Larry Chambers believes AFC Telford United’s management team are facing up to their “biggest challenge” yet – and is pledging to come out fighting.

Assistant manager Larry Chambers and boss Rob Smith have presided over a mixed start to the Blue Square North season, which reached a low-point on Saturday as they went down 4-0 at Alfreton Town.

The duo have had a terrific run of success in their three-and-a-half years at the club, winning a promotion and the Setanta Shield.

But Chambers admits that shaking the under-performing squad out of its current malaise is proving easier said than done.

“It’s the biggest challenge of mine and Rob’s management career since we’ve been here,” he said.

“Things have generally gone well for us up to now, but this is a big challenge for us to put it right.

“There’s some players here with big reputations at stake and there’s some good players who are having a tough time – players who, this time last year, were playing well week-in-week-out.

“We thought that would continue this season but, for one reason or another, it’s not happening for them and it’s up to me and Rob to stick in there.”

Telford gave debuts to three new faces at Alfreton, with midfielder Gavin Hurren joined by strikers Stuart Nicholson and Iyseden Christie.

But Chambers insisted that rushing out to bring in even more fresh blood was not the answer – and backed the players already at their disposal to deliver. “We’ve got some very good Conference North players, they’re just out of form right now,” he said.

“You can only make so many changes, and if you do make changes they have to be for the right reasons.

“If you have players you believe in, you have to stick with them, and we do believe in those players. We are going to stick together and I think there is a desire in the changing room among everyone to put things right.”

l Wing-back Lee Vaughan was today in Budapest with the England ‘C’ team, preparing for Wednesday’s friendly with Hungary. Vaughan is the first AFC Telford player to get international recognition.

Telford were today waiting to discover the identity of their opponents in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup. The draw was due to be made at lunchtime.

By CHRIS HUDSON