YORK City’s new manager, Gary Mills, is hoping his players can show more character and belief under his guidance.

Mills begins his Bootham Crescent reign this afternoon with a home game against Bath and has already spotted a trend in City’s results during 2010/1.

In all four games the Minstermen have won this season, they have taken the lead first.

During the eight matches in which they have fallen behind first, however, City have only managed to recoup two points in draws at Bath and Wrexham, while going on to lose the other six fixtures.

Mills witnessed first-hand the uplifting effect scoring the first goal had on his new charges when his Tamworth team lost 3-1 during the Minstermen’s only away win of the season.

But the former Nottingham Forest midfielder is now looking for that same level of confidence when his team are trailing.

He said: “In that game at Tamworth, I thought we were the better team for the first 25 minutes but the penalty seemed to give York the confidence to go on and win the game.

“The team grew in stature but, even if you go a goal down, that should not affect you.

“And, even if you’ve lost a couple of games, you need to be men with big hearts and believe you can still win the game.”

Mills will hope to have five-goal top scorer Michael Rankine at his disposal today following a spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury.

The 6ft 3in striker played for Mills four years ago at Alfreton Town and the new boss admitted he will abide Rankine’s reputation for whinging if he does the business on the pitch.

“Ranks is about three stone lighter now than when we had him at Alfreton,” Mills smiled. “He’s also a striker that moans and moans.

“That’s just the way he is and he can moan all he likes if he sticks the ball in the back of the net and makes life difficult for their back four.”

Mills is also delighted to have Darron Gee at Bootham Crescent as his assistant with the pair having worked together in the dugout and on the training ground for the last 13 years at Grantham, King’s Lynn, Notts County, Alfreton and during two separate spells with Tamworth.

“Darron Gee is my number two and my best mate,” Mills said. “He’s someone I trust 100 per cent.

“He will do the coaching with me and liaise with the players. He’s my eyes, ears and everything.

“We work together and he will sort problems out for me but I will sort the major ones out.

“He takes pressure off me and has been with me from day one as my assistant.”

Mills added that he has appreciated the input of previous caretaker manager Steve Torpey ahead of today’s game.

Youth-team coach Torpey will now return to that role with Mills saying: “Steve Torpey’s helped me out superbly this week.

“He seems a great genuine fellow and you need people like that around you at a new club.”