Paul Buckle: Cheltenham Town boss wants players to impress

Paul Buckle was working in New York before his appointment at Cheltenham

Cheltenham boss Paul Buckle says only the players who show commitment in training will be picked in his squad.

Buckle opted to field youngsters Harry Williams, Zack Kotwica and Bobbie Dale ahead of more experienced players in Sunday's 1-0 defeat by Newport.

"Whether you're a senior player or a young boy, if you're doing it on the training field, you're going to have a chance of playing," he said.

"That's the way it should be and the way it's going to be."

Buckle added: "The boys who got on [against Newport] was on merit and that's the way I want to work it.

"What the club deserves - whether you're a fan, a director, member of staff - is honesty. I want players that will try."

Cheltenham are 19th in League Two, without a win since 21 October, and during Buckle's month in charge they have drawn two and lost three in all competitions.

The former Bristol Rovers boss has already moved to reshape the Robins squad, by releasing Raffaele De Vita and placing Jason Taylor on the transfer list.

And he says he hopes to make further additions during the January transfer window.

"We need to add to the squad as it's very, very young but I'm quite enthused about it. I'm enthused by what I'm seeing," he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"I'm going to add but it's to support the boys that are going to be part of this new start at Cheltenham. It's a fresh start for us.

"We've taken it forward in my time here but now perhaps we need one or two fresh faces to help us on our way."

While Buckle has yet to improve the club's ailing form, chairman Paul Baker has asked for the supporters to back their new manager, who replaced long-standing boss Mark Yates in November.

"I'm really confident Paul will be an outstanding decision for us," said Baker before Sunday's game.

"It's going to take time. Anybody with any knowledge of the game will realise they can't come in overnight and suddenly make the squad start winning.

"I want our fans to get behind this new team and manager. The future for us is in these young players who are hungry and want to make a career."