DON’T FRET ON BOROUGH WE’RE ON THE WAY

OUR last three games at Stevenage last season, were lost with a 0-7 aggregate.

The squad was filled with six loanees and including them, 12 players departed in the summer. Six mainly lower league lads (two from Conference, three from league 2,1 from League One) then replaced them as we sought to find a winning way again.

It was never going to be easy as new faces from lower levels adjusted to League One and to each other. Three more defeats and a 3-6 aggregate was certainly not a good way to begin together. Although it was an improvement on 0-7!

What I do know h is that things are changing again at Stevenage. We beat Orient by 58 per cent possession to 42 per cent last weekend despite getting edged out 0-1. They beat us because of advantages that teams that have been together longer can have over newly-formed teams.

But our ground coverage, our ball retention and our attacking emphasis were back. We had double their attempts at goal. And we dominated play.

Since the game, we have focused on the things that we could have done to guarantee ourselves the points.

It is about doing more. Particularly about detailed organisation and clinicality. Every individual has worked on aspects of his game.

When people ask me, with a wry smile, how we are doing, I look them straight in the eye and tell them straight: we are alright. I have got a good honest and improving bunch of lads. We are making errors. But we are learning fast and we are going to be good.

For a new squad, at a small club, our lads have evolved very fast. With patience, they will mature quickly.

Stevenage progressed before by working hard, working smart, and by relentlessly pursuing victory. We are on our way again. For sure.