Ebbsfleet midfielder Craig Tanner admits their players need to “look in the mirror” and turn their season around.

The Fleet have won just once in 10 National League games this season, although they can climb off the foot of the table with victory at Maidenhead tonight (Tuesday).

The club have already acted by bringing in new boss Harry Watling to replace Danny Searle and Tanner revealed the players have held their own meeting in a bid to improve their fortunes.

“We had a good chat among the players and said we need to sort this out, it can’t all be on the management,” explained Tanner. “When you get on the pitch it’s 11 versus 11. It’s on us.

“It was a little bit of everything. You can’t just pin it down on one thing.

“There’s some games where a decision doesn’t go your way, or you miss a chance, or you make a mistake. I held my hands up, I made a mistake against Woking. I came in and apologised and when everyone was making mistakes that breeds a little bit of anxiety or not being confident in your own game.

“Little bits all chip away and you lose your one, two or three per cents. Then if everyone is off it ever so slightly, especially in this league, then it does show.

“It’s on us to look in the mirror and put this to bed. We need to believe in what we can do, believe in the player, the group and the club, and go from there.”

Tanner might not be the most vocal among the Ebbsfleet squad but the 29-year-old still classes himself as one of the leaders in the pack.

“You can lead in lots of different ways,” he added. “Maybe I’m not the most vocal in the dressing room at times but I’d like to say I’m more a one-on-one leader, I make sure people are okay, or you can lead on the pitch or with how you train.

“We’ve got all different sorts of leaders, the experience we’ve got with the likes of Mark Cousins, Josh Wright and Tom Dallison. We all sat around and realised what we wanted to do this year is different from last year.

“We started well last year and faded off and had to stay up on the last game. There’s no reason why we can’t have a not-great start and then finish really strong this season. It’s about where we finish rather than where we’re at now.”

Tanner started just once under former manager Searle, in the 3-2 defeat at Yeovil last month, and also made eight substitute outings.

But he got through 90 minutes in the 3-2 loss at Sutton on Saturday before being replaced by Jephte Tanga for what time remained.

Tanner will be keen to take what opportunities are afforded to him under the new management.

“The most important thing for me was that I didn’t feel like I’ve been out or maybe not played as much as I could have at times,” said Tanner.

“I had a solid game to build on. There’s still things I can do a lot better, I know what I can do and what I can bring to the team. I said I’d go away and look at my game to see how I can influence the team more.

“I was happy with some things but I want to get goals and assists and every game I don’t get a goal contribution then I feel a little bit disappointed as that’s something I pride myself on.

“The new manager came in straight away and said he didn’t care what had happened previously, he spoke to lads individually and got an understanding of where their head is at.

“He’s said ‘clean slate, go out there and impress me, if you train well you play, it’s as simple as that’. It’s on us, it’s down to the whole squad to knuckle down and impress.

“Then when you get on the pitch you fight for your spot but you do it the right way with respect to the club and your team-mates.

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“The game at Sutton should have been a minimum of a point. At no point in the last two games have we thought we’re in trouble here, we’re miles off it or these are miles better than us. It’s definitely not the case.

“When you get on the pitch and you go toe-to-toe with these teams, especially in this league, it’s split decisions and is very much one goal here or there.”