BOSS John Sheridan admits his Swindon Town squad is short on leadership as the League One relegation fight intensifies.

Town remain in the bottom four after a 3-1 defeat at home to Gillingham at the weekend and visit Fleetwood Town on Saturday.

Speaking to the press after seeing his side ship three second-half goals against the Gills, Sheridan spoke about the atmosphere in the dressing room. 

Town led 1-0 at half-time but a 10-minute capitulation proved costly.

Sheridan said: “I’ve always had a very quiet dressing room, it’s always been very quiet. That’s it. 

“I’ll think who I think should have done better at set-plays, they don’t tell each other who should have done better and that’s today's football and what I find difficult to live with because I’m old school. 

“I played in the old days, I managed 15 years ago and once you go over the white line it’s down to the players. 

“Good managers have good players, that’s why they’re good managers. You rely on your players. 

“We’ve done well sometimes and I’ve always tried to pat them on the back if the grit’s there and we’ve lost. 

“When things happen on the pitch, players used to sort it out and I’m trying to get that across to them. 

“All you seem to hear in the dressing room when it’s nice and quiet is me, or you’ll hear Tommy (Wright, assistant manager).”

Sheridan – who admitted he was considering his own future – called on skipper Dion Conroy to set the tone.

He added: “(Paul) Caddis is a good pro, (Brett) Ptiman’s been a good pro but you don’t have to be a leader by shouting, you can be a leader by the way you play and I believe we’ve got a lack of leaders on the pitch. 

“Conroy needs to be more of a leader, he has the captaincy, he had it before I came in. 

“If I have something to say, I’ll say it to his face, I don’t like digging people out in the press. 

“As a team, a squad, an me as a manager, we’ve all been letting the club down.”

“I’m not looking for excuses, I’ll think about my position, results are nowhere near good enough and there’s still 10 games left in the season so there’s still the opportunity for the club and fans to stay in League One. 

“It’s a tough league, fans will be back next year so whatever the situation is I’m hoping we’ll stay in the league.”