Gary Setchell will hand some of his players their last King's Lynn Town appearance this afternoon as he prepares to rip apart his underperforming squad.

The Linnets' startling freefall down the Evo-Stik Premier Division table saw them narrowly avoid a dramatic final-day relegation decider along with Frickley Athletic, Witton Albion, Stamford and Marine. And boss Setchell – whose 18th-placed side were fifth at the start of November – is vowing to wield the axe almost immediately after today's campaign-ending finale at home to mid-table Whitby Town.

The man at The Walks helm said: 'It's no good me bringing this group of players back next season is it? We've won four or five games in 20 and drew five – or whatever it is.

'The form's not been good enough. We've not been good enough since (top scorer) George (Thomson) left (in January) really. It would be foolish for me to think I could make (just) one or two changes and all of a sudden we'd be a top-half side again.

'There's got to be changes and it's harsh in football. If I don't change people and we lose the first six games next season then Buster (Chapman, chairman) changes me, it's as simple that. I'm a realist. I've been in the game long enough to know how it works.

'Probably if I hadn't been here five years and had two promotions – if I'd have come in at the start of the season with this form – I'd have probably been gone (sacked) by now.'

Lynn have won just four of their 23 league matches since Christmas picking up a paltry 17 points out of a possible 69. A failure to beat Whitby this afternoon would make it nine home matches without a victory.

'We've been shipping goals since Christmas,' Setchell also told the club's official YouTube channel.

'I thought we'd improve and cut it out, we haven't. I've got to take some responsibility for that. But I said to the players, if you take George Thomson (now at Chester), Alex Street and probably Ross Watson out of it, not too many (of the other) players have had good seasons.

'Hopefully we can turn in a performance in at home. We owe our fans one, that's for certain.

'The rebuilding will be starting at 5.05pm. That's the long and short of it. I say it how I see it and if the season was another three games longer we'd be in seriously serious trouble.'

If results go their way Lynn could finish as high as 14th.