Express & Star

Stafford boss in video review

Stafford Rangers manager Phil Robinson has turned to the video evidence to solve the problems of the club's worst start to a season in over a decade.

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Three defeats on the trot in the first week of the campaign has left Rangers trailing as the only club in the Blue Square Premier without a point, before today's tough game at Oxford.

But after watching re-runs of the matches, the Rangers boss declared: "We could be sitting at the top of the table with nine points.

"We've reviewed every game and looked at every video. We've had so many good chances to win every game we've played.

"It shows what a fine line there is in this league. At the moment we are just the wrong side of it."

As well as capturing their missed chances, the videos also reveal Rangers limiting the opposition's scoring opportunities.

"For long periods of each game, we have been the more dominant team, created the better opportunities and had more pressure.

"Whether that'll be the case against every Blue Square Premier team, we have yet to find out.

"We feel the gap (between success and failure) is marginal: we're hoping we can start to operate on the other side of that fine line.

"We're certainly working as hard as we can to improve every aspect of our game."

With less than a week left to the close of the transfer window, which now impacts on Blue Square Premier clubs, Robinson still has an open mind on whether the squad needs further strengthening.

"We still feel, in terms of senior, experienced BSP-standard players, we have only a small number of those.

"We have some young, inexperienced players and we are seeing how they are going to develop.

"But in terms of players who are going to make an impact in the BSP, we're hoping to bring in one or two of those, if we can find the right ones."

What might help Rangers make up their mind is the injury situation.

A major blow has been the absence of Nathan Talbott, the only naturally left-sided defender on the books, and striker Del Olaoye.

Robinson had pencilled in Olaoye as a potential first-choice front man this season, vying with David McNiven and veteran Neil Grayson for the job.

"We hoped that Del would play a major role for us unfortunately he is out for the forseeable future.

"We're still waiting for Nathan (Talbott) to see a consultant."

• Just for the record, if Rangers fans think three defeats is bad: in 1995-96, after being relegated from the Conference, Rangers lost their first TEN matches in the Southern Premier, did not win a league game until DECEMBER and ended up being (narrowly) relegated to the Southern (Midland) division.

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