Gillingham manager John Coleman has promised to get the best out of his team ahead of a potentially season-defining clash against Morecambe on Saturday.
The Gills have endured a torrid time as of late. After topping the table throughout the early stages of the campaign, they suffered a dreadful loss of form which saw them tumble down the table. This led to them making the decision to replace Mark Bonner with the experienced Coleman in January.
The 62-year-old has failed to implement a revival thus far, with Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat against Fleetwood Town the latest setback. The Kent-based side haven’t won since beating MK Dons on December 14th and they now sit 19th in League Two, nine points above the bottom two.
They face Morecambe on Saturday, the team that occupy 23rd position, in a game which could define the remainder of their season. A first win for Coleman would open up a comfortable cushion on those in the relegation places, whilst another defeat will pull them closer to those fighting for survival.
Coleman Promises Fight
It was a disappointing result on Tuesday, especially as Gillingham took the lead six minutes before the break. However, they let the Cod Army back in on the stroke of half time before conceding a second just five minutes into the second period.
Morecambe represents a tie which Coleman will be confident of winning. Speaking to official club media, he praised the quality of his squad whilst saying it is his job to get the best out of them ahead of a crucial period:
“We’ve got to fight. Anybody who knows me knows that I’ll fight.
“I know that there’s a winning team in there. I have to coach it out of them as best as I can. That might be by tough love or by putting an arm around them, but I’ve got to coach a winning team out of them because I know that they are a winning team. There are really good players there.
“We have got to make the most out of it on Saturday and make it our day on Saturday. If we work hard enough, we will get what we deserve.”
Writer’s View
There’s no getting away from the fact that Gillingham are in relegation form. Their good start is the only reason they aren’t closer to the bottom two, but he gap is starting to close. Having not won for 13 games, a result against Morecambe is imperative. Should they lose, fears will start to rise that they could get dragged into the fight for survival, which could see them drop into non-league for the first time since 1950.
