Gills boss hopes three points against Crewe will lift squad
Martin Allen says a victory against Crewe Alexandra later today would be a huge lift for everyone at the club.The Gills are preparing for their fifth away league game of the season, and Martin is hoping the hard work that has been put in on the training ground this week will produce an encouraging result.
Speaking during his midweek press conference he said:
“Players have trained hard, they have started training a bit earlier and some groups have stayed later. We have trained a couple of afternoons and everyone was in Wednesday, there have been no days off.
“I wouldn’t say it’s harder, it’s certainly more often [training]. I can’t just sit back can I? Imagine if I was the Manager and I just sat at home riding my bike – if I had to live like that I would never go out - `everyone have a few days off, ` that’s no game plan or positive action.
“We need to do better – we need to practice, train more and do more work. We need to work out how to make it better and help individuals and that’s what I am good at.
“It would be a big boost for the players. It’s the same feeling for me, I want to win a game and I haven’t had a run like this in 35 years so it would give everyone a lift.
“This is a long competition and I said that numerous times last year. We are two months in and there are a lot of points to be won.”
Martin was asked if he thrived in this situation and why he relishes the challenge so much.
He said: “I think I do yes. I don’t know what it is but I’ve always been that type. I’m the worst ever footballer in the Allen family and it was only through hard work and training seven days a week and mornings before school that made to be a footballer.
“All the teams and the clubs I have gone to a lot is said about motivation, but I do coach aswell and I do put on training sessions.
“I would prefer to be at the top but it is certainly a different challenge and I thrive on it. I could hide and pass it all over and give the players days off but I haven’t been made like that.
“I’m a fighter.”
The management have been in every day during the week to iron out any recent errors, and Martin said the opposition has been a secondary concern as the staff focus on getting things right.
He said: “To be honest my work this week has been with our professionals and our staff and us working together.
“We had chances on Saturday to win that game and then we lost to a poxy goal. We have covered all those types of things, I don’t want to concede poxy goals and I don’t want to keep saying afterwards that we have been unlucky and that we nearly got there.
“We need to take it in our own hands, play our game and get our players playing to the very best of their ability.
“It can change very quickly – last season we were top for nine and a half months in a ten month competition and people still criticise.
“We were not always playing great but in my job you have to take that stuff that comes your way.”
Watch Martin deliver his press conference here.