POOLE manager Tom Killick has launched an impassioned defence of his charges, stating that he believes “there is more to come from this group”.

Dolphins’ iffy form has continued from last season into the new campaign, with Poole picking up four points from their opening four fixtures.

Victory on the first day of the season away at Winchester quickly led to a 4-2 defeat fraught with mistakes at home to Tiverton.

And whilst Dolphins rallied back to earn a deserved point away at early league leaders Truro, they again made costly errors in another home loss last Saturday, falling 3-1 to promotion hopefuls Weston-super-Mare.

Poole travel to south Wales on Saturday to face Merthyr (kick-off 3pm), with Killick backing his side to bounce back.

Speaking ahead of the Southern League Premier South clash, Killick told the Daily Echo: “We’re four games into the season. I believe there is more to come from this group.

“And if we can add one or two, suddenly things can quickly change.

“There are a lot of very good players at this football club, that I would really hang my hat on. If that proves to be my undoing, then that’s fine by me.

“Because I’ve got not only affection, because that’s irrelevant, but huge respect, and I have been watching this level of football for a long time, and I do have a belief that we’ve got an awful lot in terms of our squad.

“So my mindset is just entirely on trying to get more out of them, to try and build some confidence, build some momentum.

“I don’t think people should get too carried away with the negativity four games in, because there’s a lot of time to put things right.”

The BlackGold Stadium stalwart also stressed that multiple teams would drop points across the course of the season. Whilst three teams remain unbeaten in the league, no side has won all four games.

Killick mentioned: “The other thing that I keep reminding people, this is not a league, in my view, where teams are going to run away with it.

“It’s about recovering. All the teams are probably going to have spells of poor results, that’s just the nature of the beast.

“Most teams have lost games. Every Saturday there are results you don’t expect.

“You have got to keep plugging away, because if you win three games in a row, you can go from almost-rans to right at the top of the table.

“And that’s how the league was last year.

“There’s no point at this stage getting too despondent. It’s not a league where’s there’s five teams that are going to run away with it.”

Whilst Dolphins have strengthened over the course of the summer, there has been discontent from some sections of Poole’s fanbase at the continued selection of players in perceived poor form.

Killick pointed out that even if he wanted to make sweeping changes to the side, he would be hard pressed to improve on his side.

“If someone wanted to make wholesale changes, you can't do that overnight - even if someone wanted to, even if I wanted to which I don’t.

“If they appointed a new manager tomorrow, decided that that he wanted to make wholesale changes.

“He would struggle to do it because in the blink of an eye, you’re not going to be able to replace these players.

“These are not dreadful players. These are not players that that are well below the standard required.

“For someone to change it, it would take time because you have to find players that are geographically appropriate, financially appropriate, available, better than the ones you've got. It's not easy.

“Unless you’re going to start offering slightly ridiculous wages, and entice people that way, you’re not going to be able to make wholesale changes quickly. That wouldn’t be the road I want to go down.

“My view has always been that if I got the chance to sign someone as a long-term player that can improve my team, I will always try to do it, but it becomes more and more difficult.

“If there are people watching our games that think they know players that are available, reasonably local, that are better than my players, then bring it on.

“If they start talking about say, Salisbury players, or another example, Dorchester players, or Weymouth players, well how am I meant to encourage them to come to me when they’re not going to get any more money?

“What’s the jump from those clubs to Poole, without more money?

“So it's hard.

“Yes, I wouldn’t rule out adding to the team, adding to the squad, but I still want to try and remedy and improve performances, eradicate mistakes and try and move on with this group.

“I feel that has to be the way.”