ACCRINGTON Stanley chairman Eric Whalley has backed under-pressure boss John Coleman - but admits that results must start to improve.

Coleman is the longest serving manager in League Two, with eight years service and three promotions, but his side have had a poor home record this season.

They have lost nine out of 12 games in all competitions at home and have picked up just one point out of the last 12 and lie in 15th place - eight points off the play-offs and the same off the relegation zone.

Last season, the Reds were involved in a relegation battle and the chairman doesn’t expect a repeat, especially as he feels Coleman has assembled a big squad to fire Stanley upwards towards the play-off places.

"If he is feeling the pressure, it is not coming from me," said the chairman, who gave a vote of confidence to his manager last season after a 10 league game winless run.

"He isn’t under pressure at this moment. We have got this far and I think we can still go further with the manager we have got.

"But things do happen and our home form is certainly not acceptable. You have got to be a realist.

"Out of our next six games, we have four at home and they are probably the biggest six games in the manager’s career.

"We will look at it again on 5 January after we have played Chester at home and we will see how far we have come in regards to last season."

He continued: "But it is clear that the home form is not good enough.

"I feel sorry for the spectators and I cannot moan about them not coming as we are not putting on a show for them.

"We need the fans through the turnstiles to boost finances as we have said all too often but they won’t come to watch if we carry on as we are at the moment.

"We are in a better position than this time last season but we should be as we have got a bigger squad.

"Last year, we played Bristol Rovers and we had five kids on the bench.

"Now we have two players out on loan and we have still got players sat in the stands.

"We have a bigger squad and it is a lot stronger than last year.

"But, for whatever reason, the group are not gelling. They are not good enough to take us any further.

"We have never been a club who wants to stand still and I can definitely say there will be one or two players coming and one or two people going in January."

The chairman is still in talks with Swansea City as they look to negotiate a permanent deal for loan man Ian Craney when the transfer window opens next month.

Peterborough are also known to be interested in the midfielder.

"I am still talking to Swansea and still hoping to do a deal," said the chairman.

"Other clubs are interested in Ian and will offer more money than us, but Ian wants to stop with us and that is a big part of it."

Stanley’s record appearance player Paul Mullin is also in talks with the manager about a new deal.

The 33-year-old’s contract is up in the summer and a couple of other League Two clubs are believed to be interested in the hitman, Stanley’s top scorer this season with eight goals.

Around 13 of the Reds’ players have their contracts up at the end of the season - including David Brown, Graham Branch, Roscoe Dsane, Ian Dunbavin, Phil Edwards, Mark Roberts and Shaun Whalley.

"Talks are underway with one or two players about a new contract," said the chairman.

"But everybody is available in January if someone comes in with the right money."


* STANLEY’S reserve game against Wrexham was postponed on Monday, They are due to play at Chester next Wednesday (ko 7pm).