NEW signing Matt Spring says Wanderers have to rid themselves of their losing mentality from last season.

Some of the statistics from last year's relegation make for depressing reading, with Blues being defeated in more than half of their matches in all competitions.

Goalkeeper Nikki Bull admitted on more than one occasion last season Wanderers would go into matches expecting to lose, accusing some players of "downing tools", and Spring says that attitude has got to stop.

He said: "There's a lot of things that have got to change. The mentality of last season's got to go. I think there was a bit of a losing mentality about the club last year in getting relegated, so we've got to flip that round and get back on the winning trail and get a winning mentality at the club.

"I've been told about it - obviously I wasn't here last year and I didn't see it but I've been told the team we've got now looks a lot better than they had last year. I've been told it's got better, so that's good."

Blues conceded 100 goals in all competitions last season, shipping six in a humiliating televised home defeat to Huddersfield, conceding five at Brentford a few weeks later and letting in four on another half a dozen occasions.

That's led to Wanderers working on their defensive shape over the summer and the early signs are encouraging, as they kept two clean sheets during pre-season and pushed Championship Watford to the brink of a penalty shoot-out on Saturday before they were eventually sunk by a single late goal.

Spring said that shows Blues are heading in the right direction after last season's shambolic showings.

The midfielder said: "It starts by not conceding goals. So long as we can do that we've got a stepping stone to start from."

Any possible misgivings Spring might have had after picking up on the negative attitude have been dispelled by what he's seen on the training ground however.

The 32-year-old said: "Since I've come here I've really enjoyed every minute of it. The lads are great and the training's been excellent. Now we're trying to take that into matches."