Liam Manning: Oxford United have 'work to do' says head coach
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Oxford United boss Liam Manning says his players need to be "bullet proof" to overcome the rigours of the League One campaign
Oxford United boss Liam Manning says his side "have work to do" following their first win of the League One season at the weekend.
The U's beat newly promoted Carlisle United 1-0 at home thanks to a second half goal from Mark Harris.
"The first two games were challenging," head coach Manning told BBC Radio Oxford after the game.
"We have shown glimpses of quality and [against Carlisle] we have shown that we can respond and find ways to win.
"I am pleased for the players."
Oxford lost their first two games of the season, including a first round EFL Cup tie, and were outscored 7-1 across the two fixtures.
Manning said he was pleased with the way his side have responded to the losses: "The perfect game of football doesn't exist," he added.
"We just said to the players people are going to make mistakes and things aren't going to go right across the 90 minutes and over the course of the season.
"The first 20 or 25 minutes I think we were a little bit nervy and a bit edgy.
"But the second half I thought we were excellent in terms of the chances that we created and we attacked in numerous ways.
"It would be a lot nicer if we were more clinical because we are getting in dangerous areas, but we will work on that."
'It's about being bullet proof'
At the beginning of the season the 37-year-old head coach said he wanted a "winning mindset" to become engrained in Oxford's team culture to promote positivity.
Manning believes his side are on-board with the message: "They all want to play and it's about being ready to have an impact," he said.
"It is a point that I keep ramming home to the players and I thought all the lads were ready.
"I think I have a lot more confidence in Mark Harris than he has in himself, he needs to believe in himself a bit more.
"I know he can score goals at this level so it's about being bullet proof in his head so that he knows if he misses one, the next one he will have parked the emotion of the previous one and be ready to go again."