FC Halifax Town: "I think everybody should be proud that this club is heading in the right direction" - Wild reflects on The Shaymen's year

2021 has been another successful 12 months under Wild, who almost guided Halifax into the play-offs for the second successive season, while The Shaymen are second in the table ahead of their final match of the year.

When asked how he reflects on the past 12 months, Wild said: "How well the club's progressing on and off the field.

"I think everybody should be proud that this club is heading in the right direction.

"People ask me every year what I want from each season, and it's for the club to progress.

"The club is progressing on and off the pitch so we should be excited with that.

"It's our second year full-time, I think we've got more strength-in-depth this year, more players who understand the way we play.

"We've got a production line developing of young players all the way through the system.

"I think there's a real structure in place at this football club that maybe there wasn't when we first walked through the door."

Town embarked on a superb run of form to put them within touching distance of a play-off finish last season, only to fall short with a final day defeat to Chesterfield.

"When clubs are investing money to try and get over the line, because of the loan and everything, we just didn't have the money to have that last drive," Wild said.

"But I think it was a really good season for us, I think we developed and we are developing as a football club, and everybody should be really excited by the direction of travel the club's taking on and off the pitch."

Wild then lost some key players over the summer, but rebuilt his squad with some astute signings.

"I never panic because I believe I've got the right recruitment structure in place to replenish the squad, and I think that's been proven three seasons on the bounce now," he said.

"As I kept saying over the summer, trust us, we'd done it before, why wouldn't we do it again, trust us.

"Everybody has a default of doom and gloom whereas we have a default of optimism here because we know what our plan is, so it allows us to recruit towards our plan."

The Shaymen have won 12 of their first 19 league games this season, and are only second on goal difference, a season so far that has surpassed Wild's expectations.

"Of course it has, but I knew if I got the right players in place, that we would have another successful season," he said.

"We've got more strength-in-depth this year, touch wood injuries haven't hurt us as much as they did last year.

"You could say year one was crisis management, year two was developing a plan and year three now is about trying to implement that plan."

And Wild says it has been another year of development for him as a manager too.

"100 per cent, I feel like I'm more calm, relaxed, I see more, understand more, I know my plan even better than any plan before," he said.

"Every game for me is a learning curve. I'm 130 games in, still got loads to learn, I'm nowhere near half of the finished article I want to be.

"So I keep learning, keep listening. When there's a defeat I learn, when there's a victory I learn, I listen to my staff around me, who are unbelievable, I listen to my players and their opinions, and try and then decipher all the information and pick the right solutions to problems."

Wild is anticipating some New Year interest in his squad as speculation continues to link some Town players with moves, but is insistent he is under no pressure to sell anyone.

"David (Bosomworth) continues to back the club. Regardless of what people say I think he does a phenomenal job to keep us competing," Wild said.

"Anything I ask for he tries his best to provide for me and for the football club to try and make sure we move in the right direction.

"I have a different challenge now in terms of everybody wants our players.

"We have a firm stance me and David, that nobody's going anywhere, regardless of rumour.

"So again, that's credit to the chairman for him allowing me to say no to every offer that comes in.

"We're really pleased about that and we're really excited about where this club can go."

When asked what he wants to see over the next 12 months, Wild said: "Progressing, progressing, progressing. Keep progressing as a football club."