More Chester FC news
When Chester FC welcome basement boys Solihull Moors to the Swansway Chester Stadium on Saturday week (December 9) it will kick start a run of vital matches before and after the New Year.
Confidence is not high among the fan base following the second-half capitulation in last Saturday's 4-0 home loss to Dagenham & Redbridge .
But just over half the season remains to be played and the games the fourth-from-bottom Blues will face in December and January, on paper at least, could not look much more favourable.
Of the eight scheduled league matches for Marcus Bignot's boys in the last month of 2017 and the first month of 2018, three come against teams below them in the relegation zone and four more come against sides in the bottom half.
Chester FC's December and January league schedule
Saturday, December 9: H Solihull Moors (24th in the table)
Saturday, December 23: A FC Halifax Town (17th)
Tuesday, December 26: H Guiseley (23rd)
Saturday, December 30: H Hartlepool United (13th)
Monday, January 1: A Guiseley (23rd)
Saturday, January 6: A Ebbsfleet United (12th)
Saturday, January 20: H Gateshead (15th)
Saturday, January 27: A Maidenhead United (14th)
Chester boss Bignot has already admitted that his team's fight against relegation will go down to the wire .
But what did he say at his weekly press conference when asked whether he has a points target in mind for the next eight games?
"We always work on blocks of games and a points return from that, which we pretty much keep in-house," said Bignot.
"But even if we get the points return in December and January we want, this situation we've inherited, we're fully aware that this situation is going to continue right to the last month of the season.
"Even if we hit our points target in December and January, we won’t be mathematically safe. I'm no Carol Vorderman, but I know we're not going to get mathematically safe until the final month of the season.
"We know what we inherited and as a result it will go right down to the end of the season."
The Blues will have two weeks to prepare for the visit of Solihull given they are without a fixture this weekend.
So what have they been doing this week to prepare for the crucial clash?
"This week has been different to a normal week, what with the two-week lay-off," said Bignot, who squad has been beset by injuries.
"It's been pretty much led by the medical team. It's been their opportunity to see where the players are physically. We'e had a really productive day at Total Fitness and now we'll get them back in on the pitch on Saturday and back to a normal week come Monday.
"It’s going to be an important two weeks and it's important we don't just get them (the injured players) back for the short term; that when they come back, they stay back.
"That's key and that's the message we'll be sending out to any returning players who return. We need to make sure they're here until the end of the season and we don't have a repeat of them going back on the treatment table."
And will he have players back for Solihull?
"Possibly Solihull is going to come too soon, if I’m being honest, and it’s more like working toward (the FA Trophy tie with AFC) Fylde (on December 16) when we start seeing some players coming back," said Bignot.
"It's a big month, December, into January, and it gears you up for what I call the business end of the season, which is February, March and April.
"But certainly the next two months are an indicator of where you're season could be heading."
