Martin Allen has issued a rallying cry to Barnet fans after the Bees have thrown away a commanding lead at the top of the Conference.
Allen's charges were nine points clear of Bristol Rovers after a 1-0 win over Aldershot on New Year's Day but a run of five defeats in eight games has seen the Pirates take the lead, although they have played a game more.
The 49-year-old is a divisive figure at The Hive after leaving Barnet for Brentford in 2004 and Notts County in 2011 before a caretaker spell at the back-end of the 2011/12 season.
He was named as Barnet head coach in March 2014 and is out of contract at the end of the season.
In an open letter to supporters, Allen said: “I am well aware that after leaving your club twice I may not be everybody’s cup of tea, which is quite understandable and one of the reasons why throughout the season when we have won games on a regular basis home and away I have not had regular communication with all of our supporters as I felt it best to keep a low profile so as not to upset anybody.
“However, after seven months of being top of this league we now find ourselves with nine games to go in second place after some performances that have seen us play well at times, make a few errors here and there that have been punished, a few decisions go against us and that general feeling on and off the field that the bigger clubs and big spenders can take us.
The Bees boss added: “Now, whether you all like me here or not, there can only be one way going forward. They are all your players and they need your backing, your support and your help.”
He explained: “Money is available for new players like all of the other clubs that have been throwing it around. I told the Chairman early on Monday morning that I have total faith in everyone in our squad.
“I told him that these are the players that got us to the top, that these are the players who have played a cup final every week and that these are the players who can fulfil all of our goals. So nobody will be joining.”
Allen also insisted his squad deserved the fans' backing and believes they have what it takes to win promotion.
He said: “They are a tremendous group of people that train hard, who conduct themselves in the right way, and now they need to get their shoulders back, take a few deep breaths and show how good they are – and I think that your backing of all of our players is essential.”
