CRAIG LIDDLE has sought advice from a fellow North- East manager as the rookie boss bids to mastermind Darlington’s first win of the season.

The Quakers caretaker manager insisted that he will not agitate to be handed the reins on a permanent basis, but admitted that victory over fifth-from-bottom Macclesfield Town tomorrow afternoon could lead to calls for him to extend his spell in charge.

In the opposition dugout at The Northern Echo Arena this weekend will be Keith Alexander who can boast almost 16 years of management experience.

With only one game under his belt, Liddle has asked for knowledge from some wise heads in the region, including Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate.

The Boro boss may currently be drawing criticism from sections of the Riverside faithful but Liddle has great respect for the former England international who offered him a valuable insight into making the transition from player to manager.

“I went to the Newcastle versus QPR game this week and had a chat with Gareth Southgate in the directors lounge area,” revealed Liddle who, like Southgate, is a former Boro player.

“He gave me his thoughts on what it is like in your first job. It was useful to get his input, he gave me a gee up. He knows how it feels to be at a club as a player and going from being one of the lads in the dressing room to becoming the man in charge.

“He told me that it won’t be easy – mind you, after Tuesday night I didn’t really need to be told that!”

In over 300 games sporting Darlington colours, Liddle’s committed displays ensured his place as a fans’ favourite.

His affinity for the club has not been blunted by his ascension to the manager’s office and after overseeing the 2- 0 reverse against Rochdale, he admitted that the pain of defeat is even more acute in the dugout than on the pitch.

“As a player I hated losing and, if anything, I hate it even more as a manager. I take results to heart. I felt that I was part of that result on Tuesday and it hurt.

“It really affected me to be honest. I went home after the game and couldn’t sleep. Well after two o’clock in the morning I was still lying in bed going over things in my mind – ‘what else could I have done, where did we go wrong, how can we be better next time?’ It can really get to you.

“But if I can get a result on Saturday then things may change and I may get bitten by the managerial bug.

“It hurts to know how much the Darlington people want us to get a result and not getting one for them, it’s like I’ve let them down. They are no different to me, get a result on Saturday and nobody in Darlington will be happier than me.”

The caretaker boss added: “The chairman was very upbeat about the performance against Rochdale. If I am honest I wasn’t happy at all. In spells the performance was OK but I still think we can get better, play at a higher tempo and eradicate one or two mistakes.

If we do that I am sure we will start to get points on the board.”

Paul Arnison and Josh Gray are expected to return to the squad, but neither are ready for a start yet.