Marcus Bignot says his players need not come back for training if the can’t motivate themselves for this weekend’s derby clash at Tranmere Rovers.

The Chester FC manager was left under no illusions as to the size of the task he faces as Blues boss after watching his side fall to a 2-0 defeat at home to Woking on Tuesday night, a loss that keeps them in the bottom four of the National League.

Chester make the short trip to Prenton Park on Saturday (3pm) to take on a Rovers side who have underachieved so far this season, and the Blues are in need of a pick me up after Bignot’s honeymoon period as manager came to an abrupt end at the hands of the Cards.

Last year Chester salvaged a 2-2 draw at the death when Ryan Astles fired home to spark jubilant scenes among the 1,200 travelling Blues fans, and Bignot says there can be no excuses for not being up for the challenge this weekend.

“I put myself in the players shoes and if I’m playing on Saturday, with that type of crowd and a derby at stake, I know what I’m bringing to the table as a person, as a player and as a character, I’m sure my players will as well,” said the Chester boss.

“I’m a Birmingham boy, Blues/Villa - very hostile, I’ve been in the crowd and know what it’s like and as a player, if you can’t get up for that then don’t bother coming back to training.”

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On Tuesday Chester came up against a Woking side who moved the ball around with pace and purpose and whose energy when not in possession made life difficult for the home side.

But Chester had chances to get back into the game with Astles striking a post, but Bignot says his side must learn the art of grinding out results even when they are not playing well.

Said the Blues manager: “I want a performance that gets us a result. It doesn’t have to be that we are great on the ball week in, week out, that doesn’t guarantee us results. We need to find a way to get results. Like tonight (against Woking) we should have found a way, not playing well but staying in the game and making sure we come off that pitch with a result.

“We have got to put in a display on Saturday that gets us a result, and that’s what I want to see.”

Bignot was quizzed after the Woking loss about the possibility of bringing fresh blood into his squad, but the Blues manager says he must work with what he has for now and insists he has belief in the group he has inherited.

“The remit is to work with the group we’ve got and I took the job because I believe in this group and that hasn’t changed,” he said. “I didn’t get too carried away last Saturday and I won’t get carried away tonight and make rash decisions.

“It is about getting the best out of these players and putting out a team that can perform. Let’s give something to our supporters.”