Ian Evatt admits it’s been a tough start to the season and wants everyone to stick together to pull through it, writes Pete Oliver.
Wanderers suffered a first home defeat of the season to make it back-to-back losses in League One as Exeter City struck twice to take the points at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
The Whites are still waiting for a home league goal and after impressing in mid-week to progress in the Carabao Cup now face a two-week break from league football with four points on the board from their opening four games.
“Times are tough and we need to stick together,” said Evatt. “It's been a tough start and we have to own that and we have to keep working hard to get better.
“Football seasons are tough and you have spells where you have to suffer and you have to stick together.
“It seems to be pretty early on for us in that but I'm disappointed with how we've started the league season. We need to come together and get better and work hard to improve. We all have to own that and we all have to look at ourselves.”
Wanderers are in action in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy at Barrow on Tuesday night but have the chance to re-group before resuming their League One challenge with back-to-back home games against Huddersfield and Reading.
Evatt hopes to have nearly all his players fully fit and firing by then after drawing a blank against the Grecians despite a total of 21 shots.
“There's no denying that we've had a rough start,” added the Wanderers’ boss. “We need to re-set, we need to get some bodies back and we need to get some people further up to speed.
“We're really light at the moment but the players are going to return quickly and then we need everyone to really put a good run together. There’s no excuses with that, though. The players we put out there should be good enough to win the game. For whatever reason it wasn't us. It was disjointed and we need to work hard to make things better.
“I thought we started the game brightly for the first 15 minutes but after that we came off it. We struggled to build any momentum we didn't have the same energy we had on Tuesday.
“We went behind to an excellent free-kick and then we looked nervous and devoid of ideas and energy. It wasn't us and it wasn't the standards we've set ourselves.
“At half-time we discussed things and the changes we could possibly make to help us. We asked to raise the energy and the intensity and certainly make sure we do the basics really well and then straight after half-time we lost the first two duels and conceded from a corner which then gives you a mountain to climb.
“We made some changes and I thought there were some positives from those. Jordi was positive, Jay was positive and Aaron should score and if that goes in the momentum probably does shift and we build confidence and probably get something out of the game.”
Watch the manager’s full post-match interview and hear from captain Ricardo Almeida Santos on Wanderers TV HERE