GILLINGHAM manager Andy Hessenthaler has described the past week as the toughest he has had to endure since his time in football.

Having to end his working relationship with close friend and assistant Wayne Jones, days after seeing his side concede two injury-time goals in the 2-1 defeat at Plymouth, has left the Gillingham player-manager emotionally drained.

He admitted: "It's been the toughest few days since I've been in football. Last weekend was a kick in the stomach because in the last two games I have seen us turn a corner performance-wise. But our poor run is not down to one man. Responsibility is collective in football, although ultimately it is down to me as manager.

"I met with the chairman and he felt changes had to be made; new voices and fresh faces brought in, so I spoke to Wayne last Monday and let him know the situation," he added.

"I'm gutted that he's gone because he is a mate. I would like to thank him, not only for what he has done for the club, but for what he has done for me.

"I don't think I would have got through the last few years without him."

Responding to whether he felt the former coach had been made a scapegoat, he said: "Yes, people are going to look at it that way but performances and certainly results have not been good. It was not just down to Wayne. It's down to myself and the players who we try and prepare the right way.

"I pick the team, we do everything right during the week but once they cross the white line you can't do anything else."

Despite a dismal 2004, which has seen Gillingham win just eight of 33 league games, the 38-year-old, who signed a new three-year deal in March, said he was never worried about losing his managerial job.

He said: "I have a contract here as a player. I'm not saying I could walk away and just become a player again because it wouldn't work. I've never really felt under pressure, only the pressure I put on myself because I want to win games and when we're not, I'm as frustrated as anybody, especially when my family suffers because of it."

He added: "It has been difficult for me to make tactical decisions when I've been on the pitch, so we need a coaching team.

"Iwan Roberts is looking to carry on playing and primarily just coach just the forwards, which he has been doing of late and is enjoying.

"If you look at most clubs they have a manager, an assistant and another senior coach. We've structured our medical side the right way and now we've got to do that on the coaching side.

"We need more people to go out to games because we're not watching enough players. That's where we are behind some of the bigger clubs.

"The chairman's seen that and has tried to act on it, which is why we're still looking to bring in someone else alongside John Gorman."

Although it's impossible to pinpoint exactly where it's gone wrong, Hessenthaler said: "What we have done over the four or five years is starting to catch up with us because we have not had the finances to bring in enough quality players.

"It's frustrating because you see other teams strengthen. Yes we did in the summer, we brought in two good forwards but we need to strengthen other areas as well and it's not easy.

"We are trying to change it around and the good thing is we've highlighted the problem quite early. There's only 12 games gone, so there's a long way to go.

"You only have to look at the likes of Crystal Palace last year, they were struggling up until Christmas and all of a sudden got on a run and now they're playing in the Premier League."

The club has a healthy youth set-up under Darren Hare but any fans hoping for help from these quarters need to be more patient.

"There are no Nyron Nosworthy's knocking on the door at present. However, credit must go to the likes of Andrew Crofts and Matty Jarvis who have come through this way and have been fantastic,' he added.

"We have blooded some of the young ones recently and they have shown they have massive potential but it would be unfair the way things are at the moment to throw in anyone new."