Graham Coughlan: Manager promises to make Newport County more 'professional'

Graham Coughlan took over as Newport County boss last October with the club two points above the relegation zone

Newport County boss Graham Coughlan says he will look to make the club more "professional" next season.

Coughlan has ensured Newport's League Two survival with four games remaining, but he anticipates a busy summer settling "issues" which he inherited when he took the job in October 2022.

Coughlan said: "I don't know who has been in charge of making these decisions over the last 18 months.

"But I have a lot of work to do to tidy things up in the background."

Coughlan succeeded head coach James Rowberry - who he described as a "good man" - with the Exiles two points above the relegation zone, while sporting director Darren Kelly left in January for a post at Hartlepool United

"The football operations I have inherited, the football decisions that have been made are not healthy and conducive to a professional football environment," Coughlan said.

"They belong in non-league, some of those decisions. I have a lot of things to sift through, not only football decisions but I also have to make lots of decisions on the players.

"I don't mind the decisions on the players because they have done brilliantly for us and, as I keep saying, I will keep that continuity and that consistency, there won't be massive change.

"I just need this club to get a little more professional, I just need to get the mindset, the mentality right. I will try."

Though Coughlan would not go into detail on the issues, he pointed to "background things", adding: "Contracts that don't sit right, expertise, knowledge and experience missing, and certain things that should not have gone on in a footballing environment. They have, and I need to tidy them up."

Despite a 2-0 home defeat against promotion-chasing Mansfield Town on Tuesday night, Coughlan is optimistic about improving club fortunes next term, claiming the midweek reverse was like an encounter between two play-off chasing sides.

He praised the Newport supporters but said: "We have a massive, massive job on our hands.

"But if the last couple of months are anything to go by, I am really hopeful we can climb and we can add a couple of places next year onto where we are this year."

Newport, 18th in League Two, will give a late fitness test to Scot Bennett ahead of Saturday's game at 14th-placed Doncaster Rovers.

But Declan Drysdale is unlikely to feature in the remaining games because of a hamstring problem.

After Doncaster, Newport host Harrogate Town on Tuesday, travel to Gillingham then finish their season at home to Crewe Alexandra.