Hello and welcome to the all new and improved Match day Hub which is now the official place for Gillingham fans, I decided to update this so that you will know where to go and chat before and during the game. I always post this a few days before the match so you can start to create a debate before the game on what you think will happen in the upcoming game, you can post who you think should play in the game and why. In addition to that you may share with us what you think the team will be that plays as that may be different to the team which you think should play, if you think a certain player should not play you can share with us the reason why as it is good to know what the fans think about the team and why certain players should not be in the team if you want to tell us why. So all you need to do is post your starting 11 plus the 7 which you think will be on the bench, you may be correct or not but it don't matter as no points are awarded it is just for fun. If I am not at the game I will normally post updates about what is going on and the team which is playing, but when I go to games I write up a match report afterwards. You can post freely during and after the game sharing your opinion with us on the result and what you thought of the players who played. If you go to the game it would be great if you could write up a match day report telling up what you think of the result and what you rate each player out of 10 giving a reason why. This is open to both Gillingham fans and also the opposition, don't be afraid to post just because you are not a Gills fan if it is friendly banter that is allowed. Have fun and debate freely! Just want to add aswell if you do any bets you can share with us what you think is the best bet, I do bets each week so I will share them with you if you want.
I think we will make a few changes like normal, team may be something like this. Nelson Fish Davies Barrett Martin Whelpdale Lee Wright Allen Kedwell Findley Subs Forecast Frampton Flanagan Payne Weston Burton Strevens
Be surprised to see Payne back on the bench. I really get the feeling Martin Allen does not rate him above his own boy !
OS reports Payne is out injured http://www.gillinghamfootballclub.com/news/article/rochdale-preview-sept-28-395018.aspx
Firstly I will start by saying that I have not read any other reviews or comments and the following is just my own personal opinion on the game today. I was slightly surprised by the team selection but having missed the previous two home games due to hols it was difficult to gauge a fair reflection on it. Rochdale deservedly took the three points today and despite all the Gills hard work and pressing forward they never looked to me like scoring a goal from open play. I felt after Barnet away that the score flattered us a little and teams that were a bit more organised and better finishers would turn us over. Rochdale were that team today and very organised at the back, I would not say they were the best up front, however, they kept the ball on the ground far more than the Gills ever managed. Ok, we were down to 10 men, not sure why Jackman was shown a straight red, my view was obscured or to far for my fading eyes to see? I felt within the first 15 minutes we were not making the most of the space or width of the pitch, feeling that Weston needed to be brought on. My reasons were seeing us playing in to an area down the right, without being able to press into the Rochdale box, while completely open down the left. Findley appeared to be the best showing down that right side but completely marked out of the game. We kept putting ourselves under pressure with the long ball from Nelson, who I will add made some fantastic saves and I have great confidence in. Do we not have that same confidence in the ability of our players to keep the ball on the ground and use the entire Priestfield turf? Flanagan was named man of the match another selection that had me slightly dismayed. We had a six point gap at the top before today, which is a great luxury, especially when the defeat was going to come eventually. Martin Allen will pick the players up and I am sure continue our push forward but I will say this...I let someone use my season ticket while I was away that does not normally go to Gills games and they said before today, that we are not impressive and in fact not much different from previous matches under Hessy EXCEPT Martin Allen has organised us in such a way that it will get us the results. Sadly today was not to be one of those days but then I do not believe many other L2 teams will show the same quality as our opposition today.
Just got back from the game. Have to say, a thoroughly deserved first lot of the season. So many things wrong with today's performance. Montrose and Jackman were NOT good today. And I was saying before he got sent off, that he should come off for Weston. Like brb, i didn't see the sending off properly, so will reserve judgement on that until the highlights - but I'm not sure it made much difference, we were so poor today anyway. Im general, control, touch, passing and movement were all off today. I also thought we had last year's Fish turn up, as opposed to the one that has made such great leaps this season. On another note, this might well be my dad's fault. This was the second game this season he came with me to (the previous one being Middlesborough) and we haven't one when he's been there in over a season.......... It's fine, he is now forbidden from coming along.
Not a great performance today, tinkerman Allen finally making the wrong team selection. Why did we start with 3 defensive midfielders. Why is Montrose in the starting 11. I know Jackman getting sent off did not help but we did not look like scoring from open play. On the plus side Whipdale is looking good again and once we have Payne and Lee back we should stay in the top 3.
How can we be so different to the team that outplayed Port Vale last week ? Montrose was awful. superbob - you should know that last season I would have gladly seen Fish self combust - but this season he has vastly improved - o k he did do one particularly dodgy thing towards the end of the game - which he retrieved - but he worked tirelessly - getting up and down the line and was very close for m.o.m. I think that we have been too direct in some games - perhaps today was out of necessity due to trying to negate the loss of Jackman. I said just over a week ago that the loss of Payne and Lee makes our midfield weaker - Danny Jackman is more than a capable replacement for one of them ( as he demonstrated last week ) - but now that he won't be available for 3 games, I sincerely hope that Lee &/or Payne make a swift recovery. I'd like Martin Allen to show the players the video of their performance at Port Vale - and tell them to play in the same way all the time.
