John Sheridan has decided not to resign as Swindon Town manager - and spoke of turning the side's League One fortunes around after four defeats on the trot.

Sheridan suggested after Saturday's game, which marked his 16th defeat in 26 matches at the helm, that he was considering his position and might leave the club with Town facing a major battle to avoid relegation.

But he told BBC Wiltshire today that, after discussing the matter with club officials, family members, and people outside of the game, he was persuaded to stay.

He recalled receiving texts saying 'just stay there, don’t turn your back on the club'.

The 56-year-old added: "I was really considering just letting go, with 11 or 12 games left to go. If I decided to go, there was an opportunity still with enough points left to play for for someone else to come in and hopefully turn things around.

“With the results and where we are at the back of the league, I know there’s a lot of people who want to see the back of me and I totally understand that.

“But, as I keep saying to many people, I’ve been in the game a long time, I’m not stupid, I know the results are nowhere near good enough but I feel as though I want to fight the cause more than anything else.

"I know a few people won’t want to hear me say that but I’ve proved it at many clubs in a similar situation.

“I’ve been here for the last 20-odd games and the results have not been good enough at all but I’ve been in a position before where in the last 11, 12, 13 games I’ve gotten the clubs out of it.

“I was really considering leaving but, after discussions, I… want to give 120 per cent to the job and, more than anything, keep the team in this division.”

Sheridan said he was heartened by the support he received from some people after suggesting that he might resign and addressed criticism from supporters.

He added: “I’m encouraged that people want me to stay. Some people have got an opinion and that’s totally justified with where we are in the league and the threat of relegation, some people will want change but the people who matter and the people who spoke to me told me to stay and believe I can get us out of this situation.

“I’ve changed the team too much but with the performances and the injuries, things have not been settled. Before the four results, we were on a decent run – probably our best of the season – then we go and lose four games.

“Little things have just unsettled us and I’ve never picked the same team in consecutive games and results and performances make you change your decisions, your mind, your personnel.

“At the end of the day, I’m the manager, I’ve got the responsibility of picking the team, I’ve got to try and pick the best players and the best team to go out in the game.

"I always put a team out that I think will win us a game and that hasn’t been the case, so I’ve been swapping and changing.”

“The biggest problem has been the keeper and getting two or three centre-backs who are staying settled in the team, it’s the core of your team.

"I really do believe that if we had solid-ness in those areas, we would be in the middle of the table, we’re a good footballing side, we’ve got good players and proved we can score goals.

“How we’ve conceded goals has been a massive downer. A lot of it is our own downfall.”