Gillingham FC Forum

After a few weeks with no home game,we`re back at Priestfield tomorrow.Scunthorpe have surprisingly struggled so far after spending a good chunk of money.They sacked Russ Wilcox this week,so hopefully their tails will not be up like what usually happens when a Team sacks their Manager.Confidence should be high after beating Colchester on Tuesday Night in the JPT.With it being kids for a quid I will be taking my Daughter to her first game.She doesn`t like Football,but i`m hoping she will like it.

What Team would you play?

Here are some facts about the game: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1302

I think Gillingham will line up as follows.......................

-------------------------------Bywater-------------------------------------
Hoyte-------------Egan-----------------Davies--------------------Martin
----------------Hessenthaler-------------Loft----------------------------
McGlashan----------------------------------------------------------Dack
-----------------Norris----------------McDonald-------------------------

Subs: Nelson (GK), Legge, Linganzi, A.Morris, Pritchard, German, Dickenson

I think Stephen Bywater will have The Number One Shirt as we look to slowly ease Stuart Nelson back to full fitness, Stuart Nelson saved two penalties and scored the winning spot kick against Colchester United on Tuesday Night but Bywater has the edge over Stuart Nelson and I expect him to start against Scunthorpe United.

I am expecting Gavin Hoyte to start at right back and with Kortney Hause on International Duty Callum Davies should line up alongside John Egan in the heart of Gillingham's defence, Midfield gets tricky as there are eight players pushing form four starting roles but Loft and McGlashan have to start if there fit and available for selection, I went with Jake Hessenthaler and Bradley Dack, Dack is capable of scoring a goal out of nothing and while there is every chance that Brennan Dickenson can play on the eft or Aaron Morris or Josh Pritchard starting, I have gone for these four in midfield but it is nice to have competition for places and options available if we need to make changes.

While Antonio German and Brennan Dickenson did score against Colchester United, it has to be Luke Norris and Cody McDonald up-front, Luke Norris made a positive impact from the bench last week and I was surprised he did not start against Colchester United on Tuesday Night so I expect he will start tomorrow against Scunthorpe United.

We need to go for a win against a side below us in the league and a side who have changed there manager but of course that is easier said then done and Walsall proved in our last home game that Gillingham struggle to break teams down so hopefully we can play a lot better then we did against Walsall - COME ON THE GILLS!!!!!

I thought it was the worst performance I can remember off the top of my head.We started ok and Cody nearly scored,but his shot hit the side netting.For me the game changer was Loft`s sending off.Why did he need to make that challenge? It was a definite red.Scunthorpe sensed Loft`s departure had affected us and they took control of the game.We didn`t get close enough to their players,and they passed the ball around like Spain with ease.I think we really miss Kedwell`s passion and running in the side.I took my daughter today,but luckily she wasn`t put off by the dull performance.Rochdale away is an important game now.

I got some stick in recent games for saying we lost games in which we didn't play too badly and I stick by that. I saw changes, improvements and at that rate we would start getting some good results and now I have to be honest and say that was the worst performance I have seen from us at home! It started brightly with 5 chances created in the opening quarter of the match. They might not have been fantastic ones but goals come from chances and we were doing something people on here had criticized us for recently.

The minute Loft got sent off we had no answer and it affected the side to a degree I hadn't seen a side go down to ten by. Just to clarify, the Rainham End booed like mad but it was the clearest red I have seen from us and an unbelievably stupid thing to do. You could see Loft deciding to do it before it happened! The whistle had already gone for a Gills free-kick as Loft ran, jumped in the air and landed two-footed on the Utd's players leg. It was only ever going to end in red and a 3 match ban so why decide to do it so early in? He could have pulled out of the challenge and instead clatter in to him clumsily for a yellow instead.

Once we were down to 10 and looking sheepish they perked up and they knew they would win if they scored, once they did it was virtually game over and we never looked like getting close! In truth, they had a goal disallowed that looked ok from my angle however it would look very different looking level with the 6 yard box.

Should we win at Rochdale you could argue lose at home and win away and nothing is lost but that is wrong. When we beat Wolves, we lost to Colchester after. When we beat Sheffield Utd we lost the next league match at home to Oldham. 3 points out of 6 as expected. Wolves certainly didn't miss the 3 points we took from the match but the 3 points for Colchester not only helped to save them for the drop but they took them above us in the table! Scunthorpe, with no wins away in ages, no clean sheets, in transistion and shipping goals for fun going away to a side unbeaten and without being behind for a single minute of the season ends up winning as comfortably as you can get.......and to boot ends up closing the gap on us to 2 points which can help leapfrog us. We need to start beating sides around us far more rather than the ones at the top otherwise we might amass enough points to stay up but we will always be looking over our shoulder.

With Taylor also being sent off I am going to put it down to a bad day at the office, one of those when nothing goes right as many more like that (complete contrast to how we have really played) and we will be down rather easily.

WWWOOOOOWWWW HHHHHHOOOOO, what fun , another year of trying to avoid relegation, the 7000+ there must have been impressed, and it is so much more fun than sitting in the top half of the table safe, but with promotion already out of reach by November.
Go you Gills see what you can do for my blood pressure again this year.
Shame Martin Allen became such a poor manager and forgot how to manage while at Gillingham, wonder where he went ?? Look at Barnet 36 goals for, 13 against on the season and in the top spot, but no worries Mr. Taylor's bunch have scored 12 and only let in 18 , shame our beloved Chairman didn't cut out the one or two worms that were in the apple called Gillingham Football Club and let the guy get us into the Championship.

I just can't understand why we capitulated so easily and why players who have been playing well, ie Dack, looked so out of it. I wonder whether anyone really knows what our best 11 actually is? I am still struggling to recognise all the players, for example when the subs warm up I don't always know who they are. The RE usually clap the subs but hardly bother anymore. There was very little atmosphere on Saturday until the sending off, then the Ref, unfairly, became the pantomime villain. I don't always mind losing and have cheered a losing Gills team off the pitch on many an occasion but could not find the enthusiasm to do so this time. We have to do better otherwise, surprisingly, we look as if we will be playing League 2 football again next year.posting.php?mode=reply&f=1&t=1301#