City midfielder looks ahead to Oxford clash
EXETER CITY MIDFIELDER Ryan Harley has congratulated manager Paul Tisdale as he prepares to take charge of his 500th City match tomorrow night against Oxford United.Harley, who was brought to the club twice by Tisdale in 2007 and 2014, spoke highly of the managers’ longevity at St James Park.
"He’s been a big influence on me and my career - I played a bit of League football before I came here with Bristol City, but he gave me my first proper chance in the Football League," Harley said. "It’s his five-hundredth game this Tuesday and it’s a credit to him for how loyal he’s been and the job he has done. He's had a big influence on my career. He trusts the players and listens to their opinions. Some managers just do things their own way and don't listen to anybody else, so in that respect there's a lot of trust between he and myself.
"[By continuing with the same manager], you get a consistent flow from season to season; you get a flow of the same system and the same type of players. When other managers come in and chop and change, it completely changes the whole club."
Harley was part of the Exeter City side that won promotion to League One and featured regularly in the side when the club were competing in the third tier of English football. He speaks fondly of the promotion run and life in League One under Tisdale: “The obvious memories are the promotions, but we’ve had some good away days as well, beating teams like Charlton and Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday twice.”
"He does things differently, and he wants a certain type of character here. When you work with a manager for so long, it's bound to rub off on you."