Gillingham first team coach Nicky Southall writes exclusively for the KM Group
08:00, 08 April 2011
We’ve put last weekend’s game against Hereford behind us now and we’re just focusing on getting a win at Lincoln on Saturday.
We haven’t given up on finishing in the top three but we know that we can’t afford any more setbacks.
On Tuesday night we slipped out of the play-off positions after Accrington beat Southend but it was something we were expecting.
Accrington’s home form is phenomenal and it didn’t surprise me that we dropped one place. We just have to make sure we go to Lincoln now and win so we can go straight back into those play-off places.
We should have had the three points last weekend but we didn’t. We have made it hard for ourselves for this weekend but at the moment, in our last six games, we are in promotion form because we are averaging two points a game.
We have 12 points from our last six and at the start of the season you would say two points per game would get you promotion. We are at that stage now but unfortunately we weren’t picking up those points at the start of the season and are running out of games now.
With our poor start we need three points a game now.
We all know last weekend’s performance wasn’t up to standard and we had a little chat with the players but I don’t think it was about nerves.
Hereford did their homework and frustrated us, as did the referee (Southall and Andy Hessenthaler confronting the officials at full-time pictured above). It got to us a little bit and it didn’t happen on the day. It’s hard to explain but they said there were no real nerves, it was just that they didn’t perform.
They know that they have to do much better than that. Lincoln are struggling at the moment and we need to start the game right. They may be a little apprehensive.
It’s an important game for both teams. We are trying to get promoted and they are on a sticky run and could get dragged into that relegation battle.
That’s why it is important we go to Lincoln and are positive and take the game to them.
Their fans are going to be nervous because of the run they are on and we need to put that to our advantage.
Some of our players this year have benefited from the arrival of club psychologist Ashley Lawrence and it is something that I have bought into myself over the years.
We never used to have it when I was previously at Gillingham but when I was at Bolton, it was another chapter in my learning process as a player.
Sam Allardyce is a past master in it. He was able to get players’ confidence back and worked well with players who were supposed to be past it or not good enough. The best managers are the best psychologists, the likes of Alex Ferguson, Sam Allardyce and Arsene Wenger. I had never heard of it before, having been at Gillingham, but it opened my eyes and it does get you thinking in a different way and thinking for yourselves.
Some people don’t believe in it but if you just take little snippets out of it does stay with you.
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