Torquay United: boss Gary Johnson staying positive despite poor run of form

Gary Johnson has been in charge at Torquay United since 2018

Torquay United boss Gary Johnson said he is going through one of the most difficult periods of his managerial career.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's game at Braintree Town, Johnson added that the solution to the club's poor form was "the million dollar question".

Torquay conceded a late goal in a 4-3 loss to Slough Town last Saturday to make it four league defeats in a row.

They sit 11th in National League South, five points off the play-offs places.

However, Johnson "still believes" his side can finish the season in the top seven.

"The players are as disappointed as anyone but we have to stay positive because there's 15 games left and still a lot of points to go," he told BBC Radio Devon.

"Unfortunately, the atmosphere's a little down and we'd like it to be up, but that's the nature of a losing run.

"We'll keep going and will try to win these people back as we go along."

On whether it was one of the most difficult seasons in his 40 years in football management, he said: "It's one of them.

"There's been good times and then times you have to fight out of a problem.

"Even during successful times you can have runs of defeats, but you've just got to make sure you get it right at the business end of the season and I still believe we can."

On how he plans to improve his side's form, Johnson added: "That's the million dollar question. You keep believing - you keep going because just before that poor run we had a very good run.

"We've had to bring players in who aren't use to us, our system, other players around them, and we're trying very quickly to get them as a unit. We don't quite seem to have that yet with this group."