Website designed and maintained by Website4u How does it feel being a manager as opposed to a player? There is no comparison between the two. Being a player is much better than being a manager. Having said that, there are different challenges that I face that were not there as a player. How have you adapted to the new role? It has taken time. Some mistakes and wrong decisions have been made, but all were made with the right intentions and for the benefit of the team and club as a whole. What has been the most difficult aspect of that role? We have implemented rules and a more professional approach which a club like Penicuik deserves (ie time keeping, fines for missing training and games, players conducting themselves in a manner appropriate for the club) and it took a few players time to adjust away from the way it used to be at Penicuik, to how it is now. This has had a bearing and will continue to have a bearing on the team we select on a Saturday. In the long run this will benefit the players and the club and it is one thing that the management team will not compromise on. What has frustrated you most as a manager? I get particularly frustrated when you watch players who have been playing well and doing the job they have been asked to do well, and then they suddenly start to do things differently (fancy flicks, running with the ball, etc). They start to have a negative impact on the team and pattern of play and we have suffered in games as a result of this. What have you enjoyed most as a manager? Watching us perform well and seeing the team we now have as being potentially better than any Penicuik team since the club reformed. We have a team of good quality players, many of those carry great experience and as a player I would have loved to have played in this current Penicuik team. How do you influence the team/performance from the sidelines? You do see things from the side that are not obvious when you play so it is easier to see where things are going well or badly when watching. It is also necessary to keep praising players or shouting at them so they know when they are and are not doing the right things. How difficult has it proved to do that? It certainly hasn't been that easy. If you were to model yourself on any manager who would it be and why? I didn't model myself on any players and won't model myself on any managers. I will just try to do my best, take bits of advice from different people and trust that will be good enough to make me a decent manager. How do you think the season has gone so far? Stop start. I hope the second half of the season turns out to be more successful for the players, the fans, and the club. How do you think the remainder of the season will go? I wish I could predict that but only time will give the answer to this question. We definitely have the players to do well. We need a bit of luck, we need to avoid injuries, we need to cut out the individual errors, and we also need to show the desire and commitment it takes to force this season to be a successful one. Finally, if you had one wish for Penicuik what would it be? I would love to see Penicuik Athletic play in the Super League. I would like it to be with me as one of the managers. This is one club that deserves to be in the Super League but unfortunately it will only happen through hard work and results on the pitch. An Interview with joint manager Bryan Ryrie