Richardson calls for Gateshead improvement as Eastleigh lie in wait
Gateshead will hope to kickstart an improved of form with a long-awaited home win against National League rivals Eastleigh on Sunday.
The time for talking is over for Gateshead captain Kenton Richardson as his side look to break out of an atrocious run of form that is placing their National League status under severe threat.
Ahead of Sunday’s home game with Eastleigh (2pm kick-off), Alun Armstrong’s side are sitting in the relegation zone in non-league’s top tier and are without a league win since a 5-2 win at Morecambe on the final day of September. Their last win in any competition came with a shock 3-2 victory in an FA Cup first round tie at League One play-off contenders AFC Wimbledon.
However, the stats since that surprise win over the Dons makes for grim reading. In total, seven games in all competitions have brought seven defeats, 21 goals conceded, three goals scored, two cup exits and a slide from the relative comfort of mid-table into the relegation zone.
Richardson offered an open and brutally honest assessment of the shortcomings that have played significant roles in an appalling run of form - but stressed his side have been hard at work on the training pitch to try and improve their performances and results throughout what will be a challenging festive period and beyond.
He told The Echo: “You can pinpoint both boxes. So defensively, we have been absolutely abysmal, we have been nowhere near it and when you analyse it, it’s just the fundamentals of defending. It’s getting up, blocking shots, getting contact in the box, winning headers and tackles, it’s the basics of defending because the structure and shape has been ok of late but we aren’t defending well enough.
“On the flip side, in attacking areas, we haven’t been finishing attacks, we haven’t put the ball at risk, we haven’t been clinical, we haven’t been putting crosses in. We haven’t made other teams defend. In general play, it’s been ok, but in both boxes, we haven’t been good enough and it’s something we have been hammering down on this week. It’s all well and good me talking and saying what we are going to do - but we need to show it on the pitch and we need to do it quickly.”
Deserved
There have been concerns over the decreasing attendances at the International Stadium throughout recent weeks as Armstrong’s side continue to struggle on their home patch. Sunday’s meeting with the Spitfires will represent the Heed’s thirteenth home game in all competitions - and the previous dozen have brought just a solitary win which came with a 2-1 victory against Tamworth within the first fortnight of the campaign.
Richardson admitted supporters staying away was understandable given the level of performances and results that have been produced by his side and insisted only the Gateshead players can bring about an improvement and answering some of the questions being asked of them during a torrid run.
The former Sunderland and Hartlepool United defender said: “We’ve had a lot of low attendances of late but it’s the way football works. If you’re not putting in performances that people want to see or getting the results, it’s understandable and you can see why people would stay away. It’s absolutely down to us to make a change on the pitch and turn it around to get fans wanting to come back.
“Picking up results can get the fans back in and that can benefit the club. I have been here through the good times when we’ve played some of the best football this league has seen and we were winning a lot of games. We got all of the plaudits and all of the praise - but that also means you have to take deserved criticism when it comes your way and we have deserved it. We have to keep working hard to put things right and keep moving forwards.”
Positive
Despite the understandably negative mood that has only deepened as the Heed’s dismal form has continued in recent weeks, Richardson has stressed the need for the playing squad to remain positive as he drew comparisons with the early months of his time at the International Stadium. After joining in the aftermath of a National League North title win, Richardson was part of a Gateshead side that initially struggled upon their return to the National League before an improve second half to the season ended any thoughts of an immediate return to step two.
“The message is we have to stay positive,” explained the Heed captain. “The easiest thing to do when things are going your way is to be negative and start moaning or pointing fingers. You’ve got to stick together and work together. I have found in my career to get out of the difficult moments you have to get your head down, keep working and power through it. It reminds me of my first few months at the club when we had just been promoted. We turned it around then in the new year and we can again.”
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