Unhappy Mettam questions himself and his players as Corby suffer third straight loss

Boss Leon Mettam has questioned his players and himself after Corby Town suffered a third straight defeat to start their Pitching-In Northern Premier League Midlands Divison campaign.

The Steelmen, who were taken over by new owners on the eve of the season, were beaten 3-0 at Bourne Town on Tuesday night, suffering a third loss on the spin and taking their tally of goals conceded to 10 in just 270 minutes of football.

And Mettam has revealed he is already questioning his own suitability to be manager under the new regime at Steel Park, while also declaring he needs NINE new players to make Corby competitive this season.

At Bourne, new goalkeeper Milai Perrot endured a nightmare start on debut as he dropped a cross to gift the home side the lead, and the Steelmen never recovered.

"You can't legislate for individual errors," Mettam told @corbytownfc. "We have brought a new keeper in, he has had nothing to do, and the first ball that has come into the box he has dropped it.

"He has held his hands up, he has been caught cold, and we are 1-0 down when we have put a gameplan together. You can't legislate for that, and from then on you are always chasing.

"We had nothing in the final third, we didn't really get any shots off, we didn't test them, we didn't pull them about, and it is really, really frustrating.

"Bourne have given us a lesson... and the long and short of it is, we aren't good enough."

Asked about leaking 10 goals in three games, Mettam admitted: "It is a huge concern and I am not speaking out of turn here.

"I will hold my hands up and say that I thought we had added a bit of quality to what we ended last season with, but last season we seemed to be getting some really good results.

"This season we have started, and we're not, and we're not even getting close, which is worrying.

"We are just not good enough, and the most frustrating thing about it is we are 10 days into a five-year plan, and already I am questioning whether it's the right thing.

"Do I step away and let someone else come in?

"It is keeping me awake at night, I am up at 6.30am trying to speak to players, I am still up at 11.30pm/midnight trying to speak to players and do the right thing.

"But it is like banging my head against a brick wall.

"I am a young manager, and the previous manager before I came in here has just took a job (Gary Setchell at Basford United) and he is having the same problem, struggling to get players at this time of the year.

"If he has all that experience and is struggling, how is it for a young manager.

"It's not about contacts, we have spoke to all the people, we have spoken about loans, and clubs just aren't willing to even dual register or loan players out this early on in the season.

"We are trying night and day to make us better, but it's just not happening."

Mettam was then asked what changes needed to be made to the team and squad, and he declared: "I need nine players, nine players, and that is not an exaggeration.

"If I could sign nine players, then we would probably get in the play-offs, and if somebody could go and get me nine players it would be a great help.

"But at this time of the season they are just not available, and we are having to work with what we have got."

Corby are back in action on Saturday when the host Setchell's Basford United in the FA Cup at Steel Park (ko 3pm).