Chris Agutter is demanding a response from his Sutton United side as they prepare for their final home game of the season against Altrincham (Saturday, 18th April; 3pm KO).
While the focus has quickly shifted forward, the disappointment from Tuesday night still lingers, and after the frustration of the Surrey Senior Cup exit at Farnham Town, the Head Coach is eager to see his side return to action and finish strongly in front of their own supporters.
“We’re looking forward to getting back out there,” he said. “We want to finish the season on a positive note on our home patch and try to replicate the performances and results we had in the early months.”
“We had loads of the ball, loads of possession, but it’s pointless if you’re not creating chances. The objective is to score goals and stop the opposition scoring, and we didn’t do that well enough.”
“It’s important learning for us. We’d rather know now about certain players than go into the summer with things being papered over.”
There is an element of value in the setback however, and with a crucial summer ahead, the final matches of the season are as much about learning as they are about results.
While recent weeks have highlighted a recurring theme of inconsistency, with strong away form contrasting sharply with struggles on home soil, Agutter has stated that development is still needed, and naturally leads into what he describes as a “big summer” for the club.
“The players are disappointed, but the focus quickly turns to this game,” he added. “We’re due a good performance and a good result at home.”
“We need to develop the group. We’ve had some very good performances, but to move forward we need to keep improving the players we’ve got and add to the squad.”
“We need more experience, more voices, more players who’ve been around the block. We’ve said it a lot, now it’s about action.”
Despite safety in the league already secured, there is no sense of winding down, according to the boss.
The final two games carry significant importance, both in terms of performance and decision-making, and Agutter confirmed there will be a balance between fielding a team capable of delivering a result and using the remaining two games against Altrincham and Boreham Wood to answer key questions about the squad ahead of his first full season in charge, next term.
“There are players fighting for their futures,” he said. “These games are about pride, but also about showing us they can be part of what we’re building.”
“It’s about making sure we give the supporters a performance they deserve, while also being clear on who can help us achieve our ambitions moving forward.”
“When we start next season, the question will be can we get promoted,” he said. “So we need to make sure we’re ready for that.”
Attention now turns to Altrincham, a side Agutter expects to provide a difficult and adaptable challenge, and with both sides sitting around mid-table, he anticipates a competitive encounter – but insists the priority is firmly on Sutton’s performance and response.
There is also an awareness of the importance of ending the home campaign on a high, particularly after a run of disappointing results in front of their own fans.
“They’re well organised and flexible. They’re not easy to plan for, so it’ll be a tough game.”
“We need to reproduce our away form at home. That’s the message.”
“Our supporters deserve a performance and a result. We need to give them something to get behind going into next season.”
“We need to finish strong. That’s the objective.”
