YORK City manager Steve Watson has called on fans to help him impart a positive message to the players ahead of his first league game at Bootham Crescent.

The Minstermen host National League North leaders Chorley tomorrow bolstered by the loans of two midfielders, former City man Paddy McLaughlin and Bury player Scott Burgess.

Watson had praise for Chorley, both for their imposing campaign this year and having held onto a pair of promising young players, saying he would like to create a similar consistency for City.

Shorter-term, however, Watson is looking to get his home record off to a good start.

He said: "I know what football's all about and the two or three seasons York have had, and it's very difficult to try and be positive all the time. But that is the message I'm trying to give to the players and that would be massively helped if it was the same type of message from the fans.

"Put everything aside for 90 minutes, see if we can get the result we need and hopefully get the momentum going again."

Of Chorley, Watson said: "They made the most unbelievable start to the season and it's almost been impossible to keep that up, but even through their bad spell, it wasn't that bad. And they've kicked on again now.

"I think (ex-manager) Matt Jansen, who I know very well, did a very good job the previous season and like any good, ambitious team, they've kept hold of the players they wanted to.

"The two Newbys (forwards Alex and Elliot) are very talented players, and I know League teams looked at them, but they've managed to hang onto them, which is what I'm going to try and do this season.

"You look at what you've got this season, who can take you where you want to go next season and build on that if you can manage to keep them.

"Like a lot of teams in this league, they work hard on set-pieces. They're very good at set-pieces and our job is to not concede as many as we have."

He added: "But at the other end, when you talk about what we do off the ball, we can do just as much on the other side of things, we can be better at set-plays, we can cause other teams problems. We need to be a goal threat as well.

"The league position tells you that every area of the pitch can be improved on.

"As we stand from last week, we haven't won a league game yet - I know we've only had one, but you've got to look at it that way - so we've got a great chance to get the ball rolling on Saturday, my first league game in a time where wins are all-important.

"That's not just picking up points here and there, we need some wins under our belt. We need to go for teams, we need to go for the jugular."

The 21-year-old Burgess - who joined yesterday - and McLaughlin are both available to make their debuts tomorrow, while 18-year-old right-back Nathan Dyer is in contention, as is Simon Heslop.

On Dyer, Watson said: "Nathan is part of the squad, he's part of my thinking for Saturday. People that are involved in successful sides tend to stay in the team.

"If somebody comes in on Saturday and does well, we defend well, keep a clean sheet and we win the game by defending well, the defenders stay where they are - the shirt will be theirs on Saturday to lose."

Burgess has made 22 first-team appearances for League Two side Bury. He spent last season on loan at Macclesfield Town in their National League-winning season, having previously been loaned to Norwegian club Bersoy, Stalybridge Celtic and, this season, to Wrexham.

Watson said of him: "He's young, he's energetic and he's hungry. For me, it's not a risk if you've coached people - the same as it isn't a risk with Paddy.

"You can never guarantee anybody's going to come to a club and it be 100 per cent, but I'm as confident as I can be with these two lads."