Gills chairman Paul Scally hopes a new manager will bring stability back to the club.

Peter Taylor has got the job temporarily, on an interim basis, and is favourite to succeed Martin Allen permanently.

Mr Scally said: “There has been a lot of turmoil in the dressing room this season, not intentional, but there have been a number of changes.

“There have been transfer-listed players, players on and off the list and I think that might have had an effect on the players in general, within the dressing room. To me they seem a little mentally worn down.”

Mr Scally is hoping a settled squad can start getting the results needed to drag to club away from the relegation scrap.

The chairman said: “We always hear the term in football, ‘has the manager lost the dressing room?’

“I am not sure if that is the case this time. But I do think when you have players that are unsettled that can have a knock-on effect on other players in the team or squad and dressing room.

“It’s the players who are going to win us the games, not me or the manager, it’s the players. If they are partly unsettled, or all unsettled, or some, then there can be a problem and that relates into performances.”