Chris Hargreaves

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Chris Hargreaves said he will learn from the experienced of his disappointing spell as manager of Yeovil Town.

The former boss has issued a statement through the League Managers’ Association saying he was “hugely disappointed” to have been sacked after picking up just two wins in three months in charge.

The statement in full reads:

“I would like to start by thanking the staff and players for their efforts and support during my time at Yeovil Town.

“I was extremely proud to be given the opportunity to manage the club and naturally I am hugely disappointed to have left. In my short tenure, I believe that many of the team’s performances this season should have contributed to a higher points total and that this would have improved as the season progressed. We were competitive against some of the teams with the highest budgets in the league and on many occasions, showed huge potential.

“The experience, while disappointing, is something I will learn from. I am keen to get back on the grass and will be doing everything I can to ensure that my next job is the right one for me to achieve success for a club.

“I wish the board, supporters and everyone at Yeovil Town FC the very best for this season and beyond. I sincerely hope that they can achieve their objectives in the near future.”

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Chris Hargreaves said he still believes he is the man to lead Yeovil Town away from the National League relegation zone despite them dropping to a point clear of the bottom three.

The Glovers dropped to 20th place with a 2-0 defeat at Oldham Athletic on Saturday, their fifth defeat of the campaign with 14 matches played with the boss subject to shouts from the 144 travelling supporters at Boundary Park at the final whistle.

Chris Hargreaves. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Asked by BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins whether he doubted he was the right man for the job, he immediately declared: “I believe I am the man for this job otherwise I would not have taken it. We are in a situation where we have to show some serious amounts of resilience, I get that and there are players in (the dressing room) who have not been in that situation before.

“I get that fans are frustrated and there is unrest and myself, the players and the staff thank them for coming. It was a long journey which cost them money. Second half I don’t think the players gave up, they kept trying and they will always do that, but there was just a lack of final third quality.

“In the league we had lost one in six before this game, but we haven’t won enough games. The performances we have had in those draws have been good but we haven’t been able to win the games.

“But there’s a lot of games, a lot of points still to be won and there’s a lot of fight still in there and the fight is still the same with me from the day I walked in.”

Having persisted with playing a five-man defence with Jamie Reckord and Sam Pearson in wing-back positions, the manager was asked whether he remained confident the formation was working.

He replied: “It has done in previous games. It is a case of having quality to be able to deliver no matter what shape you play and that’s not going to change at any club up and down the country. It’s about having players who make the right decisions at the right times, no matter what shape you play.”

There were four changes made from the FA Cup exit at Taunton Town on Tuesday night including the return of Malachi Linton up front in place of Alex Fisher, and Ollie Hulbert came off the bench in place of Gime Toure at half-time and put in a lively second half performance.

Hargreaves said afterwards that he was still looking to bring more players in having said to before the trip to Greater Manchester that the club was trying to register two players currently training with them.

That push will continue as the Glovers prepare to host Aldershot Town, who leap-frogged them with a 2-1 home win over York City at the weekend, on Tuesday night. The Shots sacked manager Mark Molesley following their exit from the FA Cup at the hands of lower league Chelmsford City and placed veteran Terry Brown in temporary charge.

He said: “We need some recruits and we know that and we’ve been working hard to do that, but you can’t just go and sign players on vast amounts of money who will give you that immediate result or immediate performance.

“It is a case of still looking which we will still be on Monday leading up to the Tuesday game and that will not stop.”

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Chris Hargreaves has revealed that he has a couple of unnamed players training with his Yeovil Town squad who he is hoping to bring in to bolster his squad.

The Glovers head to Oldham Athletic on Saturday looking to banish the ignominy of an FA Cup exit at the hands of lower league Taunton Town on Tuesday night.

Asked about whether he could have reinforcements before that match, the boss told BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins that delays in registering players was causing delays.

He said: “We have got a couple of players training with us but unfortunately it comes down to registration and clearance which is holding us up at the moment.

“That has been the delay for over ten days now which is frustrating, so that one is out of our hands, but I am actively looking.”

The length of the delay would suggest that international clearances may be a factor, although forward Gime Toure did also arrive following a period on trial.

Hargreaves admitted that he did not have a big budget to go out and bring in reinforcements as he seeks to pull the Glovers out of the bottom half of the National League table.

He added: “Is there a huge pot of money to go and get some of the best players in the National League? Of course there isn’t, you have to be realistic.

