ACCRINGTON Stanley boss John Coleman is prepared to freshen up his struggling squad in the January transfer window if results don’t start improving.

The Reds host League Two leaders Plymouth Argyle tomorrow sitting just three points clear of the bottom two after a run of form which has yielded just one league win in 11 games.

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Stanley have scored just seven times in those games, losing three of their last four 1-0, and Coleman is in no doubt that a shortage of goals is behind his side’s slide down the standings.

Front pair Billy Kee and Terry Gornell have both spent time out of the side injured and are without a league goal since early October.

The Reds chief admits in previous seasons he would have looked to the loan market to strengthen his striking options, but with that avenue now closed he will have to wait until next month to bring in new players.

“We have got plenty of attacking options in the squad. We probably would have looked at the loan market with Terry Gornell and Billy Kee suffering spells out injured but we have to abide by the rules,” said Coleman.

“It does make it harder than in recent years but you have to move with the times and adapt. We have already got a couple of players earmarked for January.

“We know it’s vital we score goals – we have lost most of our games 1-0 and that shows that defensively we are not doing a lot wrong but we have developed a habit of shooting ourselves in the foot.

“When we don’t score goals it adds pressure to everyone – the players, the management, the fans and the subs – and we have got to find a way to score goals.”

The Reds could find themselves in the bottom two come Saturday teatime and Coleman, while still retaining belief that his squad should be challenging at the other end of the table, is realistic to know that Stanley are in a relegation fight.

“We are not getting blase about it,” he added of his side’s league position.

“The Conference is full of clubs who thought they were too good to down.

“We think we are too good to go down but history tells you that that happens.

“But we know that this is a serious situation and that we have got to start winning soon.

“If we can’t do it with this group of players then there will be reinforcements in January.”