WHEN the going gets tough, the tough get going. I know that's a well worn saying these days, but I think it applies to all of us at Kidderminster Harriers at the moment.

And, believe me, it's certainly tough when you have to make decisions that affect people's livelihoods, like I did last week by putting Tim Clarke, Paul Webb, Dean Bennett, Barry Horne, Tony Bird, Ian Bogie and Steve Pope on the transfer list.

That's not the kind of decision you take lightly or overnight, but on the other hand it's also my livelihood you have got to look at as well.

Of course, it's not the first time it's happened at a football club and it certainly won't be the last.

But I've been looking at our squad for a while now and thinking how can we possibly go forward, whether that means from now to the end of the season or whether it means next term.

But you do get worried about performances. You look at some of ours of late and there's no doubt it's been disappointing.

I'm thinking particularly of Carlisle in the FA Cup, Torquay away in the league and Bury away in the LDV Vans Trophy.

Putting seven players on the list means it's nearly a third of our squad, but I have to say it's what I felt was needed. The proof, I hope, will be what happens in the weeks to come.

One or two of them have obviously been very disappointed by my decision. That's always the case, it's never a pleasant thing to do and I fully understand their disappointment.

But I believe I'm a very understanding manager. I can understand when they've not done well because that's part of playing football.

I can also understand when they are tired mentally and physically because I know what it was like when I played.

But what I can't understand is when players don't look forward to games or you don't want to improve yourself in training. I have to admit I think that has crept in a little bit.

I'm not pointing the finger at the seven players that have been put on the list, but the squad as a whole. Sometimes if you don't change players -- or attempt to change them -- then they will change you.

And we don't want to get into a situation where people might even get as far as starting to be too comfortable here.

That is not the idea at all. We are an ambitious club and we'll keep pushing ourselves as much as we possibly can.

After our recent run of results people starting to ask me if a play-off place in the Nationwide League Division Three is out of the question.

I don't think it is, but it's going to be very difficult for us now.

You just can't right it off, though, because we are no worse off now than what we were before Saturday's defeat at home to Brighton.

We're still six points behind Cheltenham and now seven behind Southend, but we've still got two matches in hand over The Shrimpers. And they've still got to come here to us at Aggborough.

So, in terms of that, we are not really worse off. The only thing we are doing, of course, is we are running out of games.

We can't deny the fact that our confidence is now starting to get affected because we've gone four games in the New Year without a win, including three in the league. There were nine points up for grabs and we've got just one.

We need to get the show back on the road as quickly as possible -- and that means at Mansfield on Saturday.