Peter Taylor believes his Gillingham team would have been successful if given time.

Taylor was sacked as Gills boss on Wednesday morning following a heated telephone conversation with chairman Paul Scally.

The Dubai-based chairman had only recently backed Taylor as the right man for the Gills.

Taylor, speaking exclusively to the KM Group, said: “I am disappointed that I haven’t been given the time now to finish the job. I felt as though we are progressing as a team and current form tables suggest that.

“I know that improvements were still needed but to me we would have got there. I certainly never had any intention of resigning. I wanted to see out the job but the chairman decided to relieve me of my duties.”

Taylor first got an idea that the chairman was considering a change on Tuesday.

“We had a conversation (on Tuesday) and that put a lot more negatives in my head,” said the 61-year-old coach.

“On the strength of that phone call I was not surprised of the outcome today (Wednesday).”

Taylor, who guided the Gills to promotion in 2000, returned to the club in October 2013 with the task of saving the club from relegation to League 2, following Martin Allen’s dismissal.

He said: “When I joined they had nine points from 11 matches. The team was certainly very much in danger of going down. We stayed up and, to me, that was a successful thing.

“This year has been a frustrating one. But I still felt we were getting there and we would have got there. I can’t do anymore about that now.”

Taylor spoke to the players and the club staff on Wednesday morning at the club’s training ground, shortly after his sacking.

“I still want to wish them good luck and hopefully the young squad fulfil their potential, that’s what I told them.”

Andy Hessenthaler, who had been brought back to the club by Taylor as no.2, will take charge of the team for this weekend's visit to Port Vale.