Hythe Town manager Ira Jackson won’t let criticism knock him off track as he vows to improve results

Manager Ira Jackson is confident good times lie ahead for Hythe Town - even if critics say he’s delusional.

It’s been a mixed bag for the Cannons since relegation to the Southern Counties East Premier Division.

They topped the table in the opening weeks before suffering a five-match losing streak.

Victory over Chislehurst Glebe halted the slide and that was followed by FA Vase progress against Athletic Newham.

But back-to-back league defeats, including a 4-1 loss at Phoenix Sports on Saturday, have seen negativity resurface.

Jackson accepts and understands criticism but remains focused on making Hythe a force to be reckoned with.

They host Whitstable in an 11am kick-off at Reachfields this Sunday, the fixture having been moved as part of groundhopper weekend.

“I know how much work has been put in behind the scenes but results haven’t been good enough,” said Jackson.

“They will get better because they have to and because we’re going to work to make sure they do.

“The objective is to win as many games as possible and at the moment we’re not doing that.

“I’m not happy, the fans aren’t happy, the players aren’t happy.

“As much as opinions can fly out, they’re justified in terms of results.

“We’ll be better and I’ve got full faith in the squad that they can produce, but all good things take time.

“It looks like we don’t have time in terms of the fact there’s a game coming every week and there’s an expectation that because we’re Hythe Town we’re going to be winning the league.

“The message is we have to keep working and getting better.

“We won two games on the trot and now we’ve lost two games on the trot, so we don’t become rubbish overnight.

“We started the season like a house on fire and then unexpected things happened,