GRANTHAM Town co-manager Jimmy Albans has called for a “reality check” from supporters who have grown used to seeing their club win every week.
Albans said his and Wayne Halcro’s team are playing with a huge weight of expectation on their shoulders, with supporters expecting results “whoever we play”.
Town’s defeats this week to Stocksbridge Park Steels and Whitby Town means Grantham have not won in six games since their FA Cup tie against Loughborough Dynamo last month.
Speaking after Saturday’s game against Stocksbridge, Albans said: “I don’t believe we are on a bad run - we have lost one game in seven in the league. When you are playing in the FA Cup and FA Trophy it’s a toss of a coin who wins football matches.
“I think people will say we are on a bad run because the expectations at the football club have changed completely. Now, whoever we play, whenever we play them, everybody expects you to win, no matter who it is.
“That’s not a bad thing but sometimes we have to have a little bit of a reality check.
“I’m not saying we shouldn’t be beating Stocksbridge, I’m saying that after today’s performance and the way we played, we should have got something out of the game but we have to have a reality check.
“We are here to build something to go and go to the next level but that’s not going to happen overnight.”
Albans said that while he is certain his side can compete with every team in the league, everyone involved in the club needs to recognise they are now playing at a higher level and so cannot be expected to “steam roll every team, every week”.
Albans said: “We have only lost 18 or 19 games out of the last 97 games. It’s not a bad record but we are only as good as our last game.
“People now get frustrated because they want to see us win and they have got used to seeing us win week in, week out.
“All of us here, myself - I spoke to the chairman in the week - Wayne and the players, we have to have a reality check.
“We are not going to steam roll every team every week.”