‘A great test of our character’ says boss Brennan as Tudors look to arrest the slump

The Tudors were far from their free-flowing best on Saturday, and Brennan says he will be pushing his players to get back to the level he expects of them.

“Overall we deserved to lose on Saturday, because they scored two goals and we never managed to score,” said Brennan.

“The performance in general was average at best. There was not enough imagination in our play and our creativity was poor.

“We have a lot of players not on their game at the minute and it’s my job to get those players back to performing to the standards they have set themselves at this football club.”

Hemel have been undone by a series of defensive errors in their last two games, and this is something which Brennan is specifically looking to address.

“There are turning points in games, and goals always change games,” said the Hemel boss. “But when you concede in the manor we did on Saturday and even back to last Tuesday against Borehamwood; when conceding from individual errors, it makes it more frustrating for the team.

“We need the players to be brave now and show us if they have the mental strength and focus to recover from the errors that have been made within the last week.

“We will work hard on the training ground this week to make sure we improve our performance.

“It’s a great test for myself, the management team,the players and the club in general.

“We need to work harder and make sure we all stick together. We move on to the next game, which I’m really looking forward to.”

Despite his positivity, Brennan admits that the Tudors are currently finding it hard to cope with an ever-growing injury list.

“The injury situation is even more frustrating,” said Brennan. “The team needs a consistent selection to work from and we have some key players that we need on the pitch and out of the treatment room as soon as possible.

“It’s all part of the game and it just shows you at this level, if you are not on your game individually and collectively as a team, it becomes very hard to win matches.

“It’s a great test of our team’s character at this early stage in the season.”

The Tudors return to action on Saturday with a trip to Maidenhead United, and Brennan is looking for his team to bounce back in positive style.

“This weekend we have a great opportunity to bounce back from our last two games, as we play two games in three days,” he said.

“First up on Saturday we travel to Maidenhead United – they are a very dynamic team with bundles of pace throughout.

“They’re another seasoned side at this level and it will be another good test for us.

“On bank holiday Monday we entertain Concord Rangers and I expect another tough game in the way of very experienced players within their team.

“Plus, they are a very hard side to beat as they play in a more defensive style.

“The great thing about football is that we are always learning and we will continue to work hard to try and improve.”