Neal Ardley wants us to show more threat in attack when we visit Woking on Tuesday night and is encouraging the players to take more risks.
We didn’t reap the rewards for a dominant display at Chesterfield at the weekend and slipped to a 1-0 defeat – our first since 21 September.
And the boss feels being brave at the top end of the field can make the difference as we look to return to winning ways at the Laithwaite Community Stadium.
“We’re trying to retain the ball and make sure we’re trustworthy with it but in the final third you need to add a little more and take those risks,” said Ardley.
“When teams sit in and we need to break them down, we have to be a bit braver – I always say that to the players and they have to trust they’ll get it back if they turn it over.
“Everyone is getting on the same page and that will allow us to have more threat when we are on top and we’re working on the options.
“We’re asking the midfielders if they can look forwards a bit quicker and the strikers to always be offering, whether that’s going in behind or showing for the ball to feet.
“On Saturday we came up short, but we scored two goals a game for six straight matches and that’s a damn good record.”
Our six-match unbeaten run in all competitions was brought to an end at the Proact Stadium as we dropped out of the play-off places, so Ardley has outlined what he wants from games against Woking and Hartlepool in the coming days.
“I’ve challenged the players to come away from the rest of the week unbeaten,” he revealed.
“We always want the win but worst-case scenario is coming back with something on the board.
“It’s about how we bounce back, and we’ve done that well throughout the season.
“It’s another test for us to do it again and pick up some points to get back in the play-offs.”
Woking started the campaign very brightly, recording victories in seven of their first eight, but they haven’t won in 12 games in all competitions.
They're still sixth in the table, though, and Ardley is keen to avoid the encounter becoming open, feeling the Cards’ athleticism is one of their main strengths.
“They show a lot of energy and have individual qualities one-on-one so they’ll cause lots of problems if we get stretched,” he added.
“They’re a team with great energy and a lot of strong runners who are very athletic.
“They’ve probably surprised a lot of teams but you can see why they’ve won games, so we’ll have to be on our guard and do a lot of things right.”
The boss confirmed that Connell Rawlinson returned to training on Monday and could be available after missing out at the weekend, but a late decision will be made on Nathan Tyson, who is suffering with illness.