PHIL Brown has called for Swindon Town’s attacking players to take the 'handbrake' off in a bid to ease the pressure on his more offensive players.

With top scorer Michael Doughty out with a hip injury and no return date in sight, Brown says he is looking for his current crop to fill the void left by the former Queens Park Rangers man.

Aside from Doughty, on-loan striker Elijah Adebayo is the only other player to have scored more than once in League Two this season, with Marc Richards, Keshi Anderson and Steven Alzate producing a combined total of three goals.

However, Brown is not concerned about a lack of threat from his Swindon players, the manager believing his troops are more than capable while urging them to be more daring in their work.

“The desire to destroy is what I had as a defender, but you have to couple that with the courage to create,” said Brown.

“It’s about taking a risk. I’m asking the players to take a bit more of a chance and be a little bit freer in the final third.

“If that means you’re releasing the handbrake then that is something I have left with the strikers and attacking players many times.

“Getting the right balance produces good teams. You’ve got to have the desire to destroy and I think we have that as a group.

“But, once we have got possession, I want them to take a chance. They’re paid to produce, provide that final pass to a striker.”

At the start of the season, many Town supporters were concern about potential defensive frailties within Brown’s group.

But, with four clean sheets in their last five outings, Brown thinks his attention could now move towards the opposite end of the pitch.

“There is little bit of improvement, it isn’t massive change and it isn’t major surgery,” he added.

“It could be the addition of Michael Doughty, who has the ability to relax players – a moment of magic can win you a game.

“That is what we need tonight, a moment of magic. If we keep that mentality for clean sheets then we just need someone to create that moment.

“I’m after solutions and the team at the moment is well versed in defence, they just need to release some kind of pressure at the other end of the field.”

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