We've seen more than our fair share of player departures this season, which I know for sure Millers wouldn't have wished for in terms of the effect it has on consistency and team bonding. I've understood the reasoning in each case, and to be fair to Millers he always makes himself available to answer any of my questions. He's always open and honest with me, which means I can't always put things he tells me on an open forum. But even I don't see and hear things that go on behind the closed door of the dressing room, and the old adage is true that managers - he and Noakesy - know their players a lot better than me or any of us do. It's not all about what we see happening on the pitch.

Some departures, such as Kingsley and Leo recently, are totally understood. Both guys did the club proud but are rightly ambitious and will hopefully go on to have good careers in the professional game.

Of course occasionally player and team just don't gel for whatever reason; a player can fail at one club and go on to do well at another. Sometimes though, players are caught out by the step up to our level and just never settle. For them it does prove to be a step too far. Some stick with it and work their way into the side, perhaps via loan spells. They're the ones with patience and belief in Hartley as a club, and their commitment to the Row doesn't go unnoticed.

Other departures are the result of poor behaviour, and personally I feel the disrespect it shows to the club, let alone to the coaching staff and often fellow players who find themselves on the end of it, is all the reason anyone should need to let a player go. Supporters have witnessed the poor behaviour of players more than once this season, me included and I was not shy to let the player hear what I felt about it during the FA Cup game at Casuals.

That certainly isn't applicable to the latest two to leave the club, Pascal and Jacques Kpohomouh. Both put a lot of effort into performing well for us. They have now left us to join different step 4 sides, a level below us.

Jacques was very unfortunate to not only contract covid-19 but also suffer its effects for longer than usual, hence his extended absence. We thank him for his latest spell with us and wish him well at his new club.

Pascal had been out with an injury sustained in November but then also caught covid-19, which again prevented him from playing. Clearly that was not the reason he decided to now join AFC Totton, but dropping a level will perhaps assist him to get to grips with the rather different world of non-league football to what he had been used to. We wish him all the best as he furthers his career in the game.

I'll pause here, but there's more to come on players ins and outs...