WOKING manager Geoff Chapple has seen his team's form go from the sublime to the ridiculous in their opening ten games of the season. The Surrey side were top of the Nationwide Conference a month ago after a successful start.

But a terrible run has seen Chapple's men plummet down to the bottom four. Saturday's 5-0 walloping at Morecambe was Woking's fifth defeat in a row and the second consecutive game in which they have conceded five goals.

Chapple told TheFA.com: "I'm a bit shell-shocked. All of a sudden from being world beaters, we are becoming easy to beat. Something has gone drastically wrong. There is an old cliché which you hear many, many times...'A good side don't become a bad side overnight'. We know the expectations went sky high after the first few games. We only had to look at the league table where we were top of the Conference.

"I think everyone was starting to believe the publicity we were getting. Then all of a sudden, we find ourselves leaking goals. We only conceded a couple of goals in our first five matches. But in the next five we have let in 18 goals. That is unbelievable! I've been saying lately that we are not far short of holding out a white flag. We go a goal down and we think the game is over."

"I've never had a Woking side at my disposal that have been pushovers. So there is obviously some serious thinking to be done as things have gone belly-up big time! We've got to put it right and that has to be done quickly."

Chapple has hinted that he may recruit some new playing personnel in a bid to improve the drastic run of results. He said: "I still believe we have the quality in the squad to do well. All right, confidence is a big thing. But there is no question that confidence is shot to pieces at the moment and there is only so much talking a manager can do with his squad. That's why sooner or later you have to look around at new players. If you've got square pegs in round holes, you have to change them.

"You have to take stock of what you've got and what you have to work with. I've been doing that for the past few days and I am in discussions with regard to changing things. If I am going to shake the team up a bit, I am going to have to use my contacts and see what players are about."

Now in his second spell as Woking boss, Chapple has seen very successful days with the club in the past. Promotion to the Conference, FA Trophy Final wins and giantkilling FA Cup runs. The club's current predicament will test his years of experience as a top non-League manager.

"I am very concerned indeed. I am here to do the job properly for Woking Football Club and so I will work hard to improve the players' self belief. I have to make sure I get it right because we are still early in the season. Rest assured I will fight tooth and nail to change things around quickly."

TWO former Premier League stars have signed for non-League clubs in the past few days.

Stanway Rovers of the Jewson Eastern League club have recruited former Norwich, Newcastle, Spurs and West Bromwich Albion winger Ruel Fox. Fox, 34, made almost 400 League appearances and commanded transfer fees of nearly £7 million in his 17 year pro career. He signed for Stanway after watching the Essex club beat Royston Town 5-1 in the FA Vase on Saturday.

Meanwhile, colourful French goalkeeper Lionel Perez has joined Enfield in the Ryman League Premier Division . Perez,35, was released by Cambridge United in the summer after previous spells with Sunderland and Newcastle.


Tony Incenzo