My reaction to losing against the top 2 isn’t one of despondency; far from it - the top 2 are there for a reason. However we have fundamental problems with our squad to address. Frankly I’m sick and tired of pushing, persuading, cajoling and generally using every means imaginable to get a consistent performance from this group of players. Successful teams embrace a work ethic and all its players must be prepared to do that little bit extra to deliver success for the club. That’s not been the case since I’ve been here and it’s going to change.

Half a dozen of the best players at Stevenage Borough left, for various reasons, around a year ago. A top coach was brought in to keep the club in contention. The fact that SBFC dropped out of the play off zone from an almost unassailable position under the leadership of an international coach of the highest quality must tell us everything we need to know about the core of the players left behind earlier this year. The players I inherited simply haven’t been good enough on a consistent basis this season either and of the dozen or so I have brought to the club in the summer, some have worked and some haven’t.  It has taken me time to work out how to mould and gel the new players with the old and how I need to change the ingredients. I know that patience is an important virtue in building a team but the last 3 results have certainly had an effect on me. If there was any doubt in my mind about the number of squad changes that I need to be planning for January, then there is much less doubt now.

After 20 games, a club sits in 12th place because that is where it deserves to be. There should be no surprise that the team is inconsistent and until some of the inconsistent players are changed over, the situation is unlikely to change. We need players at SBFC who have got both the appetite and the ability to be successful and we definitely need to bring players to the club who can put in consistent winning performances at Conference level and move some out who don’t hit enough highs. I admit that I want players who will both attack and defend. It is alien to me to think of defending and attacking as aspects of the game that only segments of the team need to worry about. That mentality is one that I will change. I also want players who are positive contributors to the development of the team ethic and the winning mentality. Players who believe that they have nothing to learn in their environment can become complacent.

With Dino now supporting John and myself, I am happy with the management team in place. There is plenty of knowledge available to the players for their improvement. Together with Paul Dando, Neil Withington and Ali, there is a strong management team evolving who understand how to generate winning performance. I honestly believe that each of these guys is thinking about his job and improving his contribution continuously and we have a mandate from the board to change whatever players are necessary in January to do the job. Bringing in the right players will take time. I have signed 3 players this week – 2 on loan until January and Mark Roberts on loan with a view to a 4 figure transfer on 1st January. It will not stop there. Some players that I wanted could not come on loans this month and we must wait until January to secure their signatures. Whilst the search goes on, the lads wearing the shirts have the opportunity to stand up, be counted and keep the Chairman’s cheque book in the club safe!! Certainly, there are young players here who have long term roles to play and who could make first team shirts their own if they learn quickly to nip errors in the bud.

What I am saying is this; generating winning performance in the Conference is not a 5 minute matter. It takes time to assess what you have got, decide what you want and change it around. Histon have been building under Steve Fallon for 9 years. Torquay, Burton and Cambridge are building upon a play off squad from last year. Nigel has been in post for 10 years! Kidderminster have been building under Mark Yates for several years now. I intend to deliver the hard working, high tempo team that we talked about before the season started and I will not rest until that is achieved.