Lincoln City manager Michael Appleton says he is ready for the battle until the end of the season in which he aims to lead the club higher up the league.
Speaking after Saturday’s defeat to Gillingham, which he labelled as not good enough, Appleton urged the players to stand up and be counted and insisted the team do have the qualities to deliver more points.
“That was not good enough. I can’t defend the players, it is difficult to accept our performance, in and out of possession,” he said.
“I can talk about times in the last six weeks or so where we have been good with the ball and played well in games and not got the rewards or the result, but we weren’t that.
“Ultimately, you have to put your trust in certain players to produce when it matters. For me, it is about keeping the belief that we are a good side who can play well and have got ability and can find ways of scoring goals and creating chances.”
As the club prepare for fixtures against Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday in the coming week, the boss said the club must tackle these big games head on in order to take points from the games.
“First and foremost, you have got to welcome it and bring it on, you can’t go into your shell and shy away from it,” he added.
“The only way to making things better is taking on the challenge and I stand here accepting the task that between now and the end of the season, the home form will be better, and we will win more games.
“As long as the players are prepared to back me, then we will be fine and I will back them, because I know they have the ability to do that.
“We’re in a position where we have a chance over the next 13 games or so to put it right and do something about it. There is a long way to go, a lot of points to play for, and we must make sure we are on the right end of results.”
