FULL TRANSCRIPT - John Coleman post Barrow

Following The Gills' 3-0 defeat away at Barrow AFC this afternoon, February 8th, John Coleman's press interview post-match was very lively and had some very harsh yet true comments about the team and performance. Interview conducted by Ben Watts of BBC Radio Kent (who take full credit for this interview), here is the full transcript of Coleman's post-match thoughts....

JC: If I'd travelled 6 hours, paid hard earned money that I'd been working hard for all week to see a team just boot the ball up forward with no idea, no passion, no fight, no drive, no desire, I would be absolutely livid.

I'm livid with the lack of responsibility that we've showed to the fan, I think it's been an absolute disgrace today.

We didn't start the game today very well at all, it was 20 minutes before we put 2 passes together. Then we got a foothold into the game, had a couple of chances.

The game petered out into nothing. First half, 0-0, we're rallying the side to have a go, but you know if we get back on top here and win this game. Then we just proceed to boot the ball up to Joe (Gbode) and hope that he just fights and wrestles for it.

No idea about how to pass the ball.

Everything we've worked on in training this week, which was very very promising, very positive the way we approached everything this week. I went into this game super confident and it evaporates when players, they just don't seem to want to care.

I've been managing 25 years, and I gotta say that is up there with one of the worst feelings I have had as a manager, but also one of the worst performances I've seen from any one of my teams with a lack of fight and a lack of desire.

The players are treated too well in my opinion. They're too soft, they're too closeted, and I haven't altered that quick enough. So I have got to take the full responsibility for that. It's down to me, I put the team out onto the pitch, I pick the team. I haven't toughened them up and that's something I should be ashamed of to be honest, because that's every team that's ever played for me has had that desire. So I apologise for that as well, and I apologise to the fans for not toughening this team up. Make no balls about it, the gloves are off now. There'll be a lot of sanctions.

When you turn up with performances like that it sticks in your thumb, it makes me sick. It makes me want to vomit to be honest.

We're going to have to work every single day of the week, and we will work every single day of the week between now and the end of the season. And that means the players will be coming in every single day of the week. Okay, they've made plans tomorrow, I'm not that heartless, but from Monday morning there will be no days off between now and the end of the season because this team has got to start earning the goal, and showing passion and pride and playing for them fans, because those fans deserve miles more than this.

I feel like crying for them (the fans), because I know how long the trip is, we did it yesterday, and them fans have travelled all this way to see an absolute nonsense of a second half. An abject performance with no drive, no desire. I'd be losing my head if I was a fan, I'm losing my head now because I'm the manager and I see players who just don't care and on my watch that's an absolute disgrace."

"I can't abide just watching a team just kick the ball long and hope the ball's going to drop. Their centre half just waited today, you know he's heading the ball he's bringing it down on his chest, it's senseless. We've got footballers who can pass the ball. Honestly, it was 22 minutes before we put 2 passes together today and then after that we grew into the game and I'm thinking 'You know what? Half time, we step it up, we'll get something out this game, we'll win this game if we step it up and play to the sense that we've got, and to the ability that we've got'. If we get our wide players on the ball or our attacking players on the ball with the likes of Asher (Agbinone), with the likes of Joe (Gbode), get Nev (Elliott Nevitt) in the box try to score goals, get Dacky (Bradley Dack) in their box to try get shots off or probe little balls through.

In the second half we just stopped playing! We just surrendered possession, and then it's a big boot and the first goal is the killer goal. But then after that... you'd think half our team had just walked off the pitch. It's just unacceptable."

BW: "Are we in a relegation scrap with the way things are going?"

JC: "Well if we don't pick up we will be in a relegation scrap, but I've been around the block long enough to know that the only way you do that is by hard work. Real hard work. And we have to see a different Gillingham team on Tuesday."

BW: "And you've got a big squad so you can change things around, albeit you've left some players out for this one. So will you bring those players back in or is it them showing you what you want to see in training?"

JC: "People have got to earn the right to play for Gillingham Football Club. And they earn the right by working hard in training. You don't become a good player, or a better player because you haven't played and the team's lost, you got to earn the right by how you train, how you work, what desire you've got to get on that pitch first and foremost and to stay on the pitch. I don't take shirts off of players, players take the shirts off themselves or they give it back to somebody else. You don't leave out players wo are working their socks off and playing well.

The ONE bright spark today was Andy Smith. Thought he was exceptional. And he's the only player who can walk out of the dressing room with his head held high."

BW: "Just thinking ahead, obviously on Tuesday it's a quick turnaround for that game and obviously you're taking on a side that are flying high at the top of the table, so in the meantime I guess, as you say, you've got a lot of soul-searching to do about how you can change this in such a quick turnaround."

JC: "It doesn't matter who you're playing. Whether you're playing top of the league, bottom of the league. If you go out with an attitude of 'don't care' you'll get exactly what we got today. The players didn't care today, in my opinion. And that never going to happen, it hasn't happened on my watch more than 3 times in 25 years, that won't happen again."

Some very strong comments from Coleman there, speaking very similar opinions to what most fans currently think. What do you make of John's comments? Do you agree or disagree with what he has said?