Still calls for unity after Gray’s Twitter defence

Town boss John Still has urged the club’s fans to stick behind the side despite another disappointing season in the Blue Square Bet Premier, writes Mike Simmonds.
Andre Gray scores against Newport earlier in the seasonAndre Gray scores against Newport earlier in the season
Andre Gray scores against Newport earlier in the season

Striker Andre Gray took to Twitter last week after coming in for criticism from certain sections of support for his recent displays.

Among his tweets, he said: “It’s starting to do my head in now people making these ridiculous comments that im dis-interested since i signed my new deal at luton.

“Me and the team work hard day in day out and weve hit rock bottom in terms of confidence and we no more than anyone how bad its been lately.

“Im no where near satisfied in what ive done in my career at all so i have no reason to feel like that!! The day im disinterested i wont play football again.

“Thats all i have to say to the critics that have nothing positive to say!! Im not happy with my recent performances at all and im the first to admit that but ill keep working hard to prove you wrong and so will the rest of us.. That is all.”

When asked what he would say to the supporters who have been on Gray’s back, Still said: “Support your team. That’s what I always saw to them. This is your team.

“There isn’t a quick fix. I know the job and I can do the job. In a year’s time there’ll see progress, hopefully this time next year they’ll see fantastic progress and in two years time, hopefully more,

“But it hasn’t been right here, that’s not down to me, I haven’t been here.

“I know the fantastic guys who have managed the club, but I have my way of doing it.

“Will it work here? I hope so. But it has to be allowed to work. Sometimes putting players and managers and coaches under pressure, people might buckle to that and start trying short cuts, there are no short cuts here.

“Fortunately I don’t buckle. I listen to criticism and I understand criticism, it doen’t faze me.

“All I know is there is a path we have to go down to stop them doing that. If they never want to go down the path they’re going to be standing there for the rest of their life.

“But I’m trying to help them not to do that and going down the path that’s a rocky path, not without criticism, not without comment but it’s the right path and if they buy into that, the more they buy into that, the more patient and understanding they’ll be and maybe see the change the one or two people that can handle the pressure.”

On the lack of confidence among the squad when he took over, Still added: “Most of the players when I came in were down, but it’s life.

“Life has its ups and downs and it’s like being married. Do you love your wife every day? No you don’t, but you do, and that’s what it is.

“We’ve got to get back to that. Confidence is a two way thing. You can’t give confidence to a player that’s not confident or doesn’t want to be confident. It’s gradual. I’ve not hardly raised my voice, I’ve talked to people, told them exactly what I think, but shouting and throwing things isn’t for now.

“That’s for when I look at my squad of players and I know they’re all my players and can all play the John Still way.

“They’re all capable and when they fall below the level that’s different, they’ll know, but I’m not going to volley into people who don’t quite understand what we’re doing, that’s not relevant at the moment.”

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