DAVID Flitcroft has confirmed he is in negotiations with two clubs as he bids to fill key positions in his backroom staff ahead of his first game in charge of Bury at home to Northampton Town on Saturday.

The 39-year-old has dismissed rumours linking him with a move for Micky Mellon, his former number two at Barnsley and current caretaker boss of the Tykes.

And he refused to name his favoured targets, but the Bury Times understands one of those is Chris Brass – who was assistant manager to Alan Knill during his time at Gigg Lane and is currently working with him at Torquay.

“We will wait for the right people,” said Flitcroft.

“We are not going to rush someone in and have a discussion later saying we have got it wrong.

“If the assistant is not in place then I would be honoured to have (development squad coach) Ben Futcher standing by my side as my assistant on Saturday and we will go from there.”

Flitcroft would confirm, however, that he was looking for a goalkeeping and distribution coach, as well as an assistant manager, and wanted a set of coaches with close links to the North West.

In his first press conference as Bury manager since taking the job on Monday, the former Rochdale coach set out his vision of how he wants his side to play and how key his coaching appointments are to achieving that.

“I want to maintain the pressing side of the game but will be asking players to have more of a calmness and composure on the ball and play with a little but more style,” he said.

“I like style but I don’t like sterile games. So there are a lot of components that need to be brought together to bring that style to Bury.

“To do that you need as good a set of coaches as you can bring to the football club.

“So we need the right people. We will get the resources in and the players in, but then a player will need a lot of teaching and a lot of education.”

Flitcroft is also keen to create an environment that would attract players from other neighbouring clubs, and would use his contacts, and those of his coaching staff, to seal deals when the transfer window re-opens in January.

He said: “When you look at our geographical position, just down the road from Preston, Burnley and the two super clubs Man United and Man City, and with Liverpool and Blackpool on the doorstep, we are surrounded by some incredible football teams who have got good owners and good managers.

“I am sure with the professionalism we are going to bring on and off the pitch there will be a lot of clubs wanting to do business with us and entrust their players to us.”

“So it is really important I get the right coaches in.

“If a Premier League club wants to entrust you with a player you have got to do things right.

“Your timing has got to be right, your punctuality, your respect, your discipline, your honesty and enthusiasm, your injury prevention, your post match analysis, your recovery work – all that has got to be absolutely synchronised for the top clubs to give you players.”