IT is often said the worst time to play a team is when they have a new manager.

Players are looking to make a name for themselves and want to prove they are worth keeping at the club.

It is a situation that has inspired many sides to hit a purple patch over the years and Worcester City will be wary of that fact when they host Welling United on Saturday (3pm).

The Wings hope to have appointed 30-year-old former Arsenal trainee Jamie Day as their new boss in time following the resignation of Andy Ford last month.

Day was officially announced by the Kent club this week but an agreement with present employers Dartford is still being finalised.

Opposite number Richard Dryden knows how much of an impact a new man at the helm can have.

Dryden guided City to a six-game unbeaten spell after he took over almost two years ago.

He will be keen to ensure Day does not have a similar effect at St George’s Lane but says he is not going to be losing any sleep over the situation.

“It might not be a great time to play Welling but in reality I think it’s all about us,” Dryden said.

“It will give them a spur to prove they are good enough to stay in the side but I am not worried about them.

“I just want to worry about us and continue performing at home.

“Hopefully, they will be more concerned about us.”

City, one place and one point below Welling in the Blue Square South table, lost last season’s corresponding fixture 1-0 nearly a year ago to the day but won 3-1 at Park View Road last September.

Dryden’s men are looking for their fourth win on home soil and to consign last weekend’s 4-1 humbling at Eastleigh to the history books.

On-loan Weston-super-Mare striker Marvin Brown scored on his debut in that match and is once again expected to be paired up front with Marc McGregor.

Fellow forward Rob Elvins serves the second game of a three-match suspension following his red card at Hampton and Richmond.

Dryden said: “Marvin has got a good chance of starting. With Rob out, we have got competition for places which is a nice situation to be in.

“It’s the first time since I have been here that I have a squad of 18 players who can genuinely say to me, ‘I am good enough to play week in, week out, pick me’.

“The negative side is we can’t play all of them and some won’t even be on the bench on Saturday which is even harder.

“But the atmosphere among the players is great, even with the blip on Saturday at Eastleigh when we didn’t perform.

“The spirit on the way home was still good.”

Dryden hopes to welcome Shabir Khan back to training tonight to assess the left-back’s fitness following a bout of swine flu.

Former Wolves defender Mark Clyde is treading a disciplinary tightrope and is just one booking away from a one-game ban for five yellow cards.