Gill has our full support - Shiels
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Dundalk midfielder Paul Shiels has come out in full support of manager John Gill and his assistant Gerry Scully, as the club look to bounce back following a fortnight of misery. After moving into pole position with a win over Shelbourne a month ago, the Lilywhites have relinquished their place at the top of the League of Ireland First Division table after two shock and damaging defeats to Longford Town and Wexford Youths. However, Shiels is standing firmly behind the club’s management team and has placed the responsibility on the shoulders of the playing squad.
In a lengthy and revealing interview set to be published in Thursday night’s DFC Matchday Magazine, Shiels states: “Everybody is 100% behind John and Gerry. We’ve already been asked that same question this week, and, to be honest, I don’t know where this has come out of. I think three weeks ago when we beat Shelbourne, there wouldn’t have been a word about this. Don’t get me wrong, every player has a little complaint about stuff now and again. Nothing is perfect in this world. If the sandwiches aren’t right, we’ll give out, if there’s not enough water, we’ll do the same.
“Players are like that, that’s their nature. If a training session is poor, players will do everything but blame themselves. Three weeks ago or even after the Monaghan match, people wouldn’t have been asking that question. You take away that stupid goal in the last minute and that’s another great result. The last two results have been disappointing, but for stories like this to come out - I don’t know where they’ve has come from - is unwelcome. We’re 100% together, and if we start talking about splits in the camp, we haven’t a hope.”
The Clones native, whose return to the side following suspension will be a much needed boost, has stated that the squad put more pressure on themselves than the Oriel Park faithful do. “To be honest, you don’t really feel pressure from the crowd,” Shiels says. “The pressure is from within myself, the group and the manager, because we, as a group, want to win this league more than anything. There’s a few players in the squad who are tipping on now - I’m nearly 30. We’re coming near the end and we all realise that we’re not going to have many more chances to win a league.
“You don’t get many chances. You look at some of the players, Trevor (Vaughan), for example, who has been around for a lot of years and has never won a league medal. I’ve been playing ten years and I’ve only won it once, in a half-a-season with Shamrock Rovers. You don’t get these chances too often. There’s absolutely no question about the determination in the squad. We all want to win it, there’s no question about that.”
