One year in charge

By Alex Inglethorpe Exeter boss and BBC Sport columnist

Tuesday marked my first 12 months in charge at Exeter.

I definitely don't want last season's FA Cup run to be the only thing we are remembered for

I have enjoyed every single moment and have learned so much in that time.

I appreciated at the time that I wasn't the big name that everyone was expecting.

A few people, noticebly Exeter's director of football Steve Perryman and the club's vice-chairman Julian Tagg, put their necks on the line in thinking that I was the right man for the job.

And if I was to look back and assess the year now then I would say it has been good. We have picked up 80 points in my 42 games as manager.

If the season were from October to October then I think that would be enough to give us a decent shout at promotion.

We also cleared a £1m debt with an FA Cup run that led to us beating two Football League sides and getting a draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

So in terms of points, money and cup runs then I do not think I could have had a better 12 months.

It has still been a very steep learning curve for me at St James Park - in fact I would describe it as vertical!

For me, it has been a case of making mistakes but trying not to make the same one more than once. You have to admit you have made a mistake, analyse why you have made it and then try to put it right.

But you also have to know when you have done something well. You have to realise when something has been successful, why it has been successful - and how you can keep it going.

The most important thing I have had to pick up though is how to deal with players.

Learning how to keep 20 individuals happy, all with different personalities and all with different wants and needs, is no easy task. They all have aspirations to earn their money by playing football and you have to manage that situation and make every player in the squad feel valued.

I am not sure I am in a position to offer anyone advice but as a young manager I think you have to be bold and be a little bit brave in doing what you believe

Chris Casper, who is only 30, has just taken over at Bury and I am sure he will know by now just how daunting it is to be a young manager of a senior club.

I am not sure I am in a position to offer anyone advice - I still feel like I am very much learning myself - but as a young manager I think you have to be bold and also be a little bit brave in doing what you believe.

And you also have to accept that there are an awful lot of very good people around who are willing to pass on knowledge and experience if you are willing to take them up on the offer and be a good listener.

We are back in the FA Cup on Saturday, playing another Conference club - Stevenage - in the fourth qualifying round.

It is too much for us to expect the same sort of experience in this year's competition that we had last season.

But the FA Cup is vital to the whole non-League structure and it is a great distraction for any non-League side to have.

It made us a tremendous amount of money in a short space of time, which is great for the bean counters at the club but, on a bigger level for the fans, it has given them a day they will never forget.

It was a great experience for myself and the players too but we do not want to be known as a one-trick pony.

If you are going to be remembered for anything at a club then it is not a bad thing to be remembered for but I would prefer it to be among a whole list of achievements.

If that was to fall among a promotion, the play-offs, another Cup run or an FA Trophy success then that would be fantastic but I definitely do not want that to be the only thing we are remembered for.