DISILLUSIONED Wrexham supporters have every right to have a go at under-performing players, manager Brian Little said yesterday.

Ahead of this afternoon’s home match with Stockport County, the Dragons’ boss claimed his side had to be strong enough to shoulder the sort of criticism that echoed around the Racecourse following the Boxing Day defeat to Rochdale.

And he offered no excuses for that performance, deeming it below the standard he expects from his team.

“The players were very disappointing on Wednesday because we gave Rochdale a good start and we then missed two great chances ourselves to score,” he said.

“Psychologically that made it very difficult for us and a goal or two could make a massive difference.

“We are actively trying to do something about that in terms of extra shooting practice and the like, but the biggest thing is to ensure that people don’t go quiet on the field when a chance is missed.

“They have got to stay strong, but the other day the performance was below the standard we set at Bury. We lost at Rotherham, yes, but we were down to 10 men and we battled really hard.

“And if that same quality had been there on Boxing Day we might have taken something from the game. When times are tough it’s even more important to battle, and you can’t fool fans.

“They know when their team has given everything and they appreciate that. But they also know when it’s poor and it’s then that they let the players know.

“The fans don’t often get it wrong and, generally speaking, their verdict is spot-on. I want supporters to be passionate and I want them to let the players know what they are feeling. I don’t want them to pretend because I don’t pretend to myself or to the players.

“It’s up to those people on the pitch to win the supporters over, and they have to respond to criticism rather than give in to it.”

Little, who is hoping to bring in some new players when the transfer window opens next week, added: “The wider picture is that supporters need to exercise some patience.

“We were never going to get out of trouble in the seven games we’ve had since I came in, and it’s going to be a long haul. In an ideal world I’d have liked to have averaged a point per game to this point, but we are probably three points behind where I was thinking we could be at the turn of the year.

“The Brentford and Dagenham defeats have been the major disappointment so far – games against teams around us in the table. If we had played to our maximum in those we might have got something from them.

“The other games so far have been more difficult fixtures, but I’d set myself a notional target of reaching 20 points by the year-end and anything more would have been a huge bonus.

“Next week gives us a chance to make some changes and, like most clubs, we have been sending out and receiving faxes about players for a couple of weeks now.

“I want to identify some players I feel can help us and it’s then a case of speaking to people, finding out if players are interested in joining us and whether we can afford to bring them in.

“It is important to do the right thing rather than do something for the sake of it but I think I know certain people who will be good for me and for the team.

“The first priority is to see whether we can achieve what we would like to do, and that means starting at the top of my wish list.”

Little is unlikely to make too many changes from the squad that was selected on Boxing Day, although midfielder Sam Aiston faces a test on an ankle injury.

“Sam could possibly have trained today, but we decided to err on the side of caution,” said the Dragons boss.

“We’ll have a look at him in the morning and if there is any problem it’s likely that Matty Done will come into the squad.”