Ebbsfleet manager Kevin Watson says potential new signings will have to be up for the fight.

The Fleet boss is keen to boost his squad and a potential free transfer signing last week turned down an offer.

It’s all about getting in the right character, according to Watson.

“I was close last week but we got turned down because of our location,” he said.

“It will be difficult to attract players (in our league position) but I’ve got every confidence that people will want to come to us.

“When it becomes possible to bring people in then we will look to do it.”

Watson knows that Fleet’s position in the National League’s bottom four will make it a harder sell but he added: “It will show that they are up for a fight.

“It will be their futures that they are playing for and it will show that they have the right character that we’re looking for.”

Fleet are nudging closer to getting out of the drop zone.

Only 10 points separate 12 teams in the bottom half of the National League and a good run of results over the festive period could see Watson’s men climb clear.

“The positives are that we are getting closer and closer,” he said. “From seven points, it is down to three points. We’re making headway and our form is pretty good.

“All I look at is the points difference, the place we’re in and how many others we’re sucking into it.

“At the minute there are probably eight teams involved, Dagenham are in 17th and we’re only seven points off them.

“I tell the players that every time we gain a point we’re ticking over our scoreboard. Yes, a win would be nice as that would really put us up there and we might only be in the bottom four on goal difference then.

“I’ve got every confidence in the players and myself, otherwise I wouldn’t have taken on the role. It’s a good club and I have ambitions. It’s a challenge and I wasn’t going to shirk that.”

Fleet take a break from league action this Saturday with a trip to Enfield Town, who play their football two levels below in the Isthmian Premier, in the FA Trophy first round.

“It will be a tough game at Enfield,” noted Watson. “I’ve managed in that league before at Bishop’s Stortford and you don’t get anything for free.

“We’re going there to win the game. It won’t be a free hit or a case of it’s only the FA Trophy – every game matters.

“I’ll be putting out a team that reflects that. We’ve got a few knocks but there may be a couple that I leave out because the priority for Ebbsfleet is to stay in the National League.

“We’ve got an incredibly busy Christmas schedule and our squad will be stretched over that time.

“Is it possible to give players a break or not? – that’s something I’ve got to look at.”

Ebbsfleet have been fined £8,000, with £6,000 suspended for 12 months, after they admitted an FA charge of surrounding referee Lloyd Wood in their National League clash with Hartlepool last month.

The incident saw Fleet players argue that Nicky Featherstone should have seen red for a professional foul on Myles Weston midway through the second half of the 2-2 draw.

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