Gillingham: Chairman Paul Scally backs boss Peter Taylor

Taylor's Gillingham side have won just three of their 14 league games this season

Gillingham chairman Paul Scally has given his backing to manager Peter Taylor following a run of one win in nine league games.

The Gills are currently 19th in League One, with only goal difference keeping them out of the relegation zone.

"Patience is always the word managers use and they don't use that word lightly. You do need patience," Scally told BBC Radio Kent.

"He works very hard, is an honest man and is trying to play a certain way."

It is just over a year since Taylor took charge of the Gills for a second time, initially taking over as interim boss after Martin Allen was sacked last October.

The 61-year-old led the Kent club to 17th in the table last season, finishing the campaign six points above the bottom four.

The one-time England manager, who guided the Gills to promotion to the second tier during his time in charge in 1999-2000, has targeted a mid-table finish this season.

Scally, chairman of Gillingham since 1995, thinks Taylor "has done a good job" since his return to Priestfield and supports his attempt to change the side's style of play.

"It is very difficult to rebuild a team of one type of player, playing one type of system, to another type of player playing a different system," Scally said.

"I have seen many positives this season; not just with players but the pattern of play.

Scally has been Gillingham chairman since 1995

"It frustrates me a little bit that the fans are not a bit more sympathetic to the feelings of management. People should respect that from time to time.

"I think that most fans will buy into the way he wants to play as being a more attractive way of going forward; blooding young players, playing it from the back and keeping it on the ground.

"Over the course of time when these players mature a bit more and we add more players to it, we will have a team that can go far further than a team that plays a different type of football."

Taylor admits that their current run "is not good enough" and hopes his side will be able to turn a corner soon.

"You think hard about what we can do to turn it around," the ex-Hull and Crystal Palace manager told BBC Radio Kent.

"I still think the achievement last season was staying in the division. Then next test is to make sure we do it again.

"If we do it again with this young group of players we will learn from it and be a better team for it next season.

"I am desperate for supporters to be patient because we are a younger team.

"The way we played for an hour against Preston on Tuesday really encouraged me that we are going to get out of this little horrible mini-run we are having."