Disappointed boss Chris Rawlinson is adamant that Spalding United can still turn their season around after three poor results on the spin – but admits that the time has come to make changes to his squad.
The Tulips chief was talking after Monday’s 3-0 home reverse to Cleethorpes Town, which was hot on the heels of Saturday’s 6-1 spanking at Newcastle Town and last week’s FA Cup defeat to lower-graded Wisbech Town.
Rawlinson, who is working with a smaller budget at the Sir Halley this season, feels his squad is “blatantly short” in its current form and insists they “can’t carry on as they are” ahead of Saturday’s Evo-Stik NPL First Division South at Stamford (3pm).
The Tulips chief said: “Some people need to take a long, hard look at themselves.
“Has our recruitment been right? Maybe, maybe not. But we’re working with what we’ve got monetary-wise.
“We got the season off to a good start, but this is now three bad results on the spin.
“We’ve won two and lost two in the league, so the season isn’t gone. We’re blatantly short at the minute – but that’s for me to sort out within the means that we’ve got. I think we’ll need to look to make a few changes, as I don’t think we can continue as we are.
“The people of Spalding and all the volunteers deserve better than to come and watch us get easily beaten.”
One change could be forced upon the Tulips, with divisional rivals Corby Town hoping to prise influential midfielder Lee Beeson from the Sir Halley.
Rawlinson feels the Steelmen have been “naughty” in their advances for the set-piece specialist, alleging they offered him a deal before the seven-day period was up.
Regardless of what happens with Beeson, the Spalding supremo reckons a number of the squad that finished third last season are resting on their laurels and admits they are currently “a mile away” from the standard required to challenge for the the title and promotion.
“Corby have put seven days in for Lee,” added Rawlinson. “The seven days was up on Saturday, but it was a bit naughty of them that they’ve already offered him a deal before the period was up – which is not something I’m particularly happy with.
“He (Beeson) has been on holiday, who knows what he’ll do. I’ve discussed things at length with him and he’s an important player. But money talks at the end of the day.
“I spent all day Saturday and some time on Sunday seeing what I could do over the Bank Holiday weekend to get some players in to no avail, but now I’ve got a little window of time to see what I can do. But it isn’t easy when you haven’t got the money that people used to get paid here. It’s now about finding some gems in the under-21s.
“Some of the lads need to go away and get some game time, as it’s all about trying to find something from within.
“Let’s be right about it, we had a great season playing a certain way last year. But the players that we’ve lost and the changes behind the scenes mean that we’re now about being competitive and trying to build and push on, which is the way the club wants to go.
“I’m not saying we can’t finish top ten and push for the play-offs, but if that (Cleethorpes) is the standard of a team that could win it, then we’re a mile away.”
Rawlinson is hopeful that he’ll have a better squad to pick from ahead of Saturday’s game at Stamford, but feels he can do no more to motivate his squad.
He’s adamant that he won’t throw the towel in and believes that there is enough quality within the group to get a result at the Zeeco Stadium.
Rawlinson added: “I’ve done my best to try and gee the lads up. They are semi-professional footballers and they earn decent money here. It shouldn’t take me to gee them up for games, they should gee themselves up.
“At the minute, some do and some don’t. Some talk a good game, some don’t.
“Some are also very quiet, while some of them that do talk are struggling themselves. We’ve just got a really bad mix at the moment.
“But I’m not sat here chucking the towel in, far from it. I’m very positive as I know there are players within Spalding, the area and within the club to be successful.
“We need to get those players fit and playing again and we simply just go again.
“The season isn’t lost because we’ve lost two games and have gone out of the FA Cup. Obviously, everyone looking at us things that we’ve gone. But, mark my words, I’ll be working as hard as anyone to put things right.
“Depending on what happens with Lee (Beeson), he could be back in the squad. I’ve also got a seven-day approach of my own in, so we’ll see what happens there. I’m also working to look at some other players.
“Jordan Lemon’s cast is off, so he is available – although he needs minutes in his legs.
“Nathan Whitehead is a doubt again, but Paul Walker is obviously not going to be available until the end of September, which is a huge loss to us.”
Meanwhile, Spalding’s Conor Higginson has signed dual forms with Worksop Town, one of his former teams.
- Goals from Jonny Lockie (44) and Jordan Neil (71) gave Spalding United under-21s a 2-0 win over Boston United under-21s in their Lincolnshire Development League opener on Tuesday night.
