Ebbsfleet United manager Dennis Kutrieb in more positive frame of mind despite 3-0 defeat at Southend ahead of facing Dagenham in National League

Ebbsfleet boss Dennis Kutrieb insists his team are on an upward curve despite their poor run of form.

The Fleet drew 1-1 at bottom side AFC Fylde last Saturday and went down 3-0 to in-form Southend on Tuesday night.

On the back of their FA Cup exit to lower-league Slough, it’s just one win in 12 games for Kutrieb’s men.

But the man in charge can see light at the end of the tunnel with his team’s performances ahead of Saturday’s National League game at home to Dagenham.

“I think we are going in the right direction,” said Kutrieb. “We needed time. I can see an improvement from last week to Saturday to Tuesday night.

“We had some good moments at Southend and they’re a good side so from that point of view, I know it’s a 3-0 defeat, I saw some positive things and I’m looking forward to playing on Saturday again.

“We desperately need a win now. The boys need to feel that winning feeling, to be successful and get three points on the board so we can build from there.

“Sometimes in football, it goes the other way, like it is at the moment. We need to accept that we suffer at the moment as when you accept it then you can change it, not if you moan about it or try to find excuses.

“Everyone knows if they were good or bad individually because I saw some really good performances on Tuesday and some really bad performances, that’s just how it is.

“That’s positive because when everyone starts to look after themselves then they will be fine. We’re building at the moment and we will get better.”

Ebbsfleet handed a debut to 21-year-old centre-back Mustapha Olagunju, who has joined on loan from Huddersfield until the end of January.

He made an impressive start. Olagunju was arguably the Fleet’s best player in the Southend defeat and looked