Skipper says he has been impressed with how quickly the new players have settled in at Boro

CAPTAIN Mark Roberts says he’s been impressed with how the new faces at the club have settled in after being thrown together during the summer transfer window.

Manager Gary Smith brought in 15 new players since the end of last season after being forced to build a squad almost from scratch following the departures of several key players, and Boro’s start to the campaign suggests things are starting to click even sooner than most would have anticipated.

Speaking after Sunday’s impressive win at Coventry City, Roberts told the Comet: “Irrelevant of the club we’re playing we want to win every game. Yes it’s a lovely stadium to play in but all we were concentrating on was ensuring we posted the three points.

“There have been a lot of new players coming in but it’s an ongoing process and the more we win and the higher we are in the table the better that team spirit develops.

“There’s a real character and determination to win in this squad, and while I know we haven’t been particularly brilliant in terms of results at home but we’ve got points on the board which will stand us in good stead.

“Everyone wants to win. The new lads are learning from the old lads and vice-versa. That’s important that we keep moving in a positive direction, and keep winning because that’s what this football club is all about. We want to make sure we’re challenging at the top end of the table.

“I think we’d all agree that we haven’t hit top gear yet and that’s what we need to continue working on. Games have been coming thick and fast but we’ve started well in the league and it’s a good foundation to build on.”

The 28-year-old now says the focus will be on replicating their away form at the Lamex Stadium for the visits of Crewe Alexanda (Saturday) and Walsall (Sep 18).

“We’ve been very strong at home in the last few seasons, and have built our success on the back of that. And I’m sure we’ll work extremely hard to get that first win as we’ve got two home games coming up.

“Maybe teams back off us a little bit when we play at home which makes it a bit more difficult, but we’ve got to make sure we’re on the front foot in front of our own fans and replicate our away form at home now.”