“We work with what we work with and, as I have said many times, we are where we are as a club and we can’t change that.

“Clubs at all levels have to be sustainable because we want clubs to exist, so I just have to get on with my job with the tools I have got.

“In my opinion, other than the two games (against Taunton) we have seen which I will apologise again to the fans that travelled, in the main the players have been extremely competitive.”

Whilst Yeovil beat Solihull Moors in their last league outing, their opponents have drawn two and lost two of their previous four matches and sit in 18th place, one below the Glovers, with the sides separated by six goals on goal difference.

The Latics were recently taken over by the Rothwell Family, led by chairman Frank Rothwell who made his wealth selling cabins, and appointed former Everton defender David Unsworth, who Hargreaves admitted will be in no doubt about how tough life is in the National League.

He added: “David will be under no illusion about how tough his job is and I have no problem with the reaction (of Yeovil Town supporters who booed the team off) after the game on Tuesday.

“I think our fans have given a lot and taken a lot over the last few years, but they just want to see their club do well and so do I.

“If I was a shrinking violet I would not have taken it and if I didn’t believe I could do it, I would not have taken it.

“I can’t step over the white line for the players, I can give them the information about the opposition, how I think we can beat them and then it’s up to them to go and deliver and there’s enough players to go and do that.”

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Chris Hargreaves apologised to Yeovil Town supporters for a performance which was “nowhere near good enough” as his side went out of the FA Cup at Taunton Town.

A first half penalty from Lloyd James was enough to settle the fourth qualifying round tie and send the National League South side, who sit 24 places below the Glovers in the pyramid, through to the first round.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins, the manager said he “could not accept that kind of performance” from his players.

He said: “I picked a team I believe could win the game comfortably, it’s a group of lads that has been good enough to get results against good sides in the National League.

”So against a very resilient team, albeit one from a lower league, we did not deliver, so apologies to anyone who turned up tonight to watch that.”

The travelling 300 supporters at Wordsworth Drive made their feelings known with the team booed off at the final whistle for the second successive match. They faced a similar reception at the end of the tie’s first game at Huish Park on Saturday.

Hargreaves said he did not blame fans for the reaction: “They have to see something (from the team) which they can hold on to and get behind you. I have no problem with (the reaction of supporters.

”The players have got to step over that white line and give them something to cheer about over the two legs they haven’t which is bitterly disappointing.”

He admitted there was “no hiding place” from criticism of his record since taking the manager’s job and compared the situation with Bristol Rovers, where he was previously part of the youth team set up.

He said: “I have seen (Bristol Rovers manager) Joey (Barton) take a lot of stick and then turn it round and that is all you can do in football – prove people wrong, fight and believe and I do.

”If I didn’t (believe) I would not have taken the job and I want everyone else to do that.”

The final whistle saw some Glovers’ players clashing with each other with defender Ben Richards-Everton and midfielder Matt Worthington involved in some fiery exchanges.

Asked about it, the manager said it was a product of their annoyance at the performance and result.

He added: ”The boys are giving everything, but tonight a few nerves showed with some of the younger players and the occasion got to them.

”We have to work with them quickly because we need them to play.”

He added that he would “have to see a reaction” from the players when they returned to training on Wednesday morning.

They travel to Oldham Athletic in the National League on Saturday looking to build on a 1-0 home win in their last league match.

Hargreaves said: “I will now move on to a National League game having won the last one, that is my mindset. I can’t forget about that.

”Since that game there has been a very disappointing two (games) against a team in a lower division.

”This club needs to be in the Football League, not win the FA Cup. I go in to the next game on Saturday as determined as I was when I walked in the door.”

 

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Chris Hargreaves has suggested there will be “a few tweaks” to his starting line-up as Yeovil Town start their FA Cup campaign this weekend.

The Glovers’ boss will get seven substitutes to select for the Somerset derby with Taunton Town at Huish Park which will give him the chance to give a few opportunities to those who have not made the squad.

The likes of striker Jake Scrimshaw and on-loan goalkeeper Will Buse, who are both yet to start a game for the club, and young defender Ollie Haste, recently returned from a successful spell at Truro City, will be hoping to get a chance to shine.

Chris Hargreaves. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Asked by BBC Somerset reporter Sheridan Robins, the manager said: “It’s difficult picking the bench because you see a lot of players working their socks off in training.

“Seven substitutes gives a couple of players an opportunity to get on the pitch and show what they are all about.”

