Wade Elliott: Cheltenham manager seeks advice from other coaches after loss

Cheltenham exited the EFL Cup with a heavy 7-0 defeat to Exeter City, their biggest home loss in 30 years

Cheltenham Town manager Wade Elliott said he sought advice from other managers following the team's heavy 7-0 defeat to Exeter City in the EFL Cup.

The result was Cheltenham's biggest home loss in more than 30 years.

Elliott was promoted from first-team coach to head coach to replace Michael Duff, who joined Barnsley in June after four years in charge of the Robins.

"I don't think that Tuesday represents us and represents what we're about," Elliott told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"I spoke to loads of people, loads of coaches on Wednesday. Better coaches and managers than I'll ever be and they all turned around and said, 'we've all been there'.

"I spoke to good managers who have been on the end of some hideous results and I think what's really important is that it doesn't define us."

The Robins have now lost all three of their matches this season, having been beaten in their first two games of the League One campaign.

They next face Portsmouth at home in the league on Saturday.

Elliott, who is in his first role as a head coach, said it was important to show that the result was a one-off.

"You can have an outlier, you can have a blip, focus on what we've been about up to this point and on Saturday you've got the opportunity to prove that it was just that, an outlier," he said.

"We've all taken responsibility. You obviously go away and analyse it. Obviously it plays on your mind so I've gone back over the prep, the team, and thought about what I would do differently again.

"The players have done the same, but there does come a point where you have to look forward. Of course you have to take lessons from it and it has to fire you up but there does come a point where you have to focus on Portsmouth."

'React better to adversity'

Cheltenham conceded four goals in 20 minutes against Exeter and were 5-0 down at half-time, before the Grecians added another two after the break.

It was their biggest loss on home soil since a 7-0 defeat by Redbridge Forest in the National League in 1992 and their joint-worst League Cup defeat, matching the 7-0 loss to Crystal Palace in 2002.

Elliott made eight changes to the starting 11 from the team that was beaten by Barnsley last weekend, including starting three debutants.

"For my part, my reflection on it, I probably made too many changes. For the players, I think individually and collectively we've got to react better to adversity when we go behind," Elliott continued.

"If there's been one positive out of it it's that I've sensed a focus and a determination from the whole group, not just the lads who played on Tuesday. There's been a sense that everybody wants to put it right."

Cheltenham recorded their highest-ever league finish last season, with 14th in League One. Yet Elliott stressed the team, which has one of the smallest budgets in the league, are still underdogs.

"We are underdogs and the minute that we lose that or start thinking that we're not then we probably set ourselves up for a fall," he added.

"Games like Pompey at home are why we fought so hard to be in this league. It'll be a good atmosphere, it'll be a good occasion and we enjoy the big clubs coming here."