We have got to show the same resilience as Port Vale have done today. We had them over on their own pitch just have Rochdale just done to us. A defeat is bad enough, but one at home really hurts. We have endured two sendings off so far, one we got away with as the position was filled and we were leading. The second far more damaging. To lose a player as influential as Jackman with no Payne or Lee in the team was always going to be an extremely uphill task, even more so from behind. Danny is a talented and honest player who gives, usually, everything. This time he possibly gave too much (the video replays will doubtlessly be viewed by the Gills management) and he must not be held totally accountable for what appears to be a below par performance. In the prediction thread, one or two of us said that the game was there for the taking and that, probably, only complacency would be our down fall. It sounds as though Rochdale came at us as we did at Vale....and were not able to deal with it. Several accounts state that we were below par in certain areas. Missing Lee in the engine room? Possibly, however the rotational style has worked up until now. Once the injuries and suspensions bite, the team starts to pick itself and the players own will to succeed comes into play rather than the competition for even a starting place. So the carrot is somewhat lessened......let us just hope that this is a one match 'blip' as opposed to a mini run. I might sound overly pessimistic, but I have been a Gills fan for too many years to allow myself to get carried away. Runs come and go, but consistency will be the key in getting out of this division. There is little overall consistency on show at the moment with Exeter losing at home as did Bradford with a previously impressive 100% record at home. Oxford have bombed and Burton are going well too at present (as they did last season). Tuesday is crucial. We have the depth of talent and capability to win on any ground, but do we have the mental fortitude for a season long battle? That is in the hands of MA, and this is his first real test. Good luck and COYG!
We were doomed yesterday from the moment that Augusts manager of the month award was presented before kick off! The actual performance was unbelievably flat from a team who before yesterday was unbeaten, I have only been to two matches this season yesterday and Southend (so i have seen us play more time with 10 men than 11), the sending off looked about right to me in the current climate and was about the only decision the ref got right all afternoon our players must learn to stay on their feet. Amongst our players too many were not on their game, particularly amongst the front 6 players who started, out of whom only Whelpdale came out of the game with any credit in my opinion, the second half performance was spirited but Rochdale always looked comfortable and could (and probably should have scored at least one more on the break) one miss surely being a contender for miss of the season though I give credit to Nelson for the save he shouldn't have been given a chance. Now we have to see what reaction we get on Tuesday night, hopefully one of either Payne or Lee will be available and Allen and Kedwell should both start too, for Martin Allen the real job may have now started.
SirKeefy - I totally agree with you and I believe that was the point being made by the person that attended the games in my absence. Sadly a few flaws showed through yesterday that have been covered well by some of the posters above. I have always made it clear I am no tactician and would not pretend to be, however, from my spectators view, I would like to add the further following insight to yesterdays game: 1. No Charlie Lee due to injury, which I believe had a big impact. 2. Failure to use the width of the pitch. 3. Failure to keep the ball on the ground, mainly due to Nelson's constant long ball. 4. MA was to late with the Weston substitution for the first time this season, he should have replaced Jackman within the first 15 mins. Also good with hindsight but if this had actually happened we may have kept 11 men on the pitch. 5. Not sure taking Findley off was the right decision, we needed to pull the defenders away from him instead (see point 2). 6. Fish is doing well in coming forward but he is a right back not a goal scorer and we need to be creating more for Whelpdale in space. Martin Allen has done a absolute fantastic job since arriving at the club but I know he is broad shouldered enough to take full responsibility for yesterday, the players are just doing what they are told. Sadly this time MA got it wrong and I constantly looked across to him during the game, thinking what are you seeing and what are you going to do about it? ps. the first thing I would do this week is recall Essam.
Luton loaned Essam for a month on deadline day and I have not heard about them renewing the loan so I believe he will be coming back now.
Essam said on twitter yesterday... 'No news yet on an extension or return to Gillingham for those asking! Will be sorted within the next few days!' On a popular Luton forum this was posted by a fan...'PB said in interview that both clubs have basically agreed to an extension'
The surprise about yesterday was that people were surprised at the result. Gills rolled over Bristol Rovers but they have struggled in all the other home matches and frankly, it was daylight robbery to take points from Southend and Bradford. John Coleman teams always give trouble and score lots of goals against Gills and they could easily have had 4 or 5 yesterday and they were just as much in control when Gills had 11 on the pitch. Coleman beat Allen hands down on tactics. But Allen will rightly say that we are top of the league with a 100% away record and everyone should be happy and we are...up to a point. Clearly he sees something in Wright that most fans cannot see and after yesterday he must have a lot more faith in Burton and Findley than even the most ardent supporter. Surely Findley cannot be so anonymous again. It is Allen's business who he selects and at the end of the season he will have the last laugh, maybe, but many people will recognise that the big improvement this season has been in the defence where there has been consistency of selection, and the lesson from last season was to avoid loan players who always seem to have a different agenda to the rest of the team.
Bristol, whilst I agree Burton and Findley played badly yesterday can you really blame them? Burton likes the ball to feet with back to goal and Findley likes the ball played into the space so he can run the defender, we decided to play hoof ball.
bristol407 you are correct when you acknowledge that we have improved the defence this season - however you have not given them due credit ( imho ). In the previous games where we had players sent off ( Wycombe & Southend ) we were strong at the back and the opponents were unable to break us down. That was not all luck - and the tactics were necessary at the material time. In the 2nd half v Rochdale Gills tried to save the game, and although I was disappointed in the result, I don't think that the situation is as bad as you portray in your post. I appreciate that we started slowly against Rochdale - but I thought that we were beginning to get 'into' the game at the time of Jackman's dismissal - which ultimately dictated the rest of our play ( long balls ) to try to overcome the lack of numbers. I will agree that I thought that maybe taking off Findley was the wrong choice ( he was very good at Port Vale ) - and I thought that Kedwell should have been brought on earlier ( as soon as we went long ). Maybe Martin Allen got some decisions / tactics wrong yesterday - but then so did Alex Ferguson (and I think his record speaks for itself). We shouldn't be over critical of one result - but the whole team needs to learn from any mistakes - so that at the end of the season we all can be laughing.
