Search for new Chester FC boss
The manager may have gone but the run which, more than any other factor, cost him his job remains.
When Chester FC take to the field at the Swansway Chester Stadium to face unbeaten Ebbsfleet United on Saturday (3pm kick-off) it will be the club's first fixture since they sacked Jon McCarthy.
McCarthy's failure to win any of the club's last 14 home league matches undoubtedly led to his downfall.
It is a sequence of results that stretches back to December 17 last year and one that Tom Shaw admits has preyed on the mind of the players.
Player/assistant manager Shaw has been handed the reins on a temporary basis after McCarthy became the third Blues boss to lose his job since the club's reformation.
It will be his job to try and prevent the winless home run extending to a club record 15 league games .
And how does he plan to do that?
By being positive and getting the long-suffering supporters onside.
Shaw said: "I think there's been a lot of tension (around the ground). I think there's been a hangover from last season.
"You have to be fair and the fans want to be seeing their team win at home. We understand that but I think this new group of staff and players has inherited that from last season and it's been quite hard to shake.
"There's been a bit of tension in the body language and a lack of confidence in the group so we need the supporters to flip it now and fill these boys with confidence. They will go out there, like they have in all of the games, and try their hardest, but to find that spark I think they need the backing of everybody involved - the management, their fellow players and definitely the fans as we need to get some positive results and get going.
"You feel it as a player sometimes when there's some tension. You don't want to be the one to make a mistake and get the jeers and get the blame for stuff. Perhaps we have been reactive to that as a group of players.
"But now is the time to get on the front front and make things happen and be the ones who put their necks on the line because the players are good enough. They're proven Conference players and they're good enough to go and make it happen.
"We'll be going for the throat on Saturday, we'll be positive, and we'll be on the front from the off and take it to Ebbsfleet.
"They've got some good players but we're just going to worry about us and worry about ourselves and what we can implement on the game. We've got quality and we've got endeavour and we're going to concentrate on utilising that to the maximum."
McCarthy was not helped by injuries with Ryan Astles missing his last match in charge, the 2-0 loss at Solihull Moors on Tuesday .
But Shaw said: "Ross Hannah got more minutes, so he'll be pushing for a start, and Ryan Astles is hopefully going to be fit. I know he'll want to be out there.
"With Harry White, I'm not too sure at the minute, and while Andy Halls had a little bit of tightness on Tuesday, he should be fine. I thought he was superb on Tuesday even though it wasn't a great performance from everybody.
"Injury wise it's looking a little better."
Shaw added: "There'll be a few changes but I know the environment we've created is right so I'm not going to stray too far away from that.
"But there'll be little changes here and there to try and get a reaction from certain players and certain units in the team to try and find that spark that hasn't been there this season.
"But the environment and the demands will be the same that the manager had in place."
