TAMWORTH manager Gary Mills has reminded his club’s supporters of his realistic target for the season.
Mills said the fans the need to have a 'sense of realism' after Tamworth slumped to a 2-0 home defeat against Hayes and Yeading at the weekend.
The defeat made it seven league and cup losses on the bounce but Tamworth still occupy 15th position in the Conference Premier, 10 points above safety.
"We have to be realistic and look at the situation,” said Mills.
"I don't know whether people in Tamworth were getting carried away with the start we had but we are in a tough league.
"We were in a position on Saturday where we hadn't got a striker. We were asking Jake Sheridan to once again play down the middle and Bradley Pritchard had to play up front.
"You cannot expect to go and win football matches when you are short of players.
"People have read the headlines – we have no money for players to go and rectify that so we have to get on with it.
"There's no point people saying, why don't you do this? Or why don't you do that?
"We have to work with what we have got. And these players have been magnificent for me.
"They won us a championship last year and have got us halfway up this league.
"We have had a few bad weeks but I won't start doubting them.
"If people want to doubt them or me, then fine.
"We have lost football matches and so people may start to question me.
"But as I say, we have to be realistic and just staying in this league this season will be a bigger achievement than winning the Conference North last season, make no mistake about that.
"Our aim is to stay in the league and if people don't like that and it's not positive enough for them, then I'm sorry."
Mills should have skipper Chris Smith and striker Nick Wright available for the vital home game with Chester City tomorrow.
And Dominic Langdon should be match fit having been sent out on loan to Atherstone to get games under his belt.
But Mills will be without striker Alex Rodman, who is still nursing a back injury.
"The players have been working hard. There has been no lack of effort," said Mills.
"Darron Gee (assistant manager) and I will be working our socks off with the players to get things right again for next week.
"What I would say to people is judge us in May. If we are in the Blue Square Premier then fantastic, we will have achieved what we wanted to do."
Mills will employ a 4-3-3 formation and selects from a squad of players who are now
recovering from a series of injury problems.
Tamworth are likely to name Danny Alcock as their goalkeeper.
The Newcastle Under Lyme-born shot-stopper joined Tamworth from Stafford Rangers after previously playing for Accrington Stanley and Barnsley.
Richard Tait, Michael Wylde, Chris Smith and Michael Blackwood will line-up in the Lambs’ defence.
Right back Tait initially joined Tamworth on loan from Nottingham Forest after starting his career at Curzon Ashton.
Birmingham-born Wylde signed for Tamworth last year from Cheltenham Town and spent a short period on loan at Kidderminster Harriers before linking up with The Lambs.
Smith joined Tamworth last year from Worcester City where he made 124 appearances in a three-year spell.
Based in Derby, he has also played for Leeds United, York City, Reading and Stafford Rangers.
Blackwood signed for The Lambs from Mansfield Town in March and had previously been with Kidderminster Harriers, and Telford United. He also had a spell at Wrexham.
Bradley Pritchard, Neil MacKenzie, and John Shaw will team up in midfield.
MacKenzie started his career as a trainee at Stoke City in 1996 and went on to feature at a number of clubs including Scunthorpe United, Blackpool, Kidderminster, Cambridge, and Mansfield Town.
Nottingham-born Shaw joined Tamworth from Mansfield Town in October 2008. He started his career as a youth at Nottingham Forest, and went on to play more than 50 games for Rushden and Diamonds.
Seb Lake-Gaskin, Nick Wright, and Jake Sheridan will link up in Tamworth’s line of attack.
Lake-Gaskin signed for Tamworth from West Bromwich Albion a few days before the season kicked off.
Wright signed for Tamworth in October 2007 from Halesowen Town.
He started his career at Birmingham City before moving to Bristol City, and Northampton on loan.
In November 2008, Wright was rewarded for his goalscoring exploits with a call up to the England C team and scored the goal that won The Lambs promotion later in the season.
Sheridan started his career as a trainee at Notts County and made his league debut for the Magpies under current Tamworth manager Mills. He signed for Tamworth in 2007 after being released by the Meadow Lane club.