AFTER suffering our second defeat in a row last weekend, we had the players in on Sunday and plenty of talking was done.

I know Dave Worrall and Gary Deegan have already touched on it in the Echo this week but I thought it was important for us all to sit down and set some new targets.

A team without targets is a team without direction for me so this group of players now knows exactly what is expected from them in the final 14 games of the season.

Everything we discussed will be remaining in house, including the points target we’re chasing, but we’re still superbly placed to enjoy a successful season.

We’re in touching distance of the top three and we’re still in a play-off position and have an awful lot still to play for.

In terms of our points tally we’re also ahead of where we were at last season.

But we have to make sure this little losing run we’re on at the moment does not become anything like the one we had around this time last year when we went 12 or 13 games without a victory.

However, the reason that won’t happen again is the strength of the squad we have here now.

We have pretty much two or more players for every position on the pitch and I’m having to make difficult decisions every week.

That was certainly the case at Stevenage at the weekend and I thought it was a big decision to leave out both Adam Thompson and Jerome Binnom-Williams.

I also thought the same about Will Atkinson because he brings a lot to the midfield.

I have to do what I think is right for that particularly game and Saturday really summed up what’s it like.

After 45 minutes I had picked the wrong team and the wrong tactics, after 65 minutes I had picked the right team and the right tactics but then after 95 minutes I had the wrong team and wrong tactics again.

It ended up being a disappointing day but, after a result like that and, having conceded four goals, those who were left out at Stevenage, are certainly back in my thoughts for this weekend.

GOOD TO SEE BOTH STRIKERS IN FORM

IT was pleasing to see both of our strikers score against Stevenage at the weekend and both Joe Pigtt and Barry Corr are on form at the moment.

Joe has scored five goals in eight games since signing on loan from Charlton while Barry has now scored in his last two games.

He also has four goals in seven starts and it’s pleasing to see.

Unfortunately, Jake Cassidy can’t buy a goal at the moment but he still brings a lot to the team and we also have several other strikers vying for a place in the team.

GRAHAM WESTLEY'S VIEWS WERE LAUGHABLE

I READ Graham Westley’s views on Saturday’s game at Stevenage and I have to say I found them quite laughable.

He said we were a team who quite often concede late goals and hinted that we tired towards the end of matches.

But I certainly don’t think that’s the case and I can’t remember too many late goals we’ve let in if I’m honest.

We always do our own research on teams before games and Carlisle, for example, have conceded 72 per cent of their goals in the second half.

Does this mean they’re better in the first half than the second or that they tire or is it just a coincidence.

I’m not really too sure if I’m honest but as far as Graham’s comments were concerned they just made me laugh.

FACING A REAL TEST OF CHARACTER AGAINST CARLISLE

I THINK we’re facing a real test of character to make sure we bounce back from the 4-2 defeat at Stevenage in the right way.

The last time we conceded four goals was at Wycombe and we responded after that by keeping four clean sheets in our next five games.

I obviously don’t want to go back to drawing games 0-0 but we need to get back to having that clean sheet mentality and that’s something I’ve been stressing to the players this week.

QATAR WORLD CUP SOUNDS LIKE A FARCE

THE MORE I hear about the 2022 Qatar World Cup the more of a farce I think it sounds.

It does look as though it will now be played in the winter months and I certainly didn’t agree with someone who sounded very much like an agent on TalkSport yesterday.

His argument was that a team like Chelsea could afford to send 14 players to the World Cup and then bring in another 14 for their Premier League campaign.

But I think he’s just looking at the situation to try and make his money.

It’s not up to clubs to fund the national team and it’s just all very strange.

I once went out to America to watch USA against Italy when it was 95 degrees and it just wasn’t a very pleasurable experience.

You walked through cold showers on the way in to the ground and people were collapsing just watching because of how hot it was.

Players could actually die in those conditions and the whole thing is very strange in my opinion.