Gills Assistant boss delivers exclusive interview....
Assistant Manager John Schofield says that nobody at the club is getting carried away after suffering defeat to Port Vale last weekend, and the processes between games that have earnt them success earlier in the season will remain the same.John admitted that the result last time out was disappointing, but said the performance was good enough to get something from the game and plenty of positives could be taken from it going forward.
Speaking exclusively to the club’s official website he said: “There are a couple of types of defeats – one where you think you were awful and didn’t deserve anything and another where you think a draw or for us to get it late on would have been a fairer result.
“Over the course of the season those things will even themselves out. We have to look at how we dug in and fought back – how we wrestled the grip of the game out of their hands and took control of it in the second half, they are the positives.
“Were we disappointed to lose? Of course we were, we go in to every game trying to win it, or certainly to get a positive result.
“We were disappointed with the result but the performance, the application and the attitude of the players was fantastic.”
The Gills number two said the same goals remain in place as they were prior to the opening game of the season against Bradford, and preparation for each match will remain exactly the same.
He said: “The target has not varied - over the course of the season so far I think any interviews that have been conducted have all been positive but also mindful that we are only so far in to the race that we are running, which is 46 games.
“Nobody is getting carried away; likewise when we have suffered setbacks we are not too disappointed. Our process between games is exactly the same win, lose or draw.
“We analyse the opposition, work on our strengths, pick up on any weaknesses and work to exploit them and that will be the same while we are trying to win football matches.
“That’s our belief, that is how we have set out, those are our ethics and we are going to stick by that. The points tally that we have picked up against the games we have played has been exceptional.”
John went on to say that the only thing that he and the rest of the management staff expects is total commitment from the players.
He added: “If there is one thing I have to say about the lads, to a man none of them have walked on to the pitch expecting it.
“The only thing that we expect is that we get hard work, effort and endeavour and that’s what we are getting, not only in every game, but every day in training. They have been fantastic and will continue to be that.”