Frustrated boss Le Masurier says Poppies have got to toughen up

That's the message from Kettering Town boss Jim Le Masurier as his team continues to struggle in their fight against relegation from the Pitching-In Southern League Premier Central.

The Poppies' miserable run of form continued last weekend as they were thumped 4-0 at play-off chasing AFC Telford United, meaning they have now claimed just four points out of the past 24 available to them.

Going into this Saturday's home date with high-flying Leamington, Kettering remain one place and just four points above AFC Sudbury and the relegation zone, and they need to get their act together quickly.

Le Masurier has overseen just three wins in the 11 league games he has taken charge of following the sacking of Andy Leese.

It is a record that is worse than his predecessor's, who oversaw four wins in his final 11 league matches in the hot seat before being relieved of his duties.

It has been a difficult period for the new man, and Le Masurier now believes the answer for his side lies in simply upping their physicality and to show some 'heart and desire'.

Then he believes there is more chance the results will come.

Talking after Saturday's defeat, Le Masurier said: "Having a bit more physicality in the whole team is what we need, as our fragility was as clear as day for all to see.

"If you lose against teams like Telford, the only way we want that to be is a scrappy 1-0 win where we have battled and fought for everything, and we come off knowing we have had a game.

"But on Saturday we again rolled over and had our bellies tickled, too many people that want to play and not fight, and that is what we need to work on now.

"The performance on Saturday was just weak, physically.”

Poppies’ fate is still very much in their own hands, particularly as they still have to play AFC Sudbury twice, as well as a few of the other sides stuggling towards the foot of the table.

But first they have tough-looking matches aganst high-flying Leamington and Mickleover, fixtures that Le Masurier feels will not decide their survival fate.

"I think Telford are a better team than us, Telford have a better budget than us, they are in better form than us, and that match isn't going to decide whether we stay up or not,” said the Poppies boss.

"What is going to decide that is when we play Sudbury twice, when we play Leiston, Barwell, the teams in and around that bottom half of the table, which is where we need to show fight.

"But before then, we have obviously got Leamington and Mickelover, who are both further up the table and fighting for points for promotion.

"So the next two games are going to be a test of who wants it? If somebody doesn't want it, then who else comes in with what the resources are?

"Some things are tied up at the moment and we are a group that we need to work on, because it is not easy just to change things up.

"But there will be recruitment, there has to be, and hopefully we can get people in who are going to show that physicality moving forward."

Le Masurier was then asked the inevitable question about the Poppies’ survival chances, and he said: "If you are asking my opinion if we are good enough to stay up? Then, yes.

"When you look at what other teams are in the league, Kettering fans, myself and probably the players as well, will question why we can put in performances like we did against Mickleover and Halesowen, and then not against Long Eaton and Telford, etc.

"So that consistency level just isn't there, and we need more senior players that are going to fight and grapple.

"We have to stop trying to be pretty and nice, and need to start to show some heart and desire, because if you don't then the inevitable will happen.

"Other teams around us, who have been on good runs, aren't doing that because they are good footballing teams, it's because they want it more.

"They fight for everything, they want that second ball, and this is that league. We need to be able to be physical, and we need to work on that."

Interview by Peter Short