He added: “We have to show consistency. There might be a few tweaks, but consistent teams are usually successful. It’s all about players knowing their jobs and playing week in and week out.”

The manager was asked specifically about Buse, who was part of the Taunton side which won promotion to National League South last season, who is yet to feature since joining on loan from Bristol City in the summer.

He added: “It might seem like he hasn’t been close, but it’s like that as a keeper, it’s not like the outfield positions where there’s rotation.

“With a keeper you will sometimes have long periods where you are not in the squad, but he can’t do any more in training, he has a fantastic attitude and has been brilliant with the players and the staff.”

Hargreaves added he still had to speak to managers from parent clubs about whether they will allow players to feature and be Cup-tied.

As well as Buse, the Glovers’ boss has defender Owen Bevan (AFC Bournemouth), midfielders Sam Perry (Walsall) and Finley Craske (Plymouth Argyle) and forward Sam Pearson (Bristol City) on loan.

Injury victims left wing-back Jamie Reckord and playmaker Lawson D’Ath will both be “touch and go” for the weekend.

Reckord has not featured in the club’s past two matches whilst D’Ath limped off of last weekend’s 1-0 home win over Solihull Moors after 54 minutes.

The boss said he believed that any money raised by the club’s progress through the FA Cup would be able to be reinvested in the playing staff.

However, he pointed out the importance of the incoming citing the examples of rugby union sides Worcester Warriors and Wasps, who have been wound up and placed in to administration respectively after running in to major financial issues.

The winners of the weekend’s tie will receive £9,375 in prize money with the losers picking up £3,125, but reaching the competition’s third round will bring in more than £100,000 in prize money.

Hargreaves said: “There’s no doubt that the money will come back to the playing squad if it’s right at that point and the management of the club’s (finances) is vital.

“I know I am talking about rugby now, but you look at Worcester and Wasps, these are massive clubs which are going under.

“If that money at that time is used for the club to survive on a day to day basis, that is what it should be used for, but if there’s a surplus and that money can be spent on players that is brilliant.

“I am conscious that in football we need to make sure we are sustainable and we are trying to create that model here whilst being hugely competitive.”

Hargreaves revealed he had recently missed out on bringing in players ahead of last weekend’s 1-0 home win over Solihull Moors and again this week.

He said he had no ambitions of having “a huge squad” but said he was “one or two injuries” away from needing to add to his ranks.

Gime Toure. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

The manager said: “We are trying to look at quality. So if you are bringing in players they have to be as good as our current players or better, otherwise you are just making up the numbers.

“The balance is fine between having strength in depth and selection headaches. At the moment we are okay, but we are probably one or two injuries away from needing back up.

“We lost out on two before last weekend and this weekend, who were needed to stay in and around their own squads either playing or being on the bench.

“They were to come and strengthen our squad and anyone who comes here has to fight for their place in training.”

Forward Gime Toure serves the final match of his three-game suspension for a red card at Southend United at the weekend whilst Matt Worthington will be missing for next weekend’s visit to Oldham Athletic after picking up five yellow cards in National League action.

With bookings being competition specific, the midfielder is available to face Taunton this weekend.

Of Worthington, Hargreaves said: “If you are an on the edge player, you are going to run the risk of getting booked, so I have some sympathy but discipline has to be a key factor.

“He will be loss because he wears his heart of his sleeve but it gives someone an opportunity for someone else to show.”

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Yeovil Town manager Chris Hargreaves said he hopes his side’s second win of the National League season can act as a springboard to push them up the table.

The Glovers moved out of the division’s relegation zone with an impressive 1-0 win over a Solihull Moors side who are among those challenging for the play-off positions after 13 matches of the season.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the game, the manager thanked supporters for their patience and admitted he understood the frustration at a faltering start to the campaign.

He said: “I want to thank the supporters, I know there’s been a bit of frustration and I get that, I understand it completely, but I am pleased we have sent them away with three points. They can enjoy their weekend, as can I for the first time in a long time.”

The boss added: “I hope this is a springboard for us to kick on and it should be because there is a group of players in there who are good enough.”

A 58th minute goal from Chiori Johnson, who was employed as a left wing-back, sealed the three points, but the boss suggested the former Torquay United man had been sent out with some ‘extra motivation’ from the management after missing a good first-half chance.

Hargreaves said: “He is determined to do well and he hasn’t been happy not to be in the team which I understand and I have said that to a lot of players.

