"I have to pay tribute to the players because they could easily have lost faith with a new manager coming in and not winning for seven games," he explains.
"But they stayed with me and have been terrific in training - I am pleased they showed faith in me and I thanked them after the game on Saturday for that.
"It is important because any team that gets promoted will tell you that you have to have faith in each other and a spirit in the dressing room.
"If you don't have that you are never going to get promoted, no matter how good you are - and I realised that very early in my career.
"The first thing I look for when I am trying to build a club is to get that spirit amongst the players and the trust of the fans, get the staff all pulling in the right direction and if they are not get rid of them.
"We have to make sure we are all trying to achieve the same thing which is a winning culture and success ultimately."
Alan is looking for goals home and away now he has six strikers - or seven, with Don Hutchison - on his books and he adds:
"If you look at the last two home games we have scored seven goals and only ended up with three points.
"We do look like we have got goals in the team and what we have got to do now is get twos and threes away from home as well - and when we start doing that we will put a good run together.
"We are coming off a win into our hardest game of the season so we can't get carried away - it will be a hard game on Saturday.
"I just felt we have lacked goals from the midfield area and the full backs - Tomas is not the type to go on a mazy run and smash one in the top corner but he has other qualities.
"We needed more threat to the goal and obviously I have added Deano and Harewood to the strikers that are already here and I think we are really strong in that department now and any game we go into you would fancy us to score.
"If he is half as good as some of the players that have worn the number 10 shirt we will have had a result because he will be a complete bargain then.
"I feel that he has the confidence to fill it and it might give him a little spur; he played like a number 10 on Saturday."