Fleetwood boss Rosler's Christmas message to the Cod Army: We need you

Uwe Rosler has issued an early Christmas message to the fans ahead of tonight's Gillingham clash - we need you.
Uwe RoslerUwe Rosler
Uwe Rosler

Town are on a run of just one win in 11 league games going into the 7pm Highbury clash.

The last gasp 3-2 defeat to Peterborough on Sunday saw Town slip to 15th in the table.

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Defensive and goalkeeping errors saw Town let a 2-1 lead slip in the dying embers of that Highbury clash.

Rosler says his young squad, that has an average age of 23, must be able to make mistakes but also now need to react the right way as they prepare to host the 19th-placed Gills.

He said: "We need the supporters now.

"There are times when the team don't need the supporters so much because things are going automatically on their own full of confidence and the momentum takes over.

"Now my players really need the crowd, like they have done in the past in difficult situations.

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"Our players need to feel confident walking on the pitch and allowed to make mistakes.

"This young group must be allowed to make mistakes but it is important how you react and that is what we want to do tonight we want to react in the right way."

Town were last term's surprise package as they nearly made history by clinching promotion to the Championship for the first time.

That bid ended with defeat to Bradford City in the play-off semi-finals and after an electric start to the new League One campaign Town have fallen into the bottom half of the table thanks to their current winless run.

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Rosler has stressed throughout the season that Town lost experienced trio top scorer David Ball, Jimmy Ryan and Conor McLaughlin in the summer.

But now with Ball's replacement and star summer signing Conor McAleny due to return before 2018 and experienced midfielder Grant's return also near Rosler is optimistic for the second half of the season.

Though he says there is a need to manage expectations given those departures, injuries and the youthful nature of his current crop.

He added: "With wins everything goes easier.

"You recover easier, your day to day programme gets easier, you build confidence and that is massively important but you have to earn that.

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"In football in general it is a tough business and a lot of teams want exactly what we want.

"We set the bar really high in the last year and at the moment we are not reaching those heights in terms of results.

"That is where everybody needs to pinch themselves and say you know what now we need to support that group, because that group is very willing.

"It is very seldom that I have a question regarding commitment and effort, this team is very willing and for me we need to keep our nerves tomorrow and play with a good tempo and then we will be O.K.

"We are optimistic.

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"We just need to be sure we stay calm and keep doing what we are doing but only better and better each day.

"Then eventually we will get our break and that is my wish for tonight.

"It is very important that we get the support from the supporters.

"Against Peterborough the first 10 minutes we were a little bit nervous, which is understandable because we had not won in the league for a while what we need now is the supporters to understand where we are, what we are, what our group is about and support them."

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And Rosler believes the answer to beating the 19th-placed Gills tonight is to be better in both boxes.

He said: "They have had some outstanding results but they are also having some results like we have had in the past so they are a bit up and down like us and for us we need to play our games, focus on us and reward ourselves.

"We need to be good in both boxes and if we are good in both boxes our will to win and character will take over and that will be a good opportunity for us."