Gillingham’s manager knows there will be no better way to lift the Priestfield gloom than to beat their old rivals Swindon Town.
Following back-to-back thrashings against MK Dons and Cambridge United, the Gills fans need something to cheer.
The Gills have also seen any hope of getting out of League Two evaporate, but home fans would love to see their team knock Swindon Town’s promotion hopes when they meet tonight (Tuesday).
Swindon are sixth in the table and still have hopes of landing one of the three automatic promotion places, and if not, claiming a play-off spot.
“I’ll get this team up for Tuesday, no problem at all,” declared the Gills boss after Saturday’s 5-0 loss.
“I’m looking forward to it, because it’s a local derby, and I know how much it means. What a way that would be to turn this horrendous form around.
“It’s going to be a real tough one, because it’s Swindon, and they will want to get one over their rivals.
“We were very good at their place, we should have won that game. We had the chances to win. [On Saturday] we didn’t have the chances to win any game.
“We need to create chances against Swindon and we need to be better at defending, set-pieces, second balls, balls forward that just seem to carve through us at times. It’s my job to put it right.
“We need to get back to winning ways, or stop getting beat like that ways, that’s what we’ve got to do because it’s unacceptable.
“Sometimes you hit rock bottom, and you can’t get any lower.”
Despite Gillingham’s poor form, Ainsworth insists he still believes he can put out a team that’s capable of beating Swindon.
He had experienced players Armani Little, Bradley Dack and Garath McCleary back at the weekend, with all three coming off the bench. Josh Andrews is also back available for selection following suspension.
Ainsworth said: “I’m going to tell the players that I believe we can go and beat Swindon, no problem, I think we can beat Swindon.
“They just have to be better in the duels, they just have to be better on the ball [and the] confidence.
“I’ll back these boys and whatever team I put out I believe we’ll win the game, and that’s my way.
“We’ve just got to put ourselves right now, and get up. I’m fine, I want the boys to be fine, I need the boys to pick themselves up, and come on. Let’s have some battling, let’s have some belief in ourselves and some confidence on the ball.
“The team will be stronger [tonight] but I’ve still got a few out so the other boys have got to step up as well.
“I need to get my best players on the pitch for Swindon Town. It’s tough without your players that have played all season.
“I believe we can beat anyone in this league, but the second XI probably isn’t good enough.
“We’ve lost so many players through injury but I’m the manager. I’ve got to keep all my players fit.
“There’s some blows in there, some tackles, shoulder injuries, fractures, and you can’t help that sometimes, that’s committed by your players, so we’ll do our best to get them all back, and hopefully some of those will start [tonight].”