“It’s not pleasant to be a professional footballer and you’re trying all week to get in the team and you’re not even in the squad and (Chiori) has been in that situation.

“So I am really pleased for him to get that goal. I thought he played well and probably got through some uncomfortable situations, let’s say!”

Having come in for criticism – yes, including on this website and podcast – for being too defensive having taken the lead in matches this season, the Glovers’ boss was pleased to see his side continue to press for a second goal.

A couple of exceptional saves from Solihull keeper Louie Moulden, who is on loan from Premier League Wolves, denied the hosts the opportunity to add gloss to the scoreline.

He added: “The players were outstanding and they have been like that, in the main, every game. We just either haven’t held on or we haven’t killed the game.

“Today we definitely could have killed it, their keeper made two outstanding saves and if we had scored that second goal it becomes less of a tense last five minutes.

“They stuck to what the game plan was, they delivered and they were excellent from minute nought to minute 90 plus eight – again!

“We didn’t want to sit back and our front players looked dangerous and like they wanted to score and create, so I am really pleased with the confidence to keep playing and not just sit back in because it is so dangerous to do that.”

 

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Yeovil Town manager Chris Hargreaves has called for patience from the club’s supporters as they go in search of their second win of the season against fifth-placed Solihull Moors this weekend.

Chris Hargreaves. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

The Glovers’ 1-1 draw at Dorking Wanderers on Tuesday night was their seventh stalemate in the opening 12 matches of the National League season and saw them slide in to the relegation places.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins on Thursday, the boss said the team “can’t hide” from the reality of their predicament, but again pointed to the inexperience in his squad following injuries to defenders Jamie Reckord and Ben Richards-Everton.

He said: “I get it, we are not where we want to be, no-one knows that more than me because my life revolves around it 24/7 with no let up. That’s how I want it because it means a lot of me.

“We stopped the coach on the corner outside Dorking’s ground where there was a pub and I said ‘these fans have paid good money and they want to see you do well.’ The players were aware of it.

“Fans have every right to say things after a game if things haven’t gone well because they give us support when we have done well – so you can’t have it both ways.”

He added: “We focus on the fact we have been competitive in every game and if you get a run together and a couple of wins it looks very different.

“If we had been battered in every game and not have massive periods of possession or being on top in games I would be worried, but what I have seen isn’t that.

“We can’t hide from where we are but we have to have patience with the players because it’s not easy for them, certainly for some players who are fresh in to this league or haven’t been in it long.”

Hargreaves was asked by the BBC reporter about whether angry chants directed at club chairman Scott Priestnall by a section of supporters at Dorking was impacting the squad.

Yeovil Town owner and chairman Scott Priestnall in the stands at Dorking Wanderers.

The owner and the club’s only executive director was sat alongside Martyn Starnes, a former Glovers’ Chief Executive who is helping the club “on a voluntary basis“, at Meadowbank in midweek.

Following a prolonged period of chanting of “We want Priestnall out“, a group of supporters moved closer to the main stand where the owner was located and continued to chant “Where’s the money gone?” in reference to the £2.8m the club received from the sale of its Huish Park home and surrounding land to South Somerset District Council in May.

Asked about the hostility towards the owner, Hargreaves said: “I can’t affect all the things around me, all I can affect is the team.

“The team do play for the fans, it’s just we have suffered at times from a lack of experience where we have let leads go too easily. I can’t accept that and the players know that.”

Looking ahead to the weekend, the manager said that injured defenders Jamie Reckord and Ben Richards-Everton would be “touch and go” for the visit of Solihull Moors.

Jamie Reckord. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Reckord, who spent two seasons at the Midlands club, missed the 1-0 defeat at Southend United last weekend and the midweek draw with a knee infection, whilst Richards-Everton was also absent at Dorking.

The boss also said he had taken precautions with play-maker Lawson D’Ath and defender Chiori Johnson after they were both withdrawn in the second half on Tuesday where they played on an artificial surface.

Hargreaves said: “All the players put a lot of effort in and with those two and their injury history, we have to be very careful especially with Lawson to ensure he doesn’t go over that balance of how much he wants to play and how much he can play.

“Chiori came back quickly from an injury which may have kept him out longer because he is so desperate to play. Both of them will be in contention again for the weekend.”

He added that he is continuing to look to bring new faces in after in midweek that he was looking to add to his ranks ahead of the visit of Solihull.

Speaking on Tuesday, the boss said: “Conversations are still ongoing, so we will be continuing that this afternoon and tomorrow.”

