A play-off challenge is a long-shot now admits Gillingham manager Justin Edinburgh.

The Gills finished the Christmas weekend eight points adrift of the top six after losing 2-1 at Millwall on Friday in their final match of 2016.

It would take a massive turnaround in form to close the gap and Edinburgh knows it, not that he’s giving up.

He said: “I will always be positive and optimistic and wanting to win every game, I believe that we can, but maybe talking about the play-offs is too much.

“We will be positive but we need to concentrate on being competitive and consistent.

“We have to be conscious and focused on the league but we need to not get distracted. We have to just concentrate on getting results, get to the points tally that we get to and aim to better last year. Whether that’s going to be achievable we will have to see.”

The Gills finished ninth last season after over-achieving for much of the campaign.

They head into the second half of the season sitting 16th in League 1.

Edinburgh has often highlighted the challenge he faces on a budget less than many of his competitors in League 1.

The chairman of rivals Northampton Town, Kelvin Thomas, recently spoke about his team’s attempts to over-achieve this season and saying they would be “15th or 16th” in the division in terms of budgets.

Thomas’ team’s outlay this season is much bigger than Gillingham’s and he is asking his manager Rob Page to try and compete at the top end.

Thomas said: “Oxford’s (budget) is probably 40-50% bigger (than ours) and Sheffield
United three times more. Charlton is above Sheffield United.”

That underlines the task facing the Gills boss to compete with clubs who have much greater spending power.

Edinburgh said: “I am asking my group of players to over-achieve on a budget much less than that to make the play-offs but that doesn’t stop our ambition and drive. We will keep going.”