Stevenage Boro boss Mark Stimson s monthly column for The Comet There can be no hiding from the fact that it has been a very frustrating season so far but we need to remember that it has only just begun. We are fortunate this year that there are 46 leagu

Stevenage Boro boss Mark Stimson's monthly column for The Comet

There can be no hiding from the fact that it has been a very frustrating season so far but we need to remember that it has only just begun.

We are fortunate this year that there are 46 league matches and we have only played six, so there are still 40 matches left. That's 120 points left to play for which is a massive total. We have had a chat with the players this week to tell them that.

I said at the beginning of the season that the promoted clubs will come from about 13 teams and at the moment ourselves, Halifax and Cambridge United, who I thought would be in that 13, have not started at all; once we can get that first win under our belts we can go on a run, collect a few points and be back up there challenging.

The first two matches that we played I thought that we were not creating enough chances to cause teams problems, so we changed things by bringing in Steve Morison and Steve Guppy, this allowed us to move George Boyd into a position just off the front man.

Since then I think that attacking wise we look very good, but unfortunately as good as we have looked going forwards we have looked as bad defending.

So that is something that we are trying to iron out and maybe it is the time now to get a settled back four; where we get four players and say that you four are going to play together for the next few games.

Defending is important to me. I get more pleasure out of 2-0 wins than I do out of 6-2, but the most important thing is three points.

If the team can play with the attractive style of football that I like that is even better and we managed that at the last club that I was at, but it took time.

It wasn't one of those things where we went in there straight away and turned it around, it took time. Most things take time so you have to be patient.

But I do love clean sheets because I know how much it means to defenders and goalkeepers, but on the other hand I do like to get the ball wide and try and create as many chances as possible, because that does provide the entertainment value and that's the business we are in - an entertainment, and results business.

Maybe we have been a bit cavalier and gone for too many goals and not kept it tight which is why recently I bought Dwane Lee into the squad, who is a bit more of a defensive-minded player in midfield, with a bit more of a physical presence who can hopefully sit there and protect the back four a little bit.

We had a training session earlier in the week in the build-up to the Stafford Rangers game and the tempo during the session was absolutely fantastic, everyone was bright.

I told them after the defeat at Tamworth to come in on Monday and not to feel sorry for themselves because they are at a fantastic club with a fantastic future.

I told them to come in and stand up and be counted. There is no use in hiding, you can't hide on a football pitch and you can't hide in training.

I'm sure that with all the support we have been getting in these games, and hopefully that will continue, the boys will come out of it, and it is a great learning curve.

It is something that Scott (Barrett) and I are not used to, we have never had this before but it is a challenge. That is why we came to Stevenage because it is such a challenge, a fantastic set up.

Our principles and thoughts haven't changed, we are totally confident that we will turn it round and we are just like the supporters in that we wanted it to turn around now rather than wait.