The manager has come in for criticism following the poor start to the season with some calling for his dismissal just 12 matches in to his tenure at the club.

The Gloverscast understands there is no threat to Hargreaves’ position with the boss still being backed by its board of directors.

Asked by Three Valleys’ Radio’s Adi Hopper whether he had been surprised at the scale of the challenge at Huish Park since taking over in the summer, Hargreaves said: “I knew it was going to be a tough job, but I’m lucky to be in this position. It’s a privilege and I remind myself that every day.

“It’s a good challenge and we are capable of excelling it and if we hadn’t been as close as we have been, I might not have that attitude.

“The players are giving everything, but on those critical occasions in both boxes we have to be 100% concentrated and on a couple of occasions on we have not done that.”

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As Yeovil Town slipped in to the National League relegation zone following Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw at Dorking Wanderers, manager Chris Hargreaves admitted he understood supporters’ frustration and indeed shared them.

Some fans took to social media to call for the manager to be given his marching orders after just 12 matches, but here supporter Jake Gallagher sets out why he believes the boss should be given more time by the Glovers fans…..

 

Well this piece got tougher and tougher to write as I drilled down into the analysis but the title remains and so does the sentiment, it’s my belief that Chris Hargreaves should be given time at Huish Park, to at least the end of October.

The Caveat

Look I get it, ten points from 12 games is not good enough. Nor is 13 points from 12 games which is where the algorithms and statistics – I’m talking about the dreaded xG [expected goals – how many goals a team should have scored based on the quality of the chances created]– suggest Yeovil Town should be based on performances. Looking at the squad, I’d suggest something closer to 16 or 17 points would be where we want to be – sat plumb in mid-table. I don’t think anyone would complain about that.

But 10 points and 21st place is a fact that is difficult to hide from.

With a new manager and fresh promise I naively bounced into the season regularly chanting about winning the f****** Conference in 2003 and hating those b******** in claret and blue. The ‘We want Priestnall out’ songs were loud and clear too, as the overarching message from us all that the owner is not welcome at Huish Park was coupled with getting behind the team.

 

Expected Goals

That bounce I mentioned has waned into a mild bob in recent weeks as good performances have resulted in fewer points than we deserve. The xG, expected goals, suggests that Yeovil should have three more points than we currently do – and that would put us 16th.

Expected goals (xG) calculates how many goals a team should have scored based on the quality of the chances created.

Now 16th is clearly not where we want to be either but it’s not in the drop zone. So where did those extra three points wriggle away from us? In two specific games actually, both in August. The first was the loss to Barnet at home which saw them go top of the league. Our 1.78 xG compared to their 0.88 was the epitome of a smash and grab away performance and rubber stamped our lack of ruthlessness which has plagued the season. Against Barnet we should’ve had at least a point.

And the second was away at Wealdstone, who were top when we played them, and we couldn’t turn our man advantage, 15 shots and xG of 1.91(!) into the solitary goal needed for the full three points rather than one.

I’m aware these are all ifs, buts and maybes and xG doesn’t win football matches, but these statistics do have weight when analysing performances.

But it’s not just those games and missed points, it’s the timing of them. If we did manage to back up the home win against Dagenham and Redbridge with a win at a Wealdstone who were top of the league when we kicked off against them on August Bank Holiday Monday that would have been a huge step in the right direction.

Confidence would’ve been high and we’d have kicked into a very winnable home game against York City. Instead we put in our worst performance of the season and these are the fine margins that have big consequences.

Yeovil were given rough fixtures at the start of the season seeing us travel to Scunthorpe, a relegated side wanting to put last season behind them in front of their own fans, followed by hosting the overwhelming favourites for the league title in Wrexham. That tough start has continued and now 12 games into the season you’ll find that Yeovil have faced eight teams currently positioned in the top half and four in the bottom half. To hammer home this point, two of those teams in the bottom half are 13th and 14th. We’ve played a higher standard of team in the league than the average, is what I’m saying. And not only have we played teams in the top half currently, but we played them when they were flying at their highest.

Now, due to sheer fact that all teams have to play each other twice over the course of the season – not exactly breaking news I know – means we’ll be facing some sides in the bottom half and have fixtures versus Oldham (16th), Aldershot (22nd) and Maidstone (15th) in October to look forward to.

