BEING a successful manager boils down to making the right decisions at the right time -- and John Barton will have to make some ahead of Saturday's vital clash with Stafford Rangers.

After months of seeing the team pick itself due to injuries and suspension, he suddenly has a surplus of players to select from -- particularly in defence.

No-one ever said that the job of a football manager was easy, but spare a thought for Barton who is juggling the egos of eager young guns like Dan Jones and established first-teamers such as Allan Davies, Mark Blount and Mark Shail.

Barton must give consideration to Jones who again impressed against Margate. The saying that if you are good enough, you are old enough rings true in his case and if he is one for the future then the sooner he becomes a regular the better.

Of course there is also no substitute for experience and the likes of Blount and Davies have plenty of that to call upon. With City still entertaining hopes of a title challenge that must loom large in the manager's thinking.

Carl Heeley, Blount and Jones all performed well against Margate in a three-man defence to give Barton further food for thought but if he returns to four at the back then you need to be a mathematician to work out all the various starting permutations.

Left-back Paul Carty is supended which eases Barton's problems somewhat.

But that still leaves Davies, Shail, Jones, Blount and Heeley competing for four places not to mention Marc Burrow who can play anywhere along the back four.

Should Barton persist with Mitch Counsell then Jon Holloway, back from suspension, can be tossed into the defensive equation and, as one of City's best performers this season, it would be safe to assume he will start, along with Heeley.

The choice for two places then boils down to a dogfight between Davies, Jones, Shail, Blount and Burrow.

Shail and Burrow are still returning to full fitness and can expect a place on the bench which means if Barton plumps for Davies at right-back then Jones and Blount will jostle for a starting role.

With Heeley and Holloway in the centre it becomes a shoot-out between Jones and Blount for the left back spot. Of course if Holloway plays at right-back or in midfield then Jones and Blount re-enter the equation at the centre of defence.

It's heady stuff trying to play manager which makes me quite glad that Barton is the one charged with making all the difficult decisions on Saturday.