MICHAEL Appleton knows full well that football managers will always be on the end of criticism if their side does not win.

The U’s head coach came under fire in certain quarters last season with the U’s languishing in the lower reaches of the Sky Bet League Two table, before a superb run at the end of the season changed many opinions.

A fine start to this campaign has seen a wave of optimism sweep through the club.

But a failure to win either of the last two games has seen a few supporters question some team selections.

The fickle nature of the sport means that Appleton is aware there will be questions asked every time his side fail to collect three points, but that, he says it is the beauty of the game.

“No matter what team I pick on a Saturday, everyone will have a view and many will want a different one,” he said.

“That’s why football is so brilliant and why we all love it.

“I reckon if a group of six mates go to a game, maybe four of them would have a different team.

“We have all got opinions, but I get paid to try and make the right decisions, pick the right players and do the right things at the right time during a game.”

Fans are often quick to have their say – especially when a result has not gone in their side’s favour – and Appleton says it is sometimes hard to take when people are not aware of the bigger picture.

“The one thing that I have got, and I think it’s important that people understand this and where I’m coming from, is that I get to see the players for five or six hours every day,” he explained.

“I have got a lot more information to gather – who is training well, who is not, who has had a personal problem that nobody knows about rather than myself, or a slight knock.

“All those are big things when it comes to picking the team.

“There may have been an issue during the week which has had an impact, but I think people have to know they are sometimes other things going on.

“However, not always can all these things be made public.

“But I still think it’s still the best job in the world when you’re winning most weeks.”

Most of the debate has surrounded the club’s forwards, with Ryan Taylor and Patrick Hoban managing just one goal between them so far this season, and James Roberts not making a single first-team appearance.

However, Taylor and Hoban scored in a 4-2 friendly win over Barnet on Tuesday, with Roberts and Hoban on target in last week's 10-0 win over Kidderminster.

Appleton is hoping the goals will give all three a confidence boost.

“In terms of Ryan, Pat and also Robbo, we have three strikers there who are all desperate to get game time and desperate to get some goals, because they have all struggled for goals at first team level,” he said.

“Robbo is a bit different because he came back and didn’t hit it off straight away (in training), but in the last two or three weeks has improved a great deal.

“But Ryan and Pat will without doubt have an extra spring in their step having scored in midweek.”

Appleton has toyed with the idea of sending some of the club’s younger players out on loan.

But that idea looks to have been put on the back-burner with a number of games coming up in a short space of time.

“We have got five games in 15 days so in terms of people going out, you have got to be really careful and selective over that period,” he said.

“After the Wimbledon game at home I think it’s more likely for things to happen and maybe one or two go out for a month, but we’ll see."

“There is a chance something might happen if there’s a real gem out there that becomes available.

“We are always looking. If I wasn’t then I wouldn’t be doing my job.”