HAKAN Hayrettin insists that changing the mindset of Braintree Town's players has been the key to their upturn in form since he took over as caretaker manager.

Despite some fans having reservations about the return of the man who led them to Vanarama National League relegation two years ago, Hayrettin has had a successful spell in temporary charge of the side after the departure of boss Brad Quinton at the start of last month.

His latest success was a 4-2 win at Bromley on Tuesday night, to follow the 2-1 victory against Dover Athletic last weekend that brought a first home league victory of the season and a draw at National League leaders Salford City three weeks ago.

Those seven points from a possible nine under Hayrettin's guidance have brought Braintree back to within two points of getting clear of the relegation zone and they will be looking to further extend their good form when Hayrettin takes the team to Aldershot Town on Saturday.

He said there had been no magical alchemy to turn around the side's form, though, and insists that it is just making the group of players believe in themselves that has been the difference.

He said: “I’ve have just come in and changed the way that they play and their mindset.

“Changing the belief was the key because having belief is nine tenths of what’s needed in anything you do.

“I was an average player, but I played at Wembley twice, I won the Conference twice and having belief was the difference – it’s nine tenths of what’s required.

“I made everyone believe that I was better than what I was.

“That’s what I have done with these players; I have made them believe that they are better than what they are and they now need to consistently show that.

“It’s the same players who were here before I came here.

“We’ve just changed their philosophy, their mindset, their application, their professionalism – they can have everything, but they have to have the heart.

“That is what I was telling them after the game at Bromley.

“I can’t give them the heart, they have to have that and they need to find it.

“Sometimes I do go over the top with them, but that’s only because I know that they can do it.

“Have they got Conference National League experience?

“No, but if they keep playing like they did at Bromley then they will have."

With the club still to decide whether he will get the manager's job full-time, Hayrettin will now take the team to Aldershot on Saturday.

It is the site of a painful memory for the caretaker boss as it was there that Braintree's relegation was confirmed at the end of the 2016/17 season when he was manager.

While he didn't want to go into specific issues, he admitted that the attitude of some players that day had hurt him and he was looking forward to returning with a fresh set to wipe the slate clean.

He added: “It was probably the worst day of my footballing career.

“It hurt me deeply.

“What I saw in the changing room that day left me soulless for a little while.

“Rightly or wrongly, people who were in that changing room decided to do certain things and that’s not what football is about for me.

“That’s not what football is about for me.

“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but in my opinion, when you cross that white line you do it for your own personal pride.

“But I’m not thinking about that now that we’re heading back there.

“It’s another game for this football club.

“It’s a new group of players with a new outlook, so we’ll go again."