Gillingham manager John Coleman admits that the club’s current situation puts them in danger of relegation.
The Gills still have a reasonable lead over the bottom two, as well as games in hand on the teams around them, but it’s a horrible situation for a side to be in after sitting top of the table in late September.
The weekend setback puts the Gills nine points above of the bottom two, in 19th place.
For the second season in a row, Gills fans were sold a promotion fantasy, and it appears to be another wasted effort as they behind the leading clubs by a significant margin. They haven’t won a game since the middle of December.
Coleman came in last month, following Mark Bonner’s dismissal, to try and change the form around but he tore into the players on Saturday after another meek performance, losing 3-0 at fellow strugglers Barrow.
The chairman later admitted to being humiliated, and Coleman was asked if they are now in a relegation race.
He remarked, “Well, if we don’t pick up, we’ll be in a relegation scrap, but I’ve been around long enough to know that the only way out of that is through hard work.”
“We’ll have to see a different Gillingham team on Tuesday (at Walsall).”
Coleman talked to the media shortly after giving a verbal rocket to the players following Saturday’s setback, saying “the gloves are off”.
He had previously threatened to bring them in for overtime, but he has lost patience.
He stated, “There will be a lot of consequences, a lot of soul searching, and a lot of work put into it. The team worked as hard as they could.
“We’re going to have to work every day of the week, and we will work every day of the week from now until the end of the season, which means the players will be coming in every day of the week.
“Beginning Monday morning, there will be no days off until the end of the season.
“The rocket they got from me was extremely loud. That’s only the tip of the iceberg if we don’t get our thoughts together, but the first thing we’ll do is start generating money. And if it requires us to come in every day, we will.
“They are overly cosseted. The club cannot be criticised for this, and I am sure the supporters will. Everything is served on a plate for them, possibly too much, and this needs to change.
“You have to start earning the right to play professional football. You must start earning the right to represent people, since we are representing a town.
“We’re representing Gillingham as a place then we’re representing a set of football fans who deserve miles more than this.”
