Gillingham striker Sam Vokes has urged fans to keep the faith in manager Gareth Ainsworth, insisting he can turn things around.
The Gills have endured a disappointing season, falling well short of expectations that the club could have a top-end finish. With two games left they sit 18th in the League Two table.
Vokes admits there is frustration both inside the club and among supporters, but believes Ainsworth is the right man to lead a rebuild.
He said: “[I know there is] frustration in the club and the fans. I joined and felt in the summer and pre-season that we definitely had something capable of pushing for those top spots.
“There will be frustration there, but from the club looking forward, I know the gaffer and the staff, and I say, you can believe in him.
“He has the capability of turning it around, get in what he wants to get in over the summer player-wise and have a good pre-season and build on it.
“I would say to the fanbase, have full faith in the gaffer and the staff because what they are looking to do and build this club, I think it will be exciting.”
It hasn’t been confirmed if Vokes will be part of any future plans at the club. He joined on a one-year deal after leaving Wycombe Wanderers, where he had previously played under Ainsworth.
It took Ainsworth a while to get things turned around at Adams Park, finishing 15th in his first season after taking over a struggling Wycombe side seven games into the 2012/13 campaign in League 2.
His first full season saw them finish 22nd but the following year they lost in the play-off final to Southend United.
Wycombe then finished 13th, missed out on the play-offs by a point the season after that, and then in 2018 were promoted.
Two years later, they went up to the Championship via the play-offs, then got relegated, before losing in the League One play-off final the following season.
Ainsworth is confident he can turn things around at the Gills and Vokes is sure he will.
The former Welsh international striker said: “I was fortunate enough to be part of that [at Wycombe], and I saw that journey, towards the end.
“What he built at that football club was immense, taking the club from where it was to the Championship level.
“That is why I would say have faith in him, because he knows how to build a squad and be successful at this level. I truly believe he can do it.”
