ALVIN McDonald has urged everyone to stick together in a bid to arrest Runcorn's Nationwide North slump.
The Linnets haven't picked up a point from their last 15 and the optimism of a few short weeks ago is being replaced by criticism.
But McDonald said after the 3-1 defeat by Droylsden - a fifth successive league reversal: 'We need people backing us not criticising us or staying away as people have started to do because one or two results haven't gone our way.
'I don't think they are getting things in perspective.
'Supporters are entitled to their opinion and everyone is frustrated but none more so than me and (assistant) Peter (Carroll).
'But we are playing teams who are spending an awful lot of money on squads - Droylsden were one of the teams who thought they were going to win the title this year.
'I don't think people realise how much of a job you are trying to do just to hold it together, never mind win things.'
McDonald believes the sequence of good results which followed his appointment has made his task harder.
'It got everyone's hopes up and people were thinking we had turned it around from those five games,' he said.
'Then we lost four or five important players at once through injury.
'From then on, we have never been able to settle it down and never looked like keeping the same team.'
Last Saturday's results have not been too damaging in terms of league position.
But McDonald has warned some players are running out of time if they want to be in his longer term plans.
He said: 'I've inherited the squad and everyone's had a fair crack.
'It's now coming to the time where it becomes my squad.
'We've got to put a stop to this run. We've got to do it sooner rather than later before we are dragged into the relegation zone.
'We remain upbeat. I look at these teams who have spent a lot of money getting settled squads, thinking they are going to win this league.
'I can't say I have walked away thinking they are a million miles better than us.'
McDonald visits his old Rivacre Park stomping ground on Boxing Day (ko 3pm) for the first of two festive clashes with Vauxhall Motors.
The Linnets' defensive woes continue as Ged Nolan, who re-registered a fortnight after being released, fears he may have broken a bone in a foot.
John Robertson is banned for the game and Peter Ellis has called time on his Linnets' career due to injury.
But skipper Steve Carragher is available after a flu bug which has also hit David Ness.
Robbie Moore is having treatment on a groin injury.
McDonald hopes loan deals for two full-time professionals from Manchester City's academy will come to fruition before the weekend, when Ged Courtney is back from suspension.
One of the targets is a left-sided centre back and the other a left winger with good dead-ball delivery.
'He is a little bit exciting and I think the fans are crying out to see someone who can take people on,' said Mc-Donald, who has a couple more deals in the pipeline.
'We could have four new signings at Vauxhall or there could be none. That's the way it is at the moment - we're waiting for phone calls.'
The Linnets have already signed 21-year-old Jordan Burke, a left-sided midfield player who has served Vauxhall, Altrincham and Burscough and Phil McDiarmid, a ball-playing midfielder formerly with Leigh RMI.
