Dino Maamria admits “it’s about results, it’s about winning now” as they face the task of picking up their first win of the season away at Cheltenham Town this Saturday...
Stevenage have had a difficult start their Sky Bet League Two campaign as they sit in 23rd place after six games.
Injuries across the squad have meant no consistency in the starting eleven as first team players such as Scott Cuthbert, Ben Nugent, Terence Vancooten, Emmanuel Sonupe, Dean Parrett and Tyler Denton have all been, or still are, on the injury list.
Maamria is tired of talking injuries though and has challenged his available players to pick up all three points at the weekend.
“There is a lot of positive performances, but it is about results, it is about winning now. I do not want to be sitting here talking about good performances or how we didn’t get three points, I want to talk about getting three points on Saturday.
"We are nine points away from the top three, it is a gap we can reach. But we need to start winning and that is the big message to the players. Whichever eleven we pick on Saturday, no excuses. Although there are some facts there, but no excuses, we have got to go there and win the game.”
Despite the difficult start to the season, positives can certainly be drawn from the young talent in the squad and emerging from the Academy.
The future looks bright for the club as young players Luis Fernandez, Kelland Watts, Jack Smith and Arthur Ionnton have all stood up and been counted for the good of the team.
With the need for results now urgent, Maamria has been busy towards the end of the transfer market bringing in experienced players such as Craig Mackail-Smith and Adam El-Abd to help balance out the squad.
“The difference between experienced and youth is that experienced know how to win games, even on a day bad day. The young ones give everything they got, they might be good, but they might not know how to win a game.
"I think hopefully one or two will be back from injuries. Those players that know how to win games will help turn it around and we will start winning football matches. What we have got to do is not to win one or two, but go on a run to catch up with those team ahead of us. Like I have said, a nine-point gap from the top three isn’t a big gap so far, but we cannot make that any bigger.
"Adam is going to be fantastic singing for the football club. He is a true Stevenage type of player, the type of Jon Ashton of the past. He is a true winner and he has got five promotions on his CV.
"I think he is going to add some solidity at the back” Maamria added. “We have been playing with some young players, players like Kelland (Watts) 19, Luis Fernandez, 17. Tom Soares, who is a midfielder has been playing centre back, so we have been very light there.”
Boro's recent record against the Robins is a superb one. Eight wins and one draw from the last meetings between the two sides suggests a positive result may be on the cards, but Dino Maamria draws nothing from history and insists the match will be another tough one for his side.
"We beat them 2-0 twice last season, but it will be a different game. They are in a better position than us right now but I think the 11 players that I pick on Saturday will be well capable of winning the match.
“We are going there arguably as the underdogs but it is about time we produced a result and a performance and that is my challenge to the players.”
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