Carlisle United boss Rob Elliot has reiterated his ambition to win the National League title and insists he would not be at the club without belief in their promotion drive.
The Cumbrians have had a mixed start to the season with two wins from their first six games but Elliot believes performances have shown the potential within his squad.
Carlisle conceded two late goals to lose to league leaders Boreham Wood last weekend but Elliot saw enough in the game to believe his style of play can yield success and he wants his players to back themselves in key moments.
“We’re six games into a season and our goal is to get promoted, to win the league, to be the best team in the league,” he told BBC Radio Cumbria.
“What was pleasing for us on Saturday – Boreham Wood are excellent, top of the league and fair play – but maybe the lads taking the shackles off and not having that fear of anyone.
“Maybe realising that they can compete with and without the ball and be aggressive.
“If we can’t look at that game and realise the squad is getting stronger, players are getting fitter, know what we can do, and think that we can’t challenge or be pushing for the title, well I wouldn’t be here.
“I’m not willing to watch people who don’t believe in themselves and go out and attack every game because that is what I enjoy. It is what I love. I want to see these lads go and back themselves and get after teams.
“There will be the occasion where it goes wrong but if we back ourselves and play the football we have seen, we will only get better and better. I think it will be enjoyable to watch, these lads will develop and we will also be winning games.”
Carlisle welcome Southend United to Brunton Park on Saturday (17:30 BST), with Kieron Dyer’s side having started the season brightly, and Elliot knows his players will be severely tested by a good team.
“They are really going all-out football. Kieron is bringing in a good style of play. They have young players, good attacking players, it is going to be a tough game but a really good game,” he added.
“It will be a bit like Boreham Wood, two good teams who want to play football and go about it the right way.
“This block of games – Scunthorpe, Boreham Wood, Southend and Forest Green – is against teams in the top five or six last year and we want to go and test ourselves against them and back ourselves in these games.
“You can see from the way his team is trying to play they are really structured and well coached so we will have to really be on it.
“It will be a good advert, two massive clubs who don’t want to be in this league, haven’t been for a long time, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
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