MANAGER Graham Westley believes Newport County will need to win 11 of their last 21 matches to avoid being relegated from League Two.

Chairmen Malcolm Temple and Gavin Foxall stated that a minimum of nine wins were required in a joint statement earlier this month.

But, addressing fans and shareholders at the club’s AGM on Thursday, Westley put the figure at 11 wins – a total that would give the Exiles a minimum of 51 points by the end of the season.

County are currently bottom of the table on 18 points – six behind Cheltenham Town in 22nd place.

“I’ve never worked so hard in my life to produce results and got so few,” said Westley, who has won just five of his 20 matches in charge.

“I’ve got just under a 50 per cent win record in the 900 games in my career and I’m now operating at 25 per cent.

“Looking forward, in order to be a Football League club next year we’re going to need 11-ish wins in 21 games; that’s the challenge in front of us.

“But that’s OK with me because I’m confident with what we’re bringing in and I’m confident that I can sustain my career record and produce the amount of wins that we need.”

Westley has added 11 players to his squad since January 1 and released seven so far.

“All the players that have come in are on very short-term deals so they’ve got to succeed this year – their career is on the line,” he said.

“I was speaking to a couple of lads and I said to them ‘you want an 18-month contract, you can go to Hell. What you can have is something until the summer and then a reward when we’re [still] a Football League club’ “I’m not having people in here who aren’t hungry. If you want to be with us, come in and show me that you want what we all want.

“If you don’t want that, don’t even bother signing a deal.”

He added: “These boys are different from the group we’ve been working with – the atmosphere at the training ground is different.

“They’ve got a different ethic – they know what it takes, these boys, and they’re will to do it.

“We need to stick together, believe in each other, be demanding and patient and create the momentum that is needed.”

In his presentation Westley was critical of the squad he inherited from his predecessor Warren Feeney.

“Physical levels were an issue when I walked in the door,” he said.

“When I measured the strength of the players they were 20 per cent below what they are now.

“Where they are now is 20 per cent below where they need to be to compete at this level.

“Tactical gameplay was ridiculously awkward,” he added.

“I’ve never had a group of players who were so slow to grasp tactical detail.

“When you recruit players you have to recruit players who’ve got the mind set to take on board information and to implement it on the pitch.”

After the manager’s presentation Trust members and shareholders voted on and passed the following issues:

  • To receive and adopt the annual report and financial statement for year ended 31 August 2016
  • To authorise the Trustees to appoint auditors and fix their remuneration.
  • To receive and adopt the Annual Report and Financial Statement for the year ended 30 June 2016.
  • To authorise the directors to appoint auditors and fix their remuneration.
  • To authorise directors to allot shares for cash, dispensing with S.561 Companies Act 2006 pre-emption procedures - such authority to remain in force for the period expiring at the next AGM.
  • To change the company name from Newport County ltd to Newport County AFC ltd.
  • To receive and adopt the annual report and financial statement for year ended 31 August 2016.