Cheltenham Town boss Martin Allen last night launched a strong defence of the decisions he has made during the whirlwind revolution he has embarked on since he joined the club six months ago, writes James McNamara.

The manager was speaking at a specially arranged fans' forum where he wanted to address the concerns of some supporters following one of the biggest periods of change witnessed at Whaddon Road.

Allen explained that many people at the club were in the "comfort zone" when he arrived last September and that the introduction of a "new culture" was needed to "maximise" the possibility of the club retaining League One status.

He said: "There was too much of a comfort culture when I first came in here. People were just happy to be here because it is a nice place to work. The changes I made were necessary because the club was stagnating.

"I haven't been brought here to mould a happy family. I have been brought here to make decisions. Some of them have been tough but they all needed to be made."

In a two-hour long address, Allen also said:

That former assistant boss Bob Bloomer's decision to leave the club was out of his hands.

The departure of key backroom personnel was essential to save the club money.

The decision to offer Elvis Hammond an 18-month contract was the right one because the striker has "unbelievable" talent.

That some of his signings – particularly Stuart Fleetwood from Charlton – had failed "to work out".

Darren Kenton agreed a deal to sign a permanent contract before asking for more money at the last minute.

The sports science facilities at the club were almost non-existent when he arrived.

That Steve Brooker was the catalyst for the club's successful survival battle last season.

He had worked tirelessly to add a striker during the transfer window and was close to the signings of Deon Burton and Kevin Kyle.

He had also tried to lure Kayode Odejayi back to the club and had made a bid to sign Jamie Cureton.

That fans needed to forget about their recent "unrivalled" success and reassess their expectations because the club was punching above their weight at League One level.

He will not quit if his side – bottom of League One – suffer relegation at the end of this season.

"If people can't accept where we are, they should go and support Chelsea or Manchester United," he added.

"We need people to get behind us because the players' confidence at this moment in time is tricky."

Read more from the fans' forum in tomorrow's Western Daily Press.