Gills boss proud that the players have not let results affect them
Martin Allen has conceded that with every game that passes he has a dilemma over who to pick in his first eleven.
The Gills Manager has made several changes to his team throughout the year and believes this is the reason that the squad has such a strong bond on and off the field.
He said: “It’s testing mentally and our players are doing a fantastic job to hold it there and just keep picking up points and even through the difficult couple of games that we have had here they have kept their courage, their nerve and have maintained great team spirit and unity.
“They have not let the crowd or results affect them in any way, shape or form and that is fantastic.
“Every game will be tough and every one will be a challenge, the same as every game since the opening day against Bradford. It’s no different in my mind than what it was at the beginning.
“All I think about and focus on is the first game we have ahead of ourselves, I will review what our last game has been obviously and then try and put together the best team that we can.
“We brought a couple of players in on loan to try and help us and reinforce our squad when we were a bit short of numbers so that’s why we brought in some hungry players who are not fazed by the pressure of winning matches.
“At the end of the season I might tell you a little bit more about what we originally set out to do, and I will. I can’t do it now but at the end I will.”
The Manager said it’s a different feeling for him at this stage of the season as, historically, he tends to be the one trying to save clubs from the drop.
He said: “That’s been my forte hasn’t it? I’ve saved every club I’ve ever been at from relegation, I think there has been four relegation fights where teams have hardly ever won and that’s when people ring me up to ask if I can get the team going again quick.
“My record for that is second to none and I’m good at that but it’s different here at Gillingham. I don’t have to shout at our players and I don’t have to do the stuff that I do in those types of jobs – tough love I call it.
“I look and think how nice it is to be sitting where I am for a change. It’s a totally different type of approach which has been nice for me.
“We’ve got it, and they haven’t. I’ve got the food on my table and if you’re hungry you want to come and get it off me and you’re not getting it.
“I’ve got the ball and you haven’t got it, we’ve all had it as little kids. They want to try and take the ball off us; we are bouncing the ball and are all happy. That kid who hasn’t got the ball, you know what he’s thinking.
“That’s using children’s allergies but it’s a simple and effective way of describing what it’s like and we have had that the whole season.”
To read what Martin had to say about the Morecambe game itself click here.
To watch his pre-match press conference and activate your free Gills Player trial click here.