CHRISTCHURCH manager Adie Arnold admits he is haunted by the ghost of old friend Graham Kemp's successful era at the club.

Arnold has suffered a tumultuous first season in the Priory hot seat with his side embroiled in a battle to preserve Sydenhams Wessex League Premier Division status.

Just two points clear of the drop zone and with the worst defensive record in the division, Arnold is acutely aware of the increasingly audible murmurings of discontent at Hurn Bridge.

Kemp's departure from Dorchester last month further fanned the flames with chairman Mark Duffy addressing mounting speculation over his manager’s future in last Wednesday’s programme notes.

Duffy acknowledged that “plenty of supporters and possibly committee members” would welcome Kemp's return but “categorically” stated there had been “no official contact with Graham on this matter” and that the club had “no intention of pursuing an alternative to the current management team”.

The Priory chief added that relegation was “not an option from a committee point of view”.

Arnold, however, has vowed to fight on despite the spectre of past glories acting as “a monkey on your back” and reaffirmed his belief that Christchurch will stay up.

“This is a long-term job and all I can hope is that people within the club understand that,” said Arnold.

“Christchurch has always been a mid-table side. They had three good seasons under Graham (Kemp) and he did superbly well.

“I saw the under-18s Graham inherited and he would be the first to admit that gave him a really good start.

“Adam Costello, Sam Griffin, Jason Collins and Russell Cook have gone on to set a good standard at this level or above.

“He still had a lot of work to do but, quite rightly, had the time to do it.

“There are a few people who harp on about those three good seasons and forget the time it takes to lay the foundations. Within the club it can be like a monkey on your back.

“Michael Cuffie was here last season and to be fair, I can see a lot of the problems he had now. He is not everybody's cup of tea but nor am I, some people like you and some people don't.

“What are they going to do? Have a third manager in three years?

“At the start of the season we were shocking. I was there to be shot at because we were not good enough but we have made real progress over the past two months."

Arnold continued: “The whole club needs a rebuild and I am confident I can do it. I did it at my last club but not within the space of a few months. It takes time.

“We are building close links with Poole Town and Dorchester because that is the way Christchurch needs to go now.

“As a non-paying club we are realistically looking at eight or nine regular players and probably four or five developing players that you get through good contacts. Again, that takes time."

On the relegation dogfight, Arnold said: “There is something to work with now and if we show the same commitment we have in our past two matches then we will stay up, simple as that.

“We have 11 games to put it right – win five and we will be safe.

"If we had this group of players at the start of the season we would be mid-table now. We have proved that over the past couple of games.

“It is going to be touch and go but if we survive we can build again with a proper pre-season. If we are given time we will get it right but that is out of my hands.

“Next season we might not set the world on fire but we have to look towards mid-table, maybe top half.

“I think we have the right people in me, Danny (Saxby, assistant manager), Andy Darnton (first-team coach) and Dan Fawcett (goalkeeper coach) to do that.”