Improvements must be made though – I know that. I’m not sat here typing this on my lunch break telling you that it will all be fine once we’ve played the poorer teams in the division. The signs are clear that we’re underperforming. Yeovil Town have dropped ten points from winning positions this season, no team has dropped more in the National League. There’s a clear mental block in the squad when we go a goal up that I cannot put my finger on, and I can’t dig out a statistic to explain it. We seem stuck between pushing for the second and sitting deep into a low block to protect the lead. In reality, we do neither.

The Glovers have had the second fewest amount of penalty box touches (144) in the league and our top goal scorer is our left-wing back. It’s time to make some tactical changes.


Solutions

So how do we get out of this situation? What are some actions we could take? Well, a change in formation must be the most obvious. In pre-season, Chris Hargreaves said repeatedly that we will change formation between games and within games based on the opposition but we’re yet to see that despite a run of bad results.

Changing to a back four is one call from the fans I can get behind. The issue though is Josh Staunton. Not because he’s not a good player, he’s arguably our best, but because I think Hargreaves is terrified to take such a reliable player out of the defence. If you push Staunton into midfield you lose Staunton in defence and the option of playing him in a back four isn’t feasible. Josh is perfect for that Conor Coady-esque role in the centre of a back three but Hargreaves must now push him into midfield, shielding the defence, as opposed to leading it.

So that’s settled, a back four is needed. But what about in front of it?

As we can’t hold on to a lead and seem to fade in games, a central midfield three making us less reliable on the ball playing abilities of Lawson D’Ath would be suggested. This would also mean our ‘five-figure’ signing Will Dawes, a winger, and Charlie Wakefield, a winger, could play in their actual positions. But not just Dawes and Wakefield, Gime Toure is very suited to the wide-forward role running at defenders with the ball at his feet.

The persistence in playing the 3-4-3 or 3-4-1-2 has meant we’re not putting our best attacking players in their best positions. Playing Wakefield at wing back, as you’ve mentioned on the podcast many times, is the squarest of pegs in the roundest of holes. Just play him in a wide-forward role, preferably on the right, give him the ball and tell him to run with it. Job done. Don’t overcomplicate things.

Conclusion

Confidence is everything in sport – one good result changes everything and with some very winnable fixtures coming in October I’d suggest patience with Hargreaves and his team. One thing you have to say is the players are leaving it all out on the pitch for the club – there’s no issues in motivation or playing for the badge or the manager or whatever cliché you want to trot out.

Just changing the formation though won’t be a magic pill that results in three points against Solihull on Saturday – but showing willingness to try something new is what’s needed on the terraces. If I see three at the back on Saturday at 3:00pm, it might be the last straw that makes me join the #HargreavesOut brigade.

 

We welcome everyone’s opinion here in the Gloverscast – goodness knows, you hear enough of ours – so if you fancy putting your point across about an issue relating to Yeovil Town, drop us a line at gloverscast@gmail.com.

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Yeovil Town boss Chris Hargreaves pointed to inexperience in his team after they recorded their seventh draw of the National League season at Dorking Wanderers on Tuesday night.

The Glovers’ boss was without defenders Jamie Reckord and Ben Richards-Everton through injury for the fixture with the team taking the field at Meadowbank having an average age of just over 23.5 years old, rising to nearly 24 years after his three substitutions.

He admitted that he was “not happy” with his side’s record this season and said he is looking to bring in new players before the weekend’s home match with Solihull Moors.

Asked by BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins whether he was frustrated to see his side surrender another lead, Hargreaves said: “Sometimes there’s an element of inexperience on the pitch. We have a little bit of experience in the team, but losing Jamie Reckord and Ben Richards-Everton before the game was obviously a blow, so we had to shuffle it quickly.

“It’s not so much about relinquishing leads, its more about not scoring when we do get chances. Today we didn’t create a great deal, but when we did it was just the wrong choice of pass and maybe bad execution.

“A lot of teams concede goals and go on to win games and we just haven’t had enough potency in games.”

Yeovil Town owner and chairman Scott Priestnall in the stands at Dorking Wanderers.

Chairman Scott Priestnall was in the stands to witness the performance and Hargreaves was asked whether he had the backing to bring further reinforcements in.

He replied: “I have the support to bring in players. We are looking at bringing in players constantly and that will continue in the next couple of days.

“I hope there will be an announcement before Saturday. The players are doing everything in their powers but the squad is a bit depleted so we are definitely looking to add for the weekend.”

