Sean McConville has issued a rallying cry to the Accrington Stanley fans ahead of tomorrow’s huge clash with Plymouth Argyle – if you are coming to the game, support us!
The long-serving player admitted that the negativity during and immediately after the MK Dons defeat on Saturday hurt him and the players and they need everyone who comes to the Wham Stadium tomorrow night to back the boys.
“If you are coming to a game come and support the team, you don’t need to be negative,” said the Stanley vice captain.
“If you are shouting abuse at me and other players during the game or coming off the pitch, what are you gaining from it?
“Go home after the game and tweet about me, write about me, do what you want. I don’t care but while you are here, support the team.
“The majority of our fans do – 99 per cent do – but that 1 per cent, if you are going to be critical and negative, don’t come. We are in a fight, we want to stay up and we need everyone on side – thankfully the majority are.
“For 90 minutes, get behind a group that are short on confidence and need to stay in the league, that’s all we are asking.”
McConville says he can take the criticism but knows that everyone needs to be in this together, to get the Reds out of trouble.
“I live and breathe the club, the manager does, certain players do, Seamus (Conneely) does and there is no one more desperate to do well than us and we will do our utmost to keep this club in this league.
“We just need everyone on side. During my two spells here, we have never been in such a precarious situation where we need the fans more than ever.
“It’s alright when you are winning and things are going well, fans aren’t generally needed as the team are policing themselves, things are going well.
“When you are low on confidence, when we need to dig in and get a result, that’s when you need the fans. We need them to come out, be vocal, support the players and if someone makes a mistake don’t get on their back.
“If we have that mentality in both the squad and fans, we will give this a good go and we can do it.
“With ten games to go, it’s a big rallying cry for the fans: if you are going to come to the game, support the players. Voice your opinion after the game but, while in the stadium, get behind the lads.”
He admit the MK Dons defeat, which saw the Reds slip back into the bottom four, was hard to take but they have the chance to move out of the relegation spots if they win tomorrow night.
However they are up against a Plymouth side challenging for the League One title.
“Saturday’s defeat hurt but we can’t go back to it, we would like to change it but we can’t, it’s gone.
“We are striving for survival and it’s still in our own hands. It’s down to the more senior players to rally a group that’s really low after a crucial defeat, a six pointer.
“We have a lot of young players and it will take a job lifting them for Plymouth for another big game where there is pressure on both teams. Plymouth are getting hunted down at the top end of the league and we are striving to stay in the league and so it makes for a really good game.
“We can’t wallow in self pity. As much as people might think we are down, which I have seen a lot of which baffles me, we are not.
“With the injuries we have had to deal with I still think it’s a miracle that it’s in our hands to stay in the division that’s littered with massive football clubs.
“I think the manager deserves more credit than when we have won leagues, I would say no other manager could deal with what he has had to at this level.
“There have been double figure injuries most weeks. You have a good performance against Portsmouth, albeit a loss with ten men, and then he loses another four crucial players.
“It’s scary the job he has had to do. For anyone questioning him from the outside, that hurts me more. People can question our performances as players, they can give me grief on social media but it hurts me when they question him and the coaching staff. He is unbelievable.
“I think staying in the division will be a bigger achievement than winning League Two, with the adversity we have had to deal with, the number of games we have played with a threadbare squad."
A win tomorrow night would keep Stanley's fate in their own hands.
“It's a big chance to put a gap between us and MK Dons – but we are bumping into a side who are red hot, second in table, they have a huge amount of points, they are a free-flowing team who feel they can beat us. But I know how this club works and I can tell any Plymouth fan a win for them is not a foregone conclusion.”
The full pre-match interview with Sean McConville is available to watch on the club's official YouTube channel, CLICK HERE to find out more!