Elliot wants togetherness after Gateshead fall to Tamworth defeat

Rob Elliot called for a show of unity after his second spell at Gateshead manager kicked off with a disappointing defeat at National League rivals Tamworth.

The former Newcastle United and Republic of Ireland goalkeeper was confirmed as new Heed boss on Friday night as part of a reshuffle that has allowed former manager Alun Armstrong to take up a newly created role as the club’s new Head of Football Development. Elliot’s squad has already been boosted by the return of Louis Storey and the centre-back was handed a start in the defeat at The Lamb Ground after agreeing to resume his player-coach role. Striker Mark Beck and defender Brad Nicholson were also in the side that suffered a loss after agreeing to join Gateshead in the days before the game.

A Kain Adom goal was the main positive for Elliot but he was unable to get off to a winning start in his second stint in charge as a brace from Stefan Mols and an Oli Lynch goal handed the points to the hosts. However, the Heed boss pointed to the commitment and desire of his players as a reason for positivity and urged everyone at the club to ‘stick together’ during a period of change.

He told The Echo: “There were loads of positives and I am trying not to talk too much about the game because we’ve had one day preparation and brought in new players that have had a day to train with us. I can’t fault the effort, the commitment or the desire of the players. Yes, we conceded a couple of poor goals and I think it has given me a clear idea of what we need to do, where we need to be and what is required to get to where we want to be. I can’t fault the lads but this isn’t going to be a short-term fix, this is a project to turn things around and we need to stick together to get through it.”

Pride

Elliot now faces a hectic period of activity away from the pitch as Gateshead are not back in action until they travel to play-off contenders Southend United on Tuesday night. The days that lie ahead will see a focus on adding to the three new additions to the Heed squad and working hard on the training pitch in a bid to meet Elliot’s twin aim of producing a brand of football to excite supporters and getting some identity back into the club after what was a chastening 2024.

Looking forwards, the Heed boss said: “I’ll be having a chat next week and I want to lay out the plans to the supporters and explain why I’ve come back to the club and what we are going to try and achieve. But the first thing for me is to ensure we get back to what Gateshead is, it’s a community club, it’s a fan-based club, I want that connection back and I want to put a team out that can make the fans proud, regardless of the result and to get our identity as a club back. It’s about understanding what we are, where our place in football pyramid is and how we make the most of that so it’s enjoyable to watch, we are playing a brand of football the fans enjoy and we get some pride back into the club.”

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