Jon McCarthy insists that Chester FC are ambitious despite their limited resources.
The Blues enjoyed a superb first half of the season, rising to as high as seventh in the National League, but back-to-back defeats to Solihull Moors in the last two outings have dampened the mood somewhat.
Chester have managed to stay in touch with the play-off chasing pack but now, with January in full swing, the club face a battle to keep hold of some of their key assets to clubs with more financial muscle.
But McCarthy is adamant that the club share his ambitions and that they can achieve their goals despite not having the resources at their disposal that some clubs may have in a National League that is as cash rich as it has ever been.
He said: "Nobody is more ambitious than the people I am working with, but there is resources. We are a very new club and stability is important.
"We will be as ambitious as we can with our financial resources. Some other clubs might be able to offer better deals to some players but that doesn't mean they are more ambitious than us.
"Our fans should realise that the board and me are as ambitious as anybody, and the results that we are achieving reflect a real ambition."
McCarthy, who faces a fight to keep hold of midfielder Ryan Lloyd after his loan spell from Port Vale came to an end, with two National League clubs interested in him, is hoping his managerial career can follow the same upward trajectory that his playing career enjoyed, and wants that journey to be with the Blues.
"This football club wants to get back into the Football League," he said.
"I have managed 30 games now so I am learning. If you mirror my football career I was ambitious.
"I really enjoy working here and my ambitions are not to drop down the table and to stabilise this club but I am still very much in a fight."
