Iffy's move (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Iffy's move

A dejected Jack Smith troops off with his Town teammates after Saturday's 3-1 defeat at the hands of M K Dons Ref: 99608-167'NO baggage required' will be Iffy Onuora's message to the experienced additions he wants to bolster his squad.

Saturday's 3-1 defeat at M K Dons leaves Town five points adrift at the bottom of League One.

The new boss is now looking to move into the 'emergency' loan market to strengthen his kindergarten squad.

Tony Thorpe was the oldest starter on the field by some eight years at Milton Keynes and Onuora feels old heads are the order of the day to enhance what he already has.

The County Ground boss insists there is no magic wand which will suddenly transform Town's fortunes but he is confident that he can turn it around.

He said: "I said to the players on Friday that it's been put in the press that I'm looking to bring in players but that's not a reflection on them. It's a question of adding to what we have.

"When we turn this corner, the younger players can come in and thrive in an atmosphere where confidence is a little bit higher.

"At the moment we're asking boys to do mens' jobs at a time when we need steadier hands and more experienced hands.

"After M K Dons made it 1-1 I turned to Ian Woan and said this is where we need the older lads.

"We just don't have them (the likes of Andy Gurney, Stefani Miglioranzi and Gareth Whalley) available to us."

A fresh face or two can only help, believes Onuora.

He said: "Sometimes the baggage that comes with seven defeats weighs down heavily on the squad.

"If you bring in a couple of faces who don't have that baggage, and hopefully the right kind of personalities who can lift the dressing room, then you give yourself every opportunity."

Despite tasting defeat in his first two matches, Onuora is far from disheartened.

He said: "I haven't lost any belief in myself. I look at managers who've taken over in similar circumstances.

"My old mate Adi Boothroyd at Watford is doing very good things there yet he lost his first seven, I think.

"I knew things like this would happen and I'm not naive enough to think I'd go in and change it all overnight with a magic wand. It will take time."