Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth wants new-look squad to step up and perform as time for patience is over at Priestfield

Gareth Ainsworth won’t be asking Gillingham’s fanbase to show him any more patience.

The Gills boss, who took charge in March 2025, finished 17th in his first full season at Priestfield.

He missed part of the campaign after having open heart surgery and admits it took him months to get back to his usual self.

On the pitch, results didn’t turn around and that led to a summer reshuffle of his squad with 17 players leaving and 11 new faces joining.

The former Wycombe, QPR and Shrewsbury manager wanted fans to give him time to turn the ship around but knows that now he has to start delivering.

“I've asked for patience for so long and I don't want to ask for too much more patience,” said Ainsworth.

“I told everyone when I walked in, I've inherited a lot of big contracts, long contracts and every manager's got a different style.

“I'm not really the Chameleon sort of manager that can adapt to a squad. I need to have my players in to go this way for me and that's how I play.

“Patience is now, I think, something that I don't need. I need the boys to step up now, understand how I'm playing, and the fans to get behind us.

“For me, I've been here 14 months, but this for me is my era, this is my team.

“I'm hoping the fans will go, ‘I know what you're talking about’, because there's some cracking lads in there.

“There's some we can't believe we got and we're really glad we signed them and there's some unknowns that I think are going to open eyes of people. There's all sorts of different components that will come together.

“But, patience, I've been asking that for too long. I'm not stupid.

“Fans are intelligent here, they understand there's been a huge turnaround, but I've had a month of pre-season to get them all together and let's