Ruthless Duo Lennie And Michael Stick Together

Michael Flynn will keep his Newport County management team together for next season, but he is going to be ruthless when it comes to his squad.

Former Cardiff City manager Lennie Lawrence and assistant manager Wayne Hatswell will continue to work alongside Newport-born Flynn through 2018-19.

He has big decisions to make on which players stay and who goes and says: “The people who aren’t staying will be told in the next few days and there are one or two we’ll talk to.

Former Cardiff City manager Lennie Lawrence now coaches alongside Newport County team boss Michael Flynn. Pic: Getty Images.

“I have no problem with being ruthless. it happened to me a few times in my career.

“Recruitment is the main thing in football now and we have to get that right.”

Left-back Dan Butler, Newport’s player of the year who makes his 100th appearance for the club at Carlisle, will be staying and Flynn says: “Dan has shown strength of character and improved endlessly this season.

“It’s a credit to him and I’m pleased he’ll manage to get a century of games.”

Flynn takes his Newport squad to Carlisle on Saturday and they are aiming to secure a top 10 finish.

Home manager Keith Curle has already decided he will leave the club after this final League Two match, while New port have been hit hard by injuries and illness.

Newport County captain Joss Labadie. Pic: Getty Images.

Joss Labadie and Scot Bennett are injured, while Paul Hayes is among a number of players who are ill.

“We’re not looking great,” said Flynn. “There’s a sickness bug to add to the injuries. We’ll make do with what we’ve got.

“It would have been ideal to give Jay Foulston a game, but he’s away with Wales.

“I won’t be playing our youth players, they aren’t good enough, they are way off.

“Modou (Touray) will be involved, I don’t class him and Jay as youth team players now, but the others have got a long way to go.

Momodou Touray when he joined Merthyr Town on loan. Pic: Newport County.

“If it was a home game I would have played, but there’s no way with that long journey to Carlisle. I’d have a back spasm within the first five minutes.”

Bristol-born Curle has been manager of Carlisle for more than 200 matches, but the clash with Newport is his last.

Other League Two fixtures on Saturday (All 3pm)

Barnet v Chesterfield

Cambridge United v Port Vale

Coventry City v Morecambe

Crewe Alexandra v Cheltenham Town

Exeter City v Colchester United

Forest Green Rovers v Grimsby Town

Lincoln City v Yeovil Town

Mansfield Town v Crawley Town

Notts County v Luton Town

Swindon Town v Accrington Stanley

Wycombe Wanderers v Stevenage

League Two current table

			|  HOME					|  AWAY
		P	W	D	L	F	A	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Accrington	45	17	3	3	42	19	12	3	7	34	24	+33	93 (C)
2	Luton	45	17	2	4	62	24	8	10	4	32	22	+48	87 (P)
3	Wycombe	45	11	5	6	42	35	12	7	4	36	25	+18	81 (P)
4	Exeter	45	14	4	4	33	19	9	4	10	30	35	+9	77
5	Notts Co	45	14	6	2	43	19	7	7	9	28	29	+23	76
6	Coventry	45	13	3	6	36	24	9	5	9	28	23	+17	74
7	Lincoln	45	12	7	3	37	22	8	7	8	26	25	+16	74
8	Mansfield	45	10	9	3	41	25	8	8	7	25	26	+15	71
9	Carlisle	45	7	9	6	30	22	10	6	7	31	31	+8	66
10	Swindon	45	8	5	9	26	36	11	3	9	38	29	-1	65
11	Newport Co	45	9	10	4	32	24	7	5	10	23	33	-2	63
12	Colchester	45	9	7	7	30	23	7	7	8	23	28	+2	62
13	Cambridge U	45	12	5	5	33	23	4	8	11	18	37	-9	61
14	Crawley	45	8	4	11	30	30	8	6	8	27	35	-8	58
15	Stevenage	45	9	9	5	42	27	5	4	13	18	37	-4	55
16	Crewe	45	9	4	9	30	31	7	1	15	30	43	-14	53
17	Cheltenham	45	8	6	9	31	31	5	6	11	35	40	-5	51
18	Grimsby	45	6	9	8	20	26	6	3	13	19	40	-27	48
19	Port Vale	45	7	6	10	26	29	4	8	10	23	33	-13	47
20	Yeovil	45	8	5	10	29	26	4	6	12	29	48	-16	47
21	Forest Green	45	10	2	10	35	33	3	6	14	19	41	-20	47
22	Morecambe	45	6	9	8	22	27	3	9	10	19	29	-15	45
23	Barnet	45	7	6	9	21	25	4	4	15	22	40	-22	43
24	Chesterfield	45	8	3	12	27	33	2	5	15	20	47	-33	38 (R)