HEREFORD United boss Graham Turner wants his players to remain confident despite losing their opening two games in League One.
The Bulls head for Bristol Rovers tomorrow (3pm) hoping to break their duck in the third tier of the English league.
Successive 2-1 defeats at the hands of Leyton Orient and Yeovil Town, as well as a another 2-1 reverse at Championship side Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup, have so far made it a miserable return to League One.
But Turner is keen to keep things in perspective.
“The one thing we cannot do is lose confidence in the players,” the Bulls chief stressed.
“It’s important that the players do not lose confidence in themselves either.”
The Edgar Street boss has not been too disheartened with his side’s displays so far, but one thing that has left him with cause for concern is the manner in which many of the goals have been conceded.
Having been given the nod for the opening day, keeper Darren Randolph was axed following his error-strewn performance at the Matchroom Stadium with Craig Sansom replacing the on-loan Charlton stopper.
“We have had a mixed bag of performance so far this season,” Turner said.
“I thought we played extremely well in the first-half against Crystal Palace before conceding right on half-time.
“What has worried me a little is that five of the six goals we have conceded could and should have been stopped.
“We have been working hard in training this week to address that situation.”
Rovers picked up their first point of the campaign last Saturday when a late Rickie Lambert penalty at Brighton secured a 1-1 draw.
Boss Paul Trollope is set to bolster his attacking options after agreeing a fee with cash-strapped Bournemouth for ex-Torquay striker Jo Kuffour.
The Memorial Stadium side are aiming to have the ex-Arsenal trainee in place for tomorrow but the Cherries want to have a replacement before they let the 26-year-old leave Dean Court.
Turner himself is hoping to strengthen his squad before the transfer window shuts at midnight on September 1.
“There are several players I’m looking to bring in,” Turner added. “There have been all summer.
“We are talking to clubs, players and agents. It is just a case of getting it all signed.”
Defender Sam Oji (ankle) is likely to miss out tomorrow with Gary Breen or Richard Rose set to fill the void.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here