After taking just nine points from their last eight League Two games, and following Monday’s 5-1 hammering at Harrogate Town, Gillingham’s Play Off chances are now hanging by a thread as Head Coach Stephen Clemence prepares his side for the trip to Bradford City this weekend. 

“We’ve been inconsistent haven’t we,” the Head Coach openly admitted to KSN this week. “I think my record is that I have won as many as I’ve lost, and I have drawn a number as well now.”

“It is not where we want to be and of course we want to hit more “W’s” and it’s where I want to take this Football Club, but we have been inconsistent.”

“We have had some really good performances and got into some really good positions; we have been in the Play Off places on a number of occasions, but we have never followed it up with a result after and that has been a shame really.”

“It is what it is, and we cannot keep looking back, we must look forward to Saturday; Bradford; let us go and take them on and see where we are after the game.” 

Reflecting on the horror show at Harrogate, the Head Coach recalled from his playing career, “I have been beaten heavily as a player at Birmingham – seven goals in the FA Cup Quarter Final by Liverpool, I have been beaten as a Tottenham player, six at St James’ Park.”

“In those games the teams were on top from the start, but for us to be the better team for sixty-odd minutes on Monday, till they scored their first goal. And then for us to let in five in that last 35 minutes or so, I have not seen that happen very often.”

“But football can surprise you and the group did not mean to do it – they have generally performed pretty well for me, I had never questioned their character, but I think we’ve got to take and accept the criticism from Monday, players and myself included, as what we saw isn’t acceptable at this Football Club.” 

“When you are in the trenches like we were in that last half hour, you certainly learn a lot about players and you see things that I had not seen before – that can happen, but it cannot happen again.”

“People can make mistakes and people do not mean to perform like that – we all take responsibility, I am involved as well as it’s my team at the end of the day – but we cannot let it happen again,” the Head Coach admitted before adding, “… and it won’t!” 

“It was a difficult afternoon for all of us, and that includes me! I did not see it coming and it is very difficult to stop that momentum when it is so much against you.”

“I have reflected on it – could I have done more to help? Yes, I could have done, and it might have worked, it might not have done. Should I have reacted? I could have done… Who knows now as hindsight is a wonderful thing if it would have helped us…” 

“We were in a difficult place that last half an hour and we cannot let it happen again. I always look at myself first – always – there was a lot of anger after the game, and I spoke to the press as I came out of the dressing room.”

“But when you step away from the team environment, I go home and try to reflect on what I have done well and what I think I could have done better and if that were ever to happen again, I might do things differently!”