JOHN Mousinho hopes Burton Albion can end their indifferent run and get pulling in the right direction under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
The 28-year-old midfielder was a key part of the side which flew to the top of League Two in August and early September.
But Albion have suffered six defeats in 10 games in all competitions – and Mousinho says it is time to turn that around.
"It's been disappointing after the defeat at Barnsley and it was ideal time to bring a new man in," said the former Preston North End and Stevenage man.
"It gives everyone a lift bringing a new manager in, quite naturally – not that we needed much boosting because our early-season form has been good on the whole.
"But recently we have stuttered a bit and I think it was important we got a new manager in, got direction back and cracked on with things."
Hasselbaink has told the players there is a clean slate for them to impress him and assistant David Oldfield.
Mousinho says that while the new boss will have seen plenty of his new charges on video and at matches he has attended, there is no substitute for time on the training ground.
"I think there's going to be some healthy competition among the lads and the manager and his assistant David will have seen a lot of our previous games and will have seen good and bad," he said.
"They'll have ideas of what they want from the current players and where we might need to strengthen and where we might need to change things.
"So every player right throughout the squad – even the players who haven't been involved too much this year – will get a great chance under the new manager to impress.
"He came in and said it's a clean slate for everyone and no matter how much you might have learned from a few video clips and watching games, I don't think anything can replace watching players out on the training pitch day in, day out, and seeing how they react to things on match days."
Mousinho was impressed with the first day of training under the new manager.
"It was lively and it was exciting," he said. "I think everyone connected to the club is excited about the appointment and looking forward to what the manager is going to bring, especially the players."
