Dermot Drummy is facing his first major test as Crawley Town manager – and says he is loving it.

Reds welcome Luton Town to the Checkatrade.com Stadium today on the back of three consecutive defeats in League Two.

A positive start to the season which saw Drummy’s new-look team pick up eight points from four games to sit in second place has been eroded by setbacks against Notts County, Portsmouth and Stevenage.

Drummy knew there would be tough times when he accepted his first job in senior football after 18 years coaching academy players at Arsenal and Chelsea at the end of last season but is confident he can turn things.

He said: “Obviously the last three results have not been what we want but the situation is not drastic. If you had spread the defeats out in the seven league games we have played so far it wouldn’t be a bad start but the fact they’ve come in a row makes it look worse.

“I’m not panicking but I know as a coach I have got to accept that we are on a poor run. It is my job to keep spirits up and work hard to try to put things right.

“If changes need to be made then it is up to me to change it. I enjoy being accountable for results on the pitch and that is one of the main reasons I left development football.”

Reds conceded just two goals in their opening four league games but have shipped eight in the last three.

Drummy is keen to encourage his team to play attractive football but accepts that in order to do so you need to be strong at the back.

He added: “We are giving goals away. We deserved to lose against Pompey but I thought we could have got something out of the other two games if we had defended our goal better.

“We have sat down with the players this week and gone through the goals we have conceded. It is the basics of defending and when the players see it again on DVD they know what they have done wrong but it is about putting it right.”

Drummy hopes to have winger Jordan Roberts on the bench for the first time since suffering a foot injury in the League Cup tie with Wolves at the start of August but Josh Payne misses out having aggravated an ankle injury at Stevenage last weekend.

The Reds boss is also expecting to have Guinea-Bissau international midfielder Aliu Djalo available to make his debut although his international clearance had not come through yesterday.

Drummy said: “It’s 95 per cent there but we’re just waiting for confirmation from FIFA.

“Aliu will really add something to the team. He’s played in Finland, Portugal, Romania and Poland so he’s a tough character and is buzzing for the chance to play in English football.

“He’s really impressed in training so I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do in a match situation.”