PAUL Cox wants a building process in place at Holker Street so the club can work towards being ‘huge’ – whichever division they are in.

An erratic run of form since the turn of the year has seen the Bluebirds fail to put together back-to-back wins and fall out of the National League play-off places.

However, despite a record of just three wins from 11 league games in 2017 – all of them against fellow top-10 sides in Lincoln City, Macclesfield Town and Tranmere Rovers – they are not out of the promotion picture just yet.

Ahead of Saturday’s clash with another of the division’s best teams in Dagenham and Redbridge – victims of a 4-1 slaying in the reverse fixture in November – AFC sit eighth, four points of fifth-placed Gateshead, in the final play-off place, and with a game in hand.

The potential to be in among the top-five come the end of the season is still there, but wherever Barrow end up next season, Cox wants to see progress made in all aspects at the club.

He is looking for the whole club to pull together and continue what he sees as a solid long-term project.

“We don’t want to rest,” said Cox. “The worst-case scenario is we don’t have time, to become one big team to follow this through and give it our best shot.

“It has still been a massive season for us, one we can build on for next season and put some solid foundations in at this football club.

“The beauty of seeing it come to fruition will be excellent, but sometimes in this game, at every football club in the land, there is an erratic mindset when things don’t go your way.

“I’m aware of that, it’s not a problem, but it’s up to myselt make the play-offs this year, we don’t get promoted, and we are at this level for next year.

“I want to see a building process so we improve for next season.

“I don’t want to see us relax and say let’s just compete – we want to be huge. I think there is a desire, there are a lot of people working behind the scenes, and there is improvement.

“It is going to take time. I’m impatient. I know the chairman is impatient, the supporters are impatient, but we all have to manage ourselves to make sure it is done in the appropriate manner.

“We’re going to need everybody, from the groundsman, the chairman, the person who makes the tea to steer the ship sometimes in rough seas.”

Cox knows recent form has seen some sections question the direction the club is going in and whether they are on a downward turn following such an impressive run between August and December.

However, he insists he and the players have kept their heads while others have been losing theirs, and accepts the criticism is sometimes valid, but also something which can be built on.

“We haven’t been consistent in our play or our results in the last three, four or five games, but I knew that was going to happen,” he said.

“The main thing is, when everyone is losing their heads and people are doubting you, that you work even harder, you get on with your job.

“The players have got on with theirs. We’ve kept that unity, we’ve kept that desire in the dressing room, and we still think we can achieve this season.

“The big thing with this football club at the minute, is that this is a long-term project. There can be no such thing as overnight success – that is usually built on quicksand.

“When criticism is aimed at you, you have to accept it, because that is the game we are in. You have to work a little bit harder, you have to go above and beyond, and you have to change the direction and energy.

“I’ve never lost faith, I’ve never lost belief, I’ve never chucked my toys out of the pram. Criticism is good if it is aimed in the right way, and you go about your business and work even harder.”