Now I know I keep saying that I want Callum Davies to play but I'm not letting go of this. The defence last season was outstanding, Flanagan, Davies, Legge and Barrett all contributed to that. Now this year Legge and Barrett have started every game this season but have failed to even produce a clean sheet. Surely that means a shake up is needed? When we have such a young talented defender on the bench than why not play him? I have just seen on another website that he's now demanded a loan move, now does anyone know this is true? Surely this is the right time to play him, especially now Legge has an injury. Mckain is still an unknown quantity to us but Callum proved last season he was good enough, making his debut in a Gills shirt aged 17 is no mean feat so he obviously has it. PegLeg wants Davies, MA please comply.
The same conversation I was having with alwaysright yesterday before the game. I felt several games ago that Barrett should have been rotated with Davies. Would not swap for Legge though.
Like I said when we first signed Barrett, I had my doubts about whether he would be up for it back in L1 if we got promoted. Most of the Bournemouth fans were happy to see the back of him. L2 may have proved to Barrett's strengths and that may be another reason as to why Frampton decided to stay put in L2 rather than make the jump up with us, because he knew that his centre back capabilities may not have been as effective as in the direct hoof league we just left. If we still had Connor and played him with Callum I have no doubt they would thrive again in this league. A good solution would be to try and get Tom Flanagan back on loan as he may offer us a quicker option at the back. Either way I want to see Callum played more.
Davies does need to be given a chance or will end up leaving like Essam. Barrett and Legge have done alright this season at home but we cannot expect them to be as good as last season against better standard of players, the midfield has been pretty average not helping enough. I feel our home form this season will become important as we wont be so good away unlike last season. The starting line up has not improved from last season even though it needed strengthen.
Payne, Davies, Evans, Essam, Cody/Bayo partnership - Martin Allen 'rejects' ! ( feel free to add to the list ) - When the current midfield is crying out for Payne. When we do not have sufficient cover at fullback - Evans is not available When Barrett is beginning to show some shortcomings (pace). When Legge is ( still good ) not quite as rock solid as he was in L2. When we need cover in central defence, we have thrown away better choices. When we have a partnership of strikers that scored for fun a couple of years ago, we don't even use the same players on the pitch at the same time. I don't have all the answers - and I am not alwaysright - but there have been some glaring mistakes by Martin Allen regarding the squad and tactics. I can appreciate that he may be financially constrained by the chairman regarding future personnel - but I quote the lack of utilisation of the Bayo / Cody 'partnership' as an example of something that baffles me - especially as most other combinations have 'failed' thus far. There are a lot of other things on which I could comment - but (sincerely) I am trying not to be negative. One more 'when' - will my neighbour leave me alone ? - I have decided not to print her latest dose of misery for me. ( I know that you are all relieved that I haven't dumped that on you )
The Gills PegLeg It's no great secret that brb & I - and probably quite a few other fans ( not necessarily just season ticket holders ) share the same thoughts regarding the clubs policy regarding young players - or rather the policy of releasing young players who the management see as not good enough for the job in hand ( despite the fact that what they have is not working. ) I have been disappointed to see quite a few younger players wasted or released in the last couple of seasons. We got lucky with Gazza, because we got good money for him and brought in an excellent replacement..... I am surprised that Nelson hasn't been poached by at least a Championship side. I think that we got lucky last season. I still question Martin Allen's rotation system and hoofball tactics. I can't be bothered to look up the stats for when the champions of a division last lost 6 home league games. Other clubs in the top 6 of L2 made a pigs ear of being unable to stop us in gaining promotion - let alone the title - but don't think that I'm not grateful of that success. Hoofball will not be good enough in L1. I genuinely feel that we have not best used the potential that was available in (young) players that we had / have in the last couple of seasons. For example Fish gets injured. We bring in ( at extra expense ) Harriman - of whom I like the look ! - but he goes on international duty, leaving us without a 'recognised' fullback . We know what happened when the square peg was placed into the round hole. ( no insult to your username is intended ) - but we had Evans - who, despite one dodgy game ( brb wouldn't know which one ! ) should have been there - not just as replacement for Fish - but actually good enough to challenge for the position. I still can't believe that we released Essam... was I the only one looking through rose tinted spectacles in seeing somebody who had obviously been watching Simon King ? I thought that Essam had good feet as well as being useful in the air ! - and being young, those feet had a bit of pace in them. Another example of wasted talent ( as far as it concerns our current lack of it ) was Payne. Maybe L2 football was a little more 'direct' and by-passed the midfield - but we are struggling to keep possession in the games in L1. It needs people as good as Payne to be able to disrupt the opponents and win back the ball - just like Hess and Paul Smith used to do. With the greatest respect to players such as Gregory, our midfield is crying out for a 'General.' For the record - I thought that Payne should ( for the good of HIS career ) have gone sooner - and really should have done better than the Posh ( sorry Minxy ). Whilst I have been honest enough in the past to state that I accept that, basically we are a L1 side, I think that we have wasted too much young talent over the last couple of years - talent that, if retained, nurtured and properly developed, could have formed a large nucleus of a side capable of challenging for better than L1.
Many times on twitter I have ranted about Jack Evans and Connor Essam. In fact I have tweeted both players and they were both sad as to how it worked out, I think Jack even more so than Connor. Evans easily had the ability to challenge Fish which at the same time could improve both players. I would have played Callum a few games ago after the Wolves match. I think its too wasy for Barrett and Legge to sit back on their laurels at the moment as they know they are guaranteed to play (probably Barrett even more so as Legge is still putting performances in). Quite frankly its time that I am appointed the manager of Gillingham FC, I have proven success, taking the Gills to many league titles on more than one format, it is time I am appointed. I have the tactical nous, how to find a good buy and can still make a profit on players. I have a Plan A, Plan B and sometimes C! Appoint me and We Will, We Will Rock You!
MA must be reading my moans. Callum's staying put. http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/sport/davies-staying-put-5776/ Now about appointing me to the coaching staff
I had contact from MA this morning requesting I did not write another youth v experience thread, so we came to an agreement disclaimer: that of course is all a lie...maybe ps. alwaysright, yes I do know the game you mean...lol...the only home game I missed all season...Hereford
