Craig Tanner says Tooting & Mitcham United will continue to struggle unless they change their approach to life in Ryman Division One South.

The former defender was told two weeks ago that he and his assistant Adam Moriarty would be sacked at the end of the season, and he almost ended his reign with the club’s first piece of silverware in seven years.

However, a 3-2 extra-time defeat to Hendon on Thursday night left Tanner proud, but ultimately disappointed.

He said: “Bearing in mind the circumstances [reaching the final], being dismissed is difficult to take, and whether they have the right men for the manager’s job only time will tell.

“I’ve known since February that the end could be on the cards, which is disappointing, and trying to work in that environment has been hard.

“I’ll have a look at a couple of offers that have come in this week, but it has to be right for Adam and me.”

He added: “If clubs want us in then they have to give us free rein, whereas at Tooting we have been inhibited.

“If they want to take the club up and forward, then they need to put a lot more money into it.

“I don’t want to sound bitter, but there are lots of things that could have been done a lot differently.

“At Tooting, we’re the kit men, the drivers, we’re the equipment boys and I have been the physio on occasions – the set up has to be a lot better.

“They could learn a lot from other teams in our league who set themselves up properly – the likes of Folkestone and Merstham – they are up there because they have that consistency with the same back-room staff every year.

“You have got to get that right, and if you don’t get it right you will struggle regardless of what players you have.

“The infrastructure is there, but they have got to set up the first team in terms of organisation so they can set their stall out and move forward.”