Ebbsfleet manager Harry Watling has insisted the job isn’t harder than he thought.

The Fleet suffered a third successive National League defeat at home to Oldham on Saturday evening, leaving them rooted to the foot of the table.

Watling started his tenure with a home victory over Hartlepool but has been unable to find a winning formula since then.

Asked if the job is tougher than he thought it would be, Watling responded: “No. I definitely didn’t underestimate it.

“I really respect the level, first and foremost. I think it’s the toughest league in the country to get out of. It says it all in terms of how many are allowed to go up and how many get relegated.

“I definitely respect the level of the opposition. We’ve got to roll our sleeves up as a staff and do our jobs.

“I don’t listen to the noise, it’s not going to help you. People that are going to help and support us, you allow that to come in.

“I’m not being funny, because we’ve just lost a game at home. The punters are allowed to say negative things as they’ve just watched their team lose at home - I’ve got no problem with that whatsoever.

“I’m my own biggest critic and I said it to you after the Maidenhead game, I have to take it on the chin as I’m the boss.

“I will turn it around, I will make it right. While it’s not right, it is on me, and I will make sure I get it right in future.”

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There’s still been enough glimpses in Watling’s first four games in charge to give him reasons to be optimistic, but individual errors continue to undermine his plans.

“I have to do the opposite to the negativity,” said Watling. “I have to come into work, I have to be positive and put game plans together, I have to prioritise fixtures and look at Rochdale next as the priority.

“I have to give people minutes and I have to make sure when they turn up to training that I leave no stone unturned. I have to do my job, basically.

“I wasn’t coming in here thinking this was going to be easy. I saw with my own eyes from afar what it looked like before I came to the Aldershot game.

“I came to the Aldershot game and I saw moments of quality. We got through Hartlepool, the best we’ve played if I’m honest was at Sutton, in terms of a proper footballing performance.

“I’ve just got to try and marry the good bits together and discard the poorer bits.”

Ebbsfleet set up defensively for the home match with Oldham, keen to have a solid foundation to give themselves a chance later in the contest.

They threw bodies forward and looked a different side in the final 20 minutes when they chased the game, and Watling admitted it’s given him a decision to make ahead of this Saturday’s home fixture with Rochdale (3pm) - another side in the play-off places.

“It gives you food for thought,” noted the Fleet boss.

“The feedback comes from the game, the way the players applied the game plan, so I think we’ve got to latch onto that last 20 minutes and try and start that way in the next game.”

Ebbsfleet have been drawn away to National League South Maidstone in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round. The tie is due to be played on Saturday, October 12.