Winger Will Dawes, signed for an undisclosed five-figure fee from Stratford Town, was handed his debut against Dorking and played 53 minutes before being replaced by Charlie Wakefield. The other player brought in for an undisclosed fee, striker Jake Scrimshaw, was unable to add to the 61 minutes he’s been given in four substitute appearances to date having been left on the bench at Dorking.

The final whistle was met by a mixed reception from the travelling supporters with both applause and angry shouts directed at the players, and Hargreaves admitted he understood the frustration.

He said: “I understand we haven’t got the results better than anyone, but the players will not stop giving everything.

“The fans can see the effort, I can understand they are not happy, it’s quite obvious but neither am I. I’m having to work with some players that this is their first outing in the National League, so we’re having to work hard with them all the time to get them better. That’s what we are working with.”

Hargreaves said both Chiori Johnson and Lawson D’Ath were withdrawn as precautions on the artificial surface in Surrey. Johnson was replaced by Alex Fisher after 75 minutes with Sam Perry coming on for D’Ath with nine minutes remaining.

The boss said: “But, I did have to shuffle it (with Chiori Johnson going off) and obviously Lawson (D’Ath) was struggling, Chiori was struggling.

“It’s a small group which is giving absolutely everything and we have to patch them up because we have another massive game coming up (against Solihull Moors at home on Saturday).”

Of D’Ath, he added: “I told him to tell me if he was really struggling on the artificial surface and that’s what he did. That’s what he has to do because I don’t want to lose him for six or eight weeks.

The boss said there was no major concerns about goalkeeper Grant Smith, who pulled off a number of outstanding stops to keep Yeovil in the game on Tuesday night, despite him requiring some lengthy treatment. Hargreaves said the keeper was suffering with a thigh issue but insisted he had “no concerns” about it.

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Chris Hargreaves said he is focussing on the players at the club but that he has ‘the support’ to get the right player and the right deal for Yeovil Town should he need to enter the transfer market.

The Glovers are without a win in five matches, but have enjoyed good performances against Chesterfield and Boreham Wood at Huish Park over the last two weekends. As with previous weeks, Hargreaves reiterated that his players were getting through the socks in training this week ahead of our trip to Southend and that he was keeping his faith in them.

Speaking at his pre-match presser via a dial-up internet connection (who’s our main shirt sponsor?) Hargreaves said: “We have some very good players here and we want them to be the ones that say ‘I am your man’ and we have to be patient with some others. But, as the games are ticking on, we want wins and we want to score goals. Our play has warranted (wins) and the feedback I have had is positive.

Josh Staunton celebrates his equaliser in the 2-2 draw against Chesterfield. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

“We will always face criticism because we are not where we want to be, we feel that more than anybody because we are working our socks off. We go back to the training ground and try and replicate situations we’ve had, so we are doing everything to try and help the players on Saturday.

“Every club at any level has to live within their means, but we can be very competitive with the players we have and I think we are. Every club in the country is always looking for new players and that won’t change, but there are enough players at the club to be successful and we are asking them to be the ones to go and do it,” he said.

Asked by Three Valleys Radio’s Adi Hopper whether he felt he needed “a good, old warhorse” of a player to add to his squad, the boss agreed insisting he had the financial backing – if he wanted it.

Hargreaves said: “There’s backing from everybody, the club are fully behind me but it has to be the right person at the right value. We have experience in our squad, we are going to need to draw from that at the moment. I’m not afraid for the young players, but I do lean on those experienced players and I need them to be leaders.”

As for the bit, players are champing at it ahead of the visit to the Shrimpers but there are a couple of injuries ahead of Friday. Hargreaves added that on loan Walsall midfielder Sam Perry is back in the reckoning after missing the previous three matches with concussion.

The Glovers welcomed back Owen Bevan from Wales Under-21s international duty and the manager said the Bournemouth loanee had “plenty of juice left in the tank.” The AFC Bournemouth youth team captain played just ten minutes of a friendly against Austria in the week.

Scrimshaw in action for Bournemouth U21s ?AFCB U21 Twitter

Hargreaves gave a a bit insight into Jake Scrimshaw, too. The 22-year-old has only made a couple of substitute appearances since signing a two-year-deal from Bournemouth in August and the manager said: “It has been a tough position for him coming from Bournemouth to us, the National League has different elements to under-21s at Bournemouth. He’s fighting for his spot and there’s competition for places with Gime Toure who has scored and Malachi Linton, but Scrimmy certainly working hard to get that start.”