Gillingham v Preston North End-Match Thread

[Rimshot]

No, let's not strip away the stats, let's see what they tell us and do something about it. The most striking thing about our home games is that we invariably have less possession than the opposition. Now that would be fine if you were a club so blessed with talent that it can take advantage of its chances while just containing the oppo.

We're not. We're struggling to compete and no offence intended, I'm more inclined, like 1066, to believe independent reports of matches. I'd be the first to admit as a GFC fan that I am biased when I watch them.

At home we must press the opposition; we are just not good enough to play a containing game and rely on breakouts. Our goals for record is dismal and my view is that we must get some home form together or relegation is odds-on.

[Garawa]

That's a fair point but 1066 has mentioned stuff before that ESPN got so drastically wrong it was laughable. "Everyone apart from Kent Online said we were outclassed"??? Interesting that comment as I sit in the press box. In my row it was Phil the media manager, me, Peter Lloyd and Ronan Sully for Radio Kent and then the Preston team. On the front row (apart from a couple of long time fans) it was Luke from Kent Online, KentSports News, the local paper and the guy from Opta that provides the stats and live commentary that the BBC and Sky Sports use.
That was it. So why would you accept the views of independant sources who wasn't even there especially one like ESPN that has no connection to the Football League at all. They can't even copy the correct stats from the BBC and make up their own! ITV often get details wrong as well as they also no longer send anyone to games.

I sit behind Andy Bradley, co author of the centenary book Home of the Shouting Men and we speak every game. He like me thought we played quite well and he has barely missed a game in 40 years, a view shared by a number of fans I over-heard leaving the ground. Why if we lose do we HAVE to have played badly? Why can't I ever state that we played well, especially after severely criticising a performance? On the old site there were board members who refused to accept views from anyone who never attended games yet here we have the opposite! If you are going to read reports on the game at least choose ones that attend and you might get a better idea. Yes lower possession is a worry and yes I am probably biased but nowhere near to that extent.

This is how I feel both sides faired in our home games, I would be interested what others thought.

YEOVIL TOWN (2-0):
Gills 6 out of 10, Yeovil 2 out 10

SWINDON TOWN (2-2):
Gills 6 out of 10, Swindon 5 out of 10

NEWCASTLE UTD (0-1):
Gills 4 out of 10, Newcastle 3 out of 10

CREWE ALEXANDRA (2-0):
Gills 6 out of 10, Crewe 1 out of 10

PETERBORO (2-1):
Didn't attend

WALSALL (0-0):
Gills 3 out 10, Walsall 3 out of 10

SCUNTHORPE UTD (0-3):
Gills 1 out of 10, Scunthorpe 7 out of 10

PRESTON (0-1):
Gills 5 out of 10, Preston 6 out of 10

[Rimshot]

How on earth you arrive at a scoring system that rates us above the team that beats us I don't know. Your close connection to the club is of great credit to you but in all honesty it does not make you an impartial commentator. We are are poor side, playing badly.

[Garawa]

Rimshot, you are talking like someone who has never watched a game of football in their life!!! In trying to express my point I put what I felt our performances were worth compared with our opponents. Are you really saying you have never seen a side dominate a game and lose or a side totally outclassed yet get a draw????? That appears to be what you are saying because you state our performance cannot be higher than the side that beat us??? I didn't go but from what I have read Rochdale's performance would have been about a 7 and ours barely worth a 2 yet the game ended 1-1. From what you say Rochdale should automatically get busted down to a 2 with us as the game ended level.

Can somebody help me out here, am I talking nonsense? I don't really have a close connection to the club at all but it does allow me to speak regularly to the likes of Luke from Kent Online for example. We seem to accept a report made up by an American website over what a few people who went said. Yes we may be biased but we can also be more constructive or critical but that has to be better than completely making it up!

Cody forced a point blank save from their keeper, how it stayed out I don't know. John Egan had a great header cleared off the line for a certain goal. Dickenson had a great lob bounce off the face of the bar. Apart from hitting the frame 4 times and their goal, their only other notable chance was the one Nelson palmed away from a corner so YES, we were beaten and Preston looked slightly more in control but other than that very even. Newcastle were utter tripe and offered nothing and only won after we deflected the ball into our own net with none of their players close so YES we played better than them and lost.......I really can't understand why that must be so hard to believe!

[Rimshot]

Yep, I' ve seen games like that, they probably account for less than 5% of all matches. However, applying an 'objective' scoring method means taking account of the result and whether the fixture was played home or away, what pitch conditions were like, what managers did to react to the play, what strength of squad was put on the field and so on and so on. Getting beaten 1-0 at home and rating the side that won it as a 3, for example, looks to me more like home town bias than anything else.

I think you are being a bit disingenuous when you say you're not close to the club but I'm not having a pop at that - getting into the press box must be a great experience. I deal with a lot of journos and I know they often start with a story in mind and fit the facts around it but in Sports journalism there are limited opportunities for that .

I heard GFC fans saying how unlucky we were to lose at MK, because we'd had a 2 goal lead and then gave away two OGs. I thought we were dire that day and I still think we are a poor side in desperate need of new players not new tactics, different line-ups , better motivation etc. You see many more games than me so I will accept you know better about this but I also think you are in danger of becoming an apologist for the way the club is run.

Sorry, I have no wish to fall out with you but losing at home and failing to score yet again is no reason for optimism !

[Garawa]

No it isn't and a lot of what you say is correct but I wish to clarify one key point. I am a Gills fanatic that has no connections to the club whatsoever. Due to my love of stats I was asked to write a column for the programme which I did for 2 years which then led to a voluntary role commentating for the blind supporters in the ground, that is it. I have never met Scally or been a part of the back-room staff but often sat with the media team as we became friends (which was an eye-opener when seeing what can go on behind the scenes)!!! I have never been nor ever will be an apologist for the club and my views will always be my views, please don't let your dislike of Scally cloud what is my opinion.

I completely agree that we have been poor in far too many games. I was very critical about the previous 2 home game performances and had I gone would likely have said the same about Rochdale too, 3 or 4 very poor league performances in a row. But Preston just wasn't in that category, we don't have to be awful every game. We weren't brilliant but we weren't bad and matched our opponents. Even the poorest side in the league will win a game they were dire in this season and also lose one they deserved to win, it's one reason why I love football and we are no different otherwise our league record would end up W0 D0 L46!