The league is close

[baronnight]

Just to show what a tight league this is, the points difference between Preston in 4th place and Rochdale in 5th is 10, yet from Rochdale all he way down to Colchester in 21st place is also just 10.

Apart from the top 4 teams there appears to be nothing in it, a last minute goal, dodgy referee decision can be the difference of relegation battle or play-offs, maybe we're not as bad as some think. (just average)

[Rimshot]

I think what we are is disappointing; even the hardened Scally cynic like me harbours hopes and expectations that one day our fleeting success will be used as a springboard to develop the club. It never happens because the Chairman's only ambition is personal enrichment.

[Garawa]

That aside he can't influence player aspiration. We have been too defensive trying to stop conceding goals and it encouraged us to get deeper and deeper and sides capitalised on it. We seem to concede slightly fewer now we are a more attacking threat and teams are finding it difficult to deal with.

Baron you make a great point, that closeness must also include that there are no "whipping boys" this season. Usually when a side is adrift at the bottom it gives an extra couple of points to the sides above and more points are needed to stay up whereas without it safety may be earned with slightly fewer points - perhaps 48 instead of 50 as an example. A couple of wins and suddenly you can be knocking on the door of the play-offs. If this set of players start enjoying their football we have the players that can cause a bit of damage although of course this may change once the teams have played their games in hand. This also applies to the other sides around us who think the same but I have felt for ages we were wrong not because of players but tactically. Get the tactics right and it won't take long to move up the table.

To compare with last season we have a point less at this stage, we have scored exactly the same number of goals, we conceded 2 fewer goals and the next 7 games last season returned just 2 wins and 5 defeats. That has to be a good chance to beat that tally and if so would put us a few places higher than we finished last season.

[Rimshot]

Influencing player aspiration is exactly what the chairman should be doing. It's called leadership. He's very highly paid, the most senior person in the club - if he can't inspire a sense of purpose and ambition then WTF is he for ? The manager is, of course, responsible for on-field performance but it's the chairman who is responsible for the long-term direction of the club as a whole.

[Garawa]

You're right. We will never know what actually went on but it seems he used hi leadership to question the manager's tactics that EVERYBODY disagreed with and sacked him. Player aspiration is greater now they are doing what they are better at...attacking. Whoops, me being "pro-Scally" again. Scally should have done it sooner when we were losing. He then left it too long and did it when Taylor started to turn it around. THAT's my balanced opinion but it seems like he did what you said he should.

[gillsfan1066]

I don't think you need to know how to kill a pig to cook a good hot dog, I don't think you need to have played football to be a great manager,but as an owner of a football club, you need the respect of the players ,manager , trainers ,backroom staff, and I honestly think Scally has not got that from his peeps.
I think I would find it very hard to respect a guy who has lied to everyone,been dragged through the courts more than once ,has fired more managers than I have had hot dinners, hell is he really that bad at picking a manager in the first place, or do they take the Gills job as a last resort when nothing else comes along. Perhaps he picks them on the minimum salary he can pay them ,the less you demand the more chance you have of getting the job ??
I am a bit disappointed that Kugi took the PK35 job, he is the type of guy I would have like to have seen take over at Gillingham, young go getter ride a Lambretta type, I think someone the players could respect, but I guess he wanted to stay in Finland near his family and manage a team that plays in front of 3,500 on a good day,instead of coming to the MIGHTY GILLS, and have to butt heads with Scally, bit of a shame that.

[Garawa]

None of that matters though as most of the players won't be aware of all of that, we only are because we follow it closely for years on end. I don't know but rather than Scally geting the players backs up I think he bows down to them. Martin Allen lost the dressing room and was sacked partly because of player demands and Taylor was sacked after the players called for an end to the 5 in defence. I would love to be a fly on the wall, I don't think we know half of what goes on!