Steve Lovell says Gillingham's critics have no idea what goes on behind the scenes.

The Gills boss spoke to a couple of supporters at full-time following stick from the stands in Tuesday night's defeat by Rotherham.

He has no problem with criticism of performances but doesn't like players' work rate being questioned and feels Gills made a rod for their own back by flirting with the League 1 play-offs.

Lovell said: "I know perhaps some supporters don't think we do anything during the week but we work hard and we've come a long way since we've been here and taken over in October and it's funny how expectations rise from people.

"Perhaps us doing so well in January and February was not the right thing to do, perhaps we should have left it till the last two or three games and then sneak out of relegation.

"I feel very passionate about what we do and how we work and I don't like supporters who question the effort we put in.

"They don't know what goes on at this football club and how hard we work to try and get to where we want to get.

"I don't mind them criticising the performance on the night, which I'm criticising myself, but what we do in the week and leading up to a game is something we work very hard at to try and get the best out on a game day."

Lovell doesn't read internet forums - it was criticism from the stands that irked him on Tuesday night.

He said: "I don't know what happens online, I never go online, so I wouldn't know what goes on there, but (I hear it) from the stands.

"People can view their opinions and I'll talk to them and I went to talk to a couple at the end of the game and just told them what I thought.

"I'm frustrated as well and sometimes they think I'm not in the same boat as them but I am.

"I know the buck stops with me and I'll take all responsibility, I'm not afraid to take responsibility.

"You take it when it's going well and you take it when you have games like this. I'm man enough to take it and I'll talk to people.

"I'll never have a go at anybody, I'll just talk to them.

"I don't want us to go out there and lose a game, of course I don't, I want us to go out and put in a performance that people are happy with and I think for a lot of the games we've been here, they have been.

"It's just that they sometimes remember the bad games."