Steve Evans has condemned Bristol Rovers' transfer dealings prior to last summer as "abysmal" as he implored fans to "dig in" and help preserve their team's English Football League status.
Rovers are two points above the League Two relegation places following a run of three consecutive defeats and they next face play-off contenders Grimsby at the Memorial Stadium.
Evans, who took over as manager two months ago, laid the blame for the Pirates' precarious position on their recruitment policy before Ricky Martin was appointed director of football at the end of last season.
"That's been caused by the havoc of the recruitment – I think it can only be described as abysmal," Evans told BBC Radio Bristol.
"Since Ricky came in we've steadied that. We've got better players and better characters in the building and hopefully the lads who were in the building prior to that time are seeing the benefits."
The Rovers boss praised the level of backing for his team and urged fans to maintain or increase it during the final 14 games of the season.
"Fans play a huge part," Evans added.
"The Mem's been rocking every time I've taken the team out of the tunnel and we're going to need it on Saturday.
"Our fans have suffered for two years. They've had two years of pain, but they're going to have to dig in for the next two-and-a-half-months to make sure we're part of the EFL.
"I can assure them now if I stay in the building, it won't be pain, it'll be gain and they'll be at the other end of the table. But we have to earn the right to stay this year."
Evans remains confident Rovers can beat the drop despite their recent form, with the team collecting 10 points from their 12 league games since he succeeded Darrell Clarke in the dugout.
"We knew there would be peaks and troughs," he added.
"The performances in the main since the transfer window closed have been good, results have not always portrayed that. If we get the performances right over a period, the results follow."