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Ebbsfleet United manager Dennis Kutrieb wants his side to replicate home form on the road, starting with National League trip to Wealdstone this weekend

Ebbsfleet manager Dennis Kutrieb has urged his team to rediscover their identity away from Stonebridge Road.

The Fleet have won three of their first four National League games on home soil but the manager feels they’ve been lacking in their last two away fixtures.

Boss Dennis Kutrieb wants to get Ebbsfleet back on the right road. Picture: Ed Miller/EUFC
Boss Dennis Kutrieb wants to get Ebbsfleet back on the right road. Picture: Ed Miller/EUFC

Ebbsfleet are on the road again at Wealdstone this Saturday, looking to bounce back from defeats at Gateshead and Barnet in recent weeks.

“At the moment we feel very comfortable to play at home but away we’ve given a bit of our identity away in the last two games,” said Kutrieb.

“That’s a learning curve and we will do better over the season and we will improve. That’s the only thing that matters to me, that we keep improving and keep learning and working hard as a team and a group.

“Then we’ll have chances to win every single game and not just a few.”

When asked to expand on what he meant by their identity, Kutrieb added: “Being confident, being composed and wanting to have the ball and get involved. I missed it a little bit in the last two away games.

“Obviously it was a tough opponent (at Barnet) as well and they were good and know what they do as they want to be up there in the table. It was a tough challenge but the challenge that we want to have, we want to be challenged and then overcome them.

“We want to be brave enough to play, like Chris Solly was on Saturday, even Mark Cousins playing out from the back under pressure. When teams try to press you, the gaps open for everyone else in behind.

“We could score so many goals in the first half (against York) just because they pressed us high so we could escape and then have the space. We just need to make sure we do the right things in the right moment.

“I don’t care about playing or not playing, even if you go long, it needs to be on purpose because there is a space or whatever.”

That makes the trip to Wealdstone even more important, with Kutrieb looking for a performance as well as a result.

Their first away win of the season came at Rochdale on the opening day, a dogged display rather than full of expansive, attacking football.

“The next game is always important and now after the win-lose, win-lose situation we’re trying to break it and get another win,” said the Fleet boss.

“The boys deserve it, they work hard and are honest as a group. We need to be ready, Wealdstone are a good footballing side and have worked together for a long time. They haven’t had many changes, similar to us, so we need to be up for it.”

With Jack Wakely a long-term absentee, the Fleet can call upon the services of defender Haydn White.

Kutrieb confirmed the summer signing is fit again, and would have been involved against York if they were down to the bare bones.

“He is someone who can play next Saturday, definitely, and then we’ll take it from there,” explained Kutrieb.“He’s had a first full training week. I didn’t want to risk him against York but if we had trouble he could have played.

“We wanted to make sure he was completely rested, I don’t want people carrying little niggles so early in what is a long season - similar to Greg Cundle - it’s just a little thing. The squad is big enough at the moment so we’re making sure he completely rests.

“I want to have him on the pitch but I’d rather not have him for two weeks instead of them carrying on and then in the winter they are injured because we didn’t make the right decision early enough.

“Greg had so much intensity in the first few weeks so we said settle it down now.”

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