Work, work, work

By Alex Inglethorpe Exeter boss and BBC Sport columnist

As a manager you can sometimes do too much - you have to be careful you do not burn yourself out.

But at the same time you want to do the best you can. I am very conscious that this job could be taken away from me at any time.

Steve Perryman told me some fascinating things about when he used to manage Watford in the early 1990s

The only promise I have made myself is that if it is, then there won't be any regret that I didn't try hard enough.

I could live with not being good enough but I wouldn't be happy thinking I didn't work hard.

That work ethic is very important to me. I am still young and still learning, so I feel I have to make up for my lack of experience by trying and working harder than the next man.

It is difficult to switch off sometimes, and it is very tough spending so much time on the road and being away from your family.

Often I wake up at three or four in the morning, stay awake and find myself at the training ground at 7.30am.

Of course one of the plus points of mobile phones is that you can take your office wherever you want.

Exeter's director of football Steve Perryman told me some fascinating things about when he used to manage Watford in the early 1990s.

Of course mobile phones were not in common use then, so he would have to stop the car on the motorway, go to a callbox and phone the office to find out if there were any developments on the latest player he was trying to sign.

We pride ourselves that we do not go too low with defeat or too high with victory, but on this occasion we got carried away with our celebrations

Steve would argue that mobiles are one of the greatest things for a manager because they allow you to do all your work on the move.

You go and watch a game as I have done this week at Hereford, and in the round trip of seven hours driving you see the match and make all the calls you have to - to agents, secretaries and players.

But the truth is that when you get home you still end up making more calls.

It is all worth it of course when you get games like the one against Grays last weekend.

REPORT: Exeter 1-2 Grays

There were nearly 7,000 people at that game- a crowd that big in the Conference is equivalent of a full house in the Premiership. And it is almost unheard of at this level.

It was a special atmosphere. I am just so disappointed we were not able to serve them up with a better performance and a win.

Inglethorpe frustrated by deadline

It was frustrating in that we got a little bit too high when our equaliser went in.

It was nothing stupid or pre-planned - just emotion. But we paid the price in the next couple of minutes when they grabbed the wnner after a catalogue of bad decisions by us.

Everyone was down, but it is my job now to try and put us back on the right track.