’ve done the best that I can to protect the players from it and brought them as far as we possibly can.”I’m gutted for everybody at the football club that we’ve fallen short, but hopefully they’ll see the progress we’ve made and find a way to back us that little bit extra next year and hopefully we can do something special. “I’m ambitious and I want to keep building. I can’t be at a football club that isn’t always looking to move forward, especially if I’m driving 400 miles a day to do it. “I need to know that we want to keep moving forward and so long as that’s the case, then everything’s cosy, but we’ll have to just see how the next few days and weeks go.”Lakeland wants to remain at the club and feels he has earned the right to take the club forward.”I’m under contract and I have no plans not to be, but I feel like I’ve earned the right to,” he said. “We’ve taken the club from second off the bottom with eight points after ten games.”We’ve kept them up with a crap group of players when the club was in tatters off the pitch and we’ve rebuilt and put together a group that gives their all every week for this club that have got to the play-offs, that have finished only 13 points off top of the league and we’ve just missed out narrowly tonight despite performing incredibly well. “I want to know that I can keep building this team and this football club and moving it forward and if that’s the case, then let’s have it.”Lynn’s boss believes it doesn’t require a major overhaul to lead the club to the next level. “I think we’ll be stronger next year for the experience that we’ve had this season,” he said.”I’ve never really been a big believer in a constant revolving door of players, loads of players out, loads of players in.”I think the best approach is to just keep on building and keep on growing with the players that you’ve got.”Naturally, you’re always looking to try and improve and we’ll certainly have to do that because we’ve fallen short. “But we’re not a million miles away and I think a lot of these lads, it’s their first year in full-time football, a lot of them have moved away from home.”Some lads have stepped up a division or two and a lot of them are at a good age where I think they’ll keep on getting better.”So, it won’t be major surgery at all. It’ll just be trying to add quality in areas where I feel we need it and hopefully that’ll see us have another good run next year.”