MANAGER: We can't be getting down about anything now

There have been a lot of good things on show from the Blues so far this season with the feeling that things are about to click.

And manager Paul Simpson confirmed that there’s that same sense of purpose in the dressing room, with a determination to get things going at the earliest opportunity.

“I think you feel it as a player, don’t you,” he said. “Obviously there’s a frustration because we haven’t won a game yet, so the big thing we have to do is take that away a little bit.

“Everybody gets really focused on results, because that’s how we get judged, but I think if we can get back to concentrating on what our performance is, and making sure we get that right, then normally the result will follow.

“That’s why this week we’re concentrating on the performance. Let’s understand what we need to do, let’s understand where we need to be better, and if we can get the right level of performance then hopefully we’ll get a few more smiles on our faces.”

“And there’s no sense of the players sulking,” he continued. “They’re all up for it, it’s so early in the season and there’s so much to play for. You can’t be getting down on anything now.

“It’s a brilliant position because we earned the right to be here and we are loving the challenge. We’ve got another really good stadium to go to at the weekend against a team that’s playing well, and it’s another great game to look forward to.

“I don’t want to see any sulking, I won’t be coming in with my lip trailing on the floor. I’m coming in with a determination to go and get a result at Port Vale this weekend.”

And it goes without saying that it’s the finding of the back of the net that will settle it for everyone.

“Of course it does, a goal makes everything look a bit different for players,” he said. “The reason we’ve brought Luke Plange in is because he’s a goal scorer, that’s what I like about him.

“I like the way he can run with and without the ball, his work ethic about him. In training his finishing has been outstanding, whether it be in small-sided games, in bigger pitch games, in finishing drills, his finishing is really calm, really cool.

“I don’t really think he’s had many opportunities. He’s got a bit frustrated, that we’ve had two games where he’s trying shots from 25-30 yards, which are a little bit hopeful.

“We need to get him opportunities inside that 18-yard box, and I do believe that he'll score goals. I think as soon as he gets one, and if we can keep creating them as a team, he’ll score goals for us. 

“It all comes down to picking the right combination of players to get us the right outcomes. Against Exeter we went to a back four and I think we’ve certainly created a little bit more, it’s just finding the right balance against different teams.

“We’ve come up against teams who’ve wanted to play out from the back in Oxford, in Exeter, and Fleetwood. They’ve given us a little bit of a challenge because of the quality they’ve got.

“I don’t expect that to be the same from Port Vale this week; although they do look to play out, it’s more about Ripley getting it forward, and picking up second balls and creating problems for us there. I think this will be a different sort of challenge for us.

“We’ve just got to make sure we pick the right system and then the right lads to come on and finish the game. But I think this weekend we’ve got to try and switch it back to how we play and how our performance goes, as opposed to getting hung up on results.

“I think everybody, which is natural, gets screwed up by results, but if we can concentrate on our performance, and get players playing to the best of their ability, then it will give us the best chance of getting something at the end.”

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