WATCH: Elgin City crash to SPFL defeat at East Fife and new manager Allan Hale assesses a disappointing result and performance in his first game in charge of Borough Briggs club
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Elgin City need a confidence boost and stronger mentality to arrest their dismal away form in League 2, says new manager Allan Hale.
City lost 4-0 at East Fife on Saturday, and have yet to win away from home this season in 12 matches on the road.
- Hale will be demanding of City squad
- Assistant boss Stefan Laird speaks about plans for Elgin
- New boss says he is driven and motivated to succeed
Hale and his assistant Stefan Laird were in charge for the first time at Methil and saw their squad's weaknesses exposed on the day - watch match highlights.
The new management team consulted former boss and recent caretaker manager Ross Draper before selecting the team, having had just one training session with the squad themselves two days prior to the game.
Hale quickly pinpointed areas he will need to work on and improve.
"The result and the performance was really disappointing but it was good to see what is available to us and also learn about the players in terms of their confidence levels and their mentality.
"We took a lot from the game, that’s for sure.
"We were well in the game at 1-0 and missed a great chance through Brian Cameron which unfortunately ended up being our only shot on target. The keeper pulled off a great save and that’s the fine margins, a few minutes later we were 2-0 down.
"It’s those little things, that little bit of luck to go in your favour and if you can convert those chances at times when you do have a spell on top, that gives the players the impetus to kick on and the belief that they can go and get a positive result.
"We are not miracle workers so we can’t come in and drastically change everything. We need to keep working on the training pitch and try to instil the confidence and the belief that they are good enough to pick up results.
"I’ve got a lot of belief in the group and if we can pick up a couple of positive results it will give the players the belief to kick on for the run-in over the next five months or so.
"There’s plenty to work on, technically and tactically but also mentally. The key takeaway was there is a good squad available to us, there’s good players but they are lacking in confidence and a wee bit of belief, more so when they go two goals behind in a game or more.
After going behind, players didn’t want to get their foot on the ball or give the right angles for passes and we got a bit tentative, careless and slack with our work. In that aspect it shows there is a lot to do.
"We need to work on the structure and organisation of the team but also try to get us into a position where we can play higher up the pitch and try to impact it higher up the pitch. I thought there was a tendency to drop deeper than I wanted the team to be, but that stems from the lack of confidence and belief, particularly away from home."
That record on the road is a real concern for City. After drawing 0-0 at Forfar in August, they have lost each of their last seven away league matches.
In addition, they have been defeated in four cup clashes on their travels including their infamous 6-0 Scottish Cup thrashing at Jeanfield Swifts, and a 5-0 thumping at Queen's Park.
In total, the Black and Whites have lost 11 times away from home, scoring just six goals and conceding 39.
"It’s there for everyone to see and it’s something we definitely need to change," Hale said. "If we are going to climb the table, we have to pick up results away from home.
"Even if it's one point initially, it’s adding to the points total. Goals conceded away from home as well, it’s a stark contrast to the home form.
"At Borough Briggs we have the strongest defensive record with just three conceded at home, but 23 conceded away from home is the worst in the league so the pendulum swings drastically in that respect.
"Also, we have only scored 11 goals all season. That paints a picture of us needing a bit of support in the January window which we will look to address. There is the basis of a good team there and it just needs some reinforcements and a bit of support and hopefully we will be able to do that come January."
City are at home to Spartans this weekend in Hale's first match at Borough Briggs.
"I’m looking forward to getting a full week with the squad this week, a good three hours on the training pitch.
"And I’m really looking forward to Saturday and meeting the supporters for the first time. It will be good to see the players in a home game as well and see their approach to that.
"They should be confident that their home form has been really strong and it’s all about trying to pick up positive results at this point.
"I’m a believer in the old cliche of one game at a time and that is all we will be focusing on at the moment.
"There’s a difficult run coming up but all games we should be looking forward to. Right now it’s all about putting in a better performance this weekend and giving the supporters something to get behind. If they do that, it will give the players an extra lift as well."
