Hakan Hayrettin has urged Maidstone fans to get behind their team as they ride out a difficult patch.

The Stones are in the National League relegation zone for the first time this season after seven games without a win.

A 1-1 draw at home to fellow strugglers FC Halifax on Saturday ended a run of four defeats but there were boos at full-time to go with rumblings of discontent on social media in recent weeks.

While boss Hayrettin accepts some of his signings haven’t worked out as hoped, the negativity baffles him just a few months on from winning the National South title.

He knew exactly how hard it would be this season, saying in the summer that staying up would be like winning the league.

He hasn’t changed his opinion and wants to see everybody united behind the club.

“There’s no need to moan,” said Hayrettin, as Maidstone prepare to visit Southern League Needham Market in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round this Saturday (3pm).

“What people need to do is get behind the ownership, get behind the players, get behind the club and support them.

“If they’re going to moan, there’s got to be a reason. Why are they moaning?

“We haven’t got the money, we haven’t got the structure, we haven’t got the budget to compete with some of the teams in this league.

“We’ve got what we’ve got. Get behind the team. It was an unbelievable achievement to get promoted and now we need everybody in it together, not pulling in different directions.

“They need to know now if we’re going to do this, we need to be a collective.

“What are people moaning about? I said it would be like winning the league if we stayed up.

“I know the job and I know the level, I’ve been here before. We want to progress but that might take a season. The first thing is to stay in the league.

“We’ve got to fight to do that and the boys are fighting. They always will.

“It’s a tough league. Why would people moan? There’s no need to moan. Support your team the best way you possibly can.

“The club got promoted, we haven’t got the resources the other teams have got.

“Last season we had half the money that the other top contenders had. No one complained then.

“Now we’re in a position where we’ve had injuries, we’ve had this, we’ve had that, and we need everyone behind the club.

“Get behind the club and let’s take this forward. Let’s all fight this together.”

Hayrettin is trying to freshen up his squad, signing free-agent defender Jacob Mensah last week. It’s likely to be a case of moving players on to make room for new ones.

“We’re trying to free up money,” said Hayrettin.

“We are desperately trying to get players in that will fit our budget.

“Sometimes, yes, the recruitment can be hit and miss, we understand that, and that’s where we’re at now.

“Some of the recruitment we’ve made, they haven’t come to fruition, and it’s time for them to maybe move on. This is football.

“We’re at that point where we have to manoeuvre. We’ve got to try and get the best we can for our money. That’s life.”

FA Cup opponents Needham Market are eighth in Southern Premier Central, two levels below Maidstone. There’s £9,375 on offer to the winners of Saturday’s tie, with £3,125 for the losers.

Any replay would take place at the Gallagher Stadium on Tuesday (7.45pm).

The draw for the First Round takes place on Monday night (7pm), live on BBC2.