Harrogate Town's Simon Weaver trying to blend patience with harsh reality in League Two relegation battle

In a football world where some managers go out of their way to "find positives", such words leap out at you, especially with Town two points above the League Two relegation zone and at the Rochdale side directly below them on Saturday.

Weaver thinks performances were generally pretty good in October and November, but to be the finishing school Harrogate want to be, he cannot pussy-foot around.

"Development isn't all about being nice and cuddly and saying, 'That's acceptable,'" says the League's longest-serving manager.

"They have to know what's wrong at that time. We come in on Sunday and freeze-frame the video for half an hour, then it's moved on.

"It's far removed from under-23 football and I think that's why we get so many loans.

"We're not on the sideline with a cup of coffee having a chin-wag. This is about points on the board and making our kids and wives proud, players looking for that next deal or to push up the pyramid.

"We only made one change to the team which beat Mansfield and game management was missing as much as anything. The execution of the passing and decision-making was poor and you've got to let the players know.

"The team's got to show its bite, not only in games where people perceive us to be big underdogs.”

But he is keen for perspective.

"We've got eight players injured and that's been the set-up throughout – a high amount of numbers in the treatment room," he says.

"I would say probably nine out of the last 11 games we've performed well. Hartlepool was a blip all teams at this level can do. The top teams do it once every six or seven games.

"When you do get a new squad and loans having first-time experience (of senior football), plus injuries, sometimes it doesn't go for you.

"We need good results and Saturday's a game we don't want to lose because Rochdale are down there. If we lose a game we don't want to think we saved our passion and legs until it is too late, 2-0 down with a man sent off (as at Hartlepool).

"We lost against Salford, Bradford City and Leyton Orient, and drew against Carlisle. We could quite easily have had maximum points from all those games and more. I've come off the pitch and said we've played well, we're onto something.

"But I can't be in denial to the supporters, the board or myself when we've been inept, like last week."

Partly on principle, partly financial reality, Harrogate want to develop young players.

Jaheim Headley, Danny Grant, Josh Austerfield and Matt Daly are on loan from Huddersfield Town, Lewis Richards from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Josh Coley Exeter City. Finn O'Boyle, Manny Ilesanmi and George Horbury have come through Town's fledgling academy.

It takes patience, and Weaver feels blessed with it.

"We're one of the top teams for giving lads exposure to proper minutes, not just Papa John's (Trophy games)," he says proudly.

"Jack Diamond is probably Lincoln's stand-out player in League One after two spells with us. There's numerous examples of players improving here.

"The fans appreciate the style of play. It's easy for clubs in our position fighting as the smallest club in the division with a high turnover (of players), to be impatient."

Joe Mattock is suspended and Daly, Will Smith, Max Wright, Dior Angus, Stephen Dooley and Alex Pattison are in the treatment room.