ROB MUST WEIGH IT UP WITH KEY DECISIONS
ROB Elliot has accepted he may have to become Mr Unpopular with the Gateshead squad ahead a hectic season finale.
The Tynesiders secured their place in the Isuzu FA Trophy final for a second year running last weekend with a 2-1 semi-final win over Macclesfield. That formed part of a two-pronged attack on success for the Heed as they aim to secure a National League play-off place in the final week of the regulation season. Elliot’s men kicked off a run of four games in seven days yesterday with a long trip to Maidenhead United. Tomorrow night’s rearranged home clash with champions Chesterfield will be followed by another International Stadium date with Aldershot Town 48 hours later before Bromley travel to the north-east for the season finale on Saturday. Elliot admitted he is proud of what Gateshead have achieved during a difficult season, but revealed he is dreading picking a side to help his squad cope with a packed schedule. “There were a lot of players that weren’t on the pitch that were pivotal in us getting there (to Wembley),” the Heed interim chief told The NLP.
“But everyone connected to this club can be proud of what we are achieving at the moment and we need to make sure we stay on track to carry it on because we are in such a great position.
“No matter what the outcomes are, we have to make sure everyone at the club gives everything they can to get to where we want to be in both the Trophy and the league. “The difficult thing now is picking a team for games because it’s at the stage where I am dreading it. Everyone is going to hate me but we have so many games in such a short space of time and knowing.
“It’s non-stop, it’s absolutely relentless but that’s not a bad thing for us. We have to be relentless, we have to be ready for the challenges and we have to make sure we are fully prepared for climbing massive hurdles with the number of games we have to play before the end of the season.” Whatever happens over the next four weeks, it has already been a remarkable season for Gateshead as they bounced back from the loss of former boss Mike Williamson to MK Dons, plus several key players.
Reaching Wembley for a second year running adds another notch to a memorable spell in the club’s history and Elliot is calling on his players to create more memories in the future.
“My little boy came and grabbed me at full-time and that was a lovely moment,” the boss added. “It’s why I love this job, I get to see other people being so happy and enjoying these special moments. “I want us all to enjoy these special moments and do everything we can to create even more for these supporters.”