Assistant Manager says Gills squad focussed on own performances
Assistant Manager John Schofield said the Gills will continue to control the parts of the game that only they can influence, and will resist the temptation to worry about what is happening elsewhere.
With Port Vale losing 1-0 to Morecambe at Vale Park and Gillingham beating Dagenham & Redbridge 2-1 at MEMS Priestfield it meant Martin Allen’s side moved back to the top of npower League Two.
However John said the management and the players remain focussed on their own goals instead of following proceedings they have no control over.
He said: “We were playing our game and its not until you hear the fans you know something is happening somewhere else but as we’ve always said we will control the controllables and deal with what we have got to do, but when you get in the dressing room it’s great.
“A lot of hard work has gone in to what has happened so far this season and its going to continue.
“It’s a massively competitive league and anybody on the day can beat anybody else which is why we are so focussed on how we play and what we do, it’s all about us and that will be our focus for the rest of the season.
“If there is doom and gloom you sometimes have to put things in perspective. It’s a great win for Morecambe but that’s what has happened at times this season, we are forever looking at what we can do to improve.
“Deon held the ball up well when he was playing down the middle on his own but its adapting to what they are doing. Gregs [Steven Gregory] was ideal so he could drop between the two centre-backs so we were not getting out numbered so its reading those situations.
“We trust the lads to defend and they have done and, at times, that’s what you have to do.
“Being brave enough as a manger to say we will take a forward off and put an extra midfielder on, but what it does enable us to do is to be more solid and to start controlling the game through our possession and I thought we did that.
“We just have to keep focussed and keep driving on as we are.”
Martin had addressed the media prior to John’s arrival and the Manager talked about the days he was a gardener before getting in to coaching to make ends meet, and the Assistant Manager said he enjoys every day while in football considering what he was doing before he got his opportunity.
He said: “I was a mechanic. One thing is for sure, putting the gritters back on so the roads could be cleared for people to go to work wasn’t very nice, but that’s what I had to do.
“I was then fortunate enough to get in to football and I’m going to hold on to it for as long as I can. You fight hammer and nail every day, it’s not a job anyway is it this? It’s not a proper job, what I used to do was a proper job.
“I then ran home and played football and now I’m fortunate enough to be involved in it for a living and I love every day.”
You can watch John Schofield’s post match press conference by clicking here.