Patience is running out for Gillingham boss Steve Lovell.

He made three changes from the team that lost to AFC Wimbledon last weekend and although the performance at Rochdale was better, the result was worse.

The Gills were beaten 3-0 and are now six without a win in League 1.

He said: “The players have got to look at themselves, not all of them, there were some good performances by some of the boys, but a lot of them have to look at themselves.

“Whatever team I pick next Saturday, none of them can have a complaint if they are left out, none of them.

“You give people chance after chance and they don’t do it and I can’t wait too much longer before they start performing. Hopefully we will have a couple of boys back next week (from injury) for the Peterborough game and I am looking forward to getting them back.

“We want to see some character from people now, rolling their sleeves up and having a go, rather than feeling sorry for themselves. As staff, we will roll our sleeves up, we work hard every day to try and do it but there is no point if they are not going to be doing it with us, it is up to them.

“The ones who will do it and work hard to put it right, they will be the ones involved next Saturday, the ones who don’t won’t.”

The Gills were up against experienced opposition at the weekend and Lovell was asked if the lack of experience was a factor in the defeat.

“I think it is a lack of knowledge,” he replied.

“It is common sense and game understanding, they have got that. They have shown it, but when you are in a run of defeats, you are afraid and don’t have the confidence to do it.

“We give them the confidence to go and play and I was really pleased up until the first goal after 10 minutes, I thought ‘yeah good, fair play, we are in this game, we were creating things’, but it becomes a worry when you create a few things and nothing seems to happen.

“I know they don’t mean to indirectly do what they have done, they are a good bunch of lads, but you are only judged by what you do on the football field. Everyone can see it, not just me and my coaching staff, everyone.

“The boys know what is letting them down and they have to address it to get out of this run.”