Defeat in Wales against Newport County in the FA Cup means Micky Mellon has only one win in his first four games. The new manager bounce is well and truly popped.

From Mellon’s words himself post-match, it wasn’t a good performance and one which again lacked the basics from the squad including passing and application, as was the case at Fylde 10 days earlier.

Both of Newport’s goals were entirely avoidable with Shane McLoughlin stealing in at the back post into acres of space left by a disorganised defensive line. He should arguably have been closed down much more quickly, and with more purpose, than he was for his second, which killed the game with 10 minutes to go.

However, we also had chances to firstly go ahead when James Norwood went though the middle but chipped his effort wide of Nick Townsend in the opposition goal and, secondly to equalise when Townsend denied Joe Nuttall, clawing away his header superbly. So whilst it was a disappointing performance and result, there was something positive to take away.

For some reason once more though, we just aren’t firing on all cylinders. It will of course take Mellon and Gary Brabin a little time to implement their ideas into the squad, especially as the squad very much seems to me to be suffering from a cautious and possibly even negative mentality.

This is likely a hangover from last season and the previous manager when a more pragmatic approach had to be taken to ensure survival.

Whilst I agree that the squad is imbalanced, and it is interesting that Mellon hasn’t yet made any outfield signings when I certainly think one or two in the right positions would really give everyone a boost, this squad is a very capable squad - certainly top seven quality if not higher - that is currently out of form.

However, I am more than confident that Mellon will turn us round and the play offs are, without a doubt, well within reach for us yet - it is only just November after all.

Mellon is hugely experienced, very tactically astute, as his early introduction of substitute Liam Hogan into an unfamiliar left back role on Saturday shows, and has had great success across many different levels of football, including the National League.

He knows what it takes to get us out of this league.

We all hope of course that will be this season and it will definitely be disappointing if we are not in the play-offs at the end of the season, even after our poor start, but we have to support the new manager as he goes through the process needed to get the squad to where it needs to be; in mentality, in tactics and likely in personnel too.