Former Inverness Caley Thistle goalkeeper Ryan Esson has learned a lot from first year as Strathspey Thistle manager in the Highland League
FORMER Inverness Caledonian Thistle goalkeeper Ryan Esson says his first season as manager of a senior team with Strathspey Thistle has been a big learning curve.
The 45-year-old took charge of the Jags in August last year, five games into the Highland League season.
In that time he has overseen improvements on and off the pitch at Seafield Park, with Strathspey likely to avoid finishing at the bottom of the table for the first time in three years.
Esson had previously coached Caley Thistle’s youth teams, and been on the staff under ICT managers John Robertson, Neil McCann, Billy Dodds and Duncan Ferguson.
However, becoming his own man has thrown up a number of challenges for him to adjust to.
“I’d been coaching before, but this is different because you’re dealing with all sorts of different things,” he explained.
“It’s been tough. I didn’t know the league, and I didn’t know the players here at Strathspey, so you’re trying to learn the league, the players you’re up against and the players you’re managing – that’s a lot of plates to be spinning.
“Now I’ve got to grips with what the standard is, and what is probably required in the league. That’s the biggest thing.
“I’ve got to give myself a pre-season too. That’s a huge part of what I need and want to do, so that is going to be good for me.
“I have always taken a team that’s had a pre-season. It showed me the importance of me having that opportunity to have that.
“It’s been a tough experience, but a good experience at the same time. It doesn’t always feel like that, but once you get to the end of the season and review what the positives and negatives are you see it.”
While many from the outside will look at Strathspey’s season as progress, Esson will not be celebrating when the curtain comes down on the campaign.
The Jags have amassed more points than they have in each of the last two years, but simply avoiding finishing last will not be seen as success by the former Caley Jags goalkeeper.
“I’m absolutely not celebrating that, but how do you measure success? I think that’s up to other people to decide that,” he reasoned.
“I know how I’m going to measure it, and I’ll keep that in-house for now between my staff and what we think we’ve done well this season, and what we could do better.
“I look at myself too. It’s my first time being a manager, so there are definitely things I can do better. Everything will get reviewed once we finish on Saturday.”
Ahead of their final game of the season at home against Turriff United this weekend, their 15th match in nine weeks, Esson will not be risking the likes of Conor MacPhee and Josh Race as he wants to ensure as many players are fully fit going into pre-season as possible.