Chapman aims to strengthen Burgess Hill defence

This follows both a loss of form this season and the departure of summer signings, midfield duo Tom Fraser and Josh Jones.

On Tuesday Hillians, who had been promoted as convincing champions of the Ryman South, suffered an humiliating 5-0 defeat at home to Harrow Borough.

Chapman said sorry to the fans on the club’s website.

He said: “I would like to apologise for recent performances, they haven’t been good enough, and I take full responsibility because I pick the team.

“The step-up has been an eye-opener, but at the same time we need to get better quickly and start to play with the same confidence as of last season.

“I also feel we need to stop feeling sorry for ourselves me included and start working harder, we’ve only lost about seven league games in the last 70 so that tells me the players can do it.”

This was their third successive defeat which put them down to 16th in the table.

Chapman said: “Our defeats were nothing to do with the two who have left - it’s just they have told me it hasn’t worked out for them here.

“I have asked them to play more defensively than they would have liked, rather than playing the ball around and keeping it down.

“That’s football - this sort of thing happens at all clubs and I would expect a turnover of players to be about 12 throughout the season.

“We are hoping to sign one or two new defenders in time for our game on Saturday week.

“We are working hard putting it out there we are looking to bring in some defenders, either on loan from a higher league or someone permanent.”

Chapman warned for fans and everyone at the club not to get carried away with the poor recent form.

He said: “It’s the first time in a long while we have had a blip.

“We should not panic, we need to sit down and realise what we are doing right and what is not right to see how to make us better.

“Our defensive play has not been our strongpoint. Last year we conceded only 39 goals all season. You don’t suddenly become bad players.

“Since then we have only lost one defender (Neill Watts) with a cruciate injury, while Will Miles played his first game on Tuesday having had a hernia injury.”

Hill will be looking to return to winning form on Saturday when they visit 17th placed Merstham.

They are then at home to crisis club Farnborough on Bank Holiday Monday, who are bottom of the table and will be playing in only their second game of the season. Kick-off 3pm.

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