Gillingham FC Forum

In recent matches, Mark Bonner has switched formation from his usual 4-2-3-1 formation to a 3-5-2 / 5-3-2 formation.

What are your thoughts on this change in formation ??? - And do you think Gillingham should stick with this formation going forwards for up and coming league games ???

There is a very good chance that if the Gills get everyone healthy,bring in a couple of GOOD ON LOAN PLAYERS (goal scoring forwards) we might be able to make a run at a play off spot.What worries me is we do not seem to be any better at scoring goals this season as we were last. Were about a third of the way through the season and we have scored a grand total of 16 goals,what are we looking at a total of 45 goals on the season.Were going to need 60 or more to make the play offs. To answer your question I would make sure I had two forwards on the halfway line at all times who can feed off of each other, throw a center forward who is 6 ft 3 in tall into the mix and now your talking PROMOTION. Run the oppositions deference ragged and go with a 3-4-3 formation and lets score some goals.

Playing a 5 leaves you short in midfield and invites pressure. You may have an extra man at the back but we've started conceding more frequently so the sides that make it a success either have the best defenders and aim for a 1-0 win or they have exceptional ones at getting forward and supplementing the midfield. We don't have either.

For Gillingham 0-1 Doncaster Rovers Today, John Coleman opted to line Gillingham up with a back five with Gillingham lining up as follows.....


Glenn Morris

Remeao Hutton (RWB), Robbie McKenzie, Max Ehmer, Shadrach Ogie, Jack Nolan (LWB)

Ethan Coleman, Armani Little

Asher Agbinone

Jayden Clarke, Elliott Nevitt


I thought that it was odd with the change in system with the personal available, Robbie McKenzie played at Right Centre Back in a back three, and Robbie McKenzie can play in that position comfortably, but Jack Nolan playing at Left Wing Back, Asher Agbinone playing as a central attacking midfielder and Jayden Clarke up-front, all three players mentioned here are playing out of position, Now maybe with The Fleetwood Town and Chesterfield Matches getting postponed, John Coleman has been watching video footage of our matches this season and come to the conclusion that when Gillingham do play with a 4-2-3-1 formation, Elliott Nevitt is often isolated up-front and we don't create enough goal-scoring opportunities ???

But I am looking at a few things like Max Clark not starting, which tells me that John Coleman wants a very attacking and athletic left wing back, he probably wants to sign a few strikers, and possibly another centre back to sign players who can play in this system, and with the news about Josh Andrews out injured for the rest of the season and Marcus Wyllie out injured for eight weeks, Gillingham are going to need to sign a few strikers in The January Transfer Window.

Walsall, Crewe Alexandra and Port Vale are the top three teams in League Two, and all three teams play with a back three / back five, maybe John Coleman thinks this is the formation that Gillingham need to line up with to create and score more goals ???