Manager Neil Harris has called for a sense of perspective after a bad week for Gillingham in the league.

Harris hopes their 2-1 midweek EFL Trophy win over League 1 Leyton Orient will provide a boost for those who reacted badly to a 2-0 defeat at Grimsby last Saturday - a defeat that followed a 3-0 home loss to Colchester the week before.

The Gills boss was himself angry, hitting out at his own players after the Grimsby performance, but countered that by pointing to a positive overall start to their league campaign which has seen them win four of their opening six games to sit third in the table.

Harris was asked if the negative reaction after Grimsby surprised him.

“No,” he said: “It’s football. People don’t live in the real world in football anymore, they just see the money at the top end, Mo Salah going to Saudi Arabia for £2billion, or whatever. People don’t live in a reality anymore.

“You win four games in a row, get nominated for manager-of-the-month and it’s like you’re a genius. You lose a couple of games, the team don’t play well and it’s like you should lose your job! Come on, let’s have a bit of perspective in this.

“We’re not a team that will go and get 1,000 points this season. We have got a new group, a lot of new players. We have had a really strong start, we have had six league games, four of them have been away from home and we have 12 points. We have to back that up with home performances.

“Grimsby, I accept, it was a really poor Gillingham performance. For us as a football club, it was really poor. I am the boss, I accept it, but come on, let’s not get up there and down there too much. We’re back to winning ways and come Saturday let’s get behind the boys from the first whistle.”

The Gills host Harrogate Town in League 2 this Saturday.

Harris named a strong team for their midweek EFL Trophy match against Orient. With league defeats against Colchester and Grimsby either side of the Carabao Cup loss at Luton, the manager was keen to avoid a fourth straight defeat.

He said: “I decided to take the competition seriously and I have to be honest, it is off the back of three halves of poor football from us.

“I didn’t want to lose the game. I thought it was important as a football club to find that feel-good factor again.

“I didn’t want to lose four games in a row, it’s not a nice position for anybody to lose four games, it was important we got a positive result whether that was a draw and we won or lost on penalties, but to win the game was really important.

“The club will have lost money, unfortunately, hosting it. However, it was important for us on the pitch, important for us building to Saturday and the confidence for players. It puts confidence back in the changing room.”

Harris was frustrated with the manner of the loss at Grimsby. His players knew it but from Monday onwards it was back to training and looking ahead.

“We try to go with a win-the- next-game mentality,” he said.

“I was animated after Grimsby, the players felt that. I thought it was important they knew it and important the fans knew it.

“Getting back on the training pitch on Monday was important for me as well as them, just to try and clear your heads. Sometimes it’s the best way to come back in and go through the energy levels.

“I was disappointed Saturday, it’s my right to be disappointed and it’s my right to bemoan a performance and be honest with people because ultimately I promised that when I came here that I would be honest - too honest sometimes. But I won’t apologise for it, that’s my emotions, but it is never just the players’ fault, I am a massive part of that as well.

“We had a bad week, Saturday to Saturday. The Luton game inbetween was brilliant, a really good performance and we probably didn’t deserve to lose but the two league games were poor in performance, identity and result.

“Twelve points from six league games is a fantastic return, but I feel there has been a bit of negativity around the place because we had a bad week.

“It’s a bad week in the season, that’s how we respond and we need to follow that second half up from the first whistle against Harrogate.”