Today - has to rank as one of the worst we've had. The officials got so many decisions wrong ( for both teams ) - it was embarrassing to hear him ridiculed for the multitude of awful decisions. It seemed that he couldn't tell when a player handled the ball. He didn't like any Gills player challenging for the ball. There were a few incidents in both penalty areas that could have seen several penalties awarded by a different referee - and when he didn't award a penalty for a Sheffield player being fouled ( or not as the case may be ) - why didn't he book for simulation - perhaps because the greatest simulation was the man with the whistle purporting to be a football referee - he certainly did his best to spoil a good contest of a football match. Well done to the players - despite the referee doing his best to ruin a game - we continued to show a new Gills - becoming difficult to beat ( Sheffield had only one shot that needed saving ) - and fought for every ball. I was particularly impressed with Egan - he didn't just lump the ball upfield. He showed he can play with the ball - looking to make progressive passes. McGlashan is really doing the business as super sub, and McDonald has found new energy - and showed us what a good finisher he is if given the right service. Although we are still 17th - the 10 clubs above us are separated by only 3 more points. On recent showings - if continued, we should be more than 'safe' - I think a late play-off push is too much to ask for a team employing the wrong tactics for 20 odd games.
If only Scally had got shot of Taylor last October when lots of us wanted him too. Still ,we probably wouldn't have got JE inthen
Let's be optimistic....5 points off a playoff place and we haven't had our 'bad' run yet!!! Seriously though, this division is so tight anyone can make a late run and fortune always favours those with a late run of good form. So instead of thinking 'Why us.....?" Let us think "Why not us?
Windyrog I'd love us to go on a run and sneak into the top 6....... but At the moment we have 35 points from 29 games. Last season the lowest placed top 6 side were Peterborough who got 74 points. I would imagine that over 70 points will be needed again this season to have a chance of making the play-offs. This means that, from the remaining 17 games we would need to gain a minimum of 35 points --- or to win about 12 0f those 17 games. Wolves, champions last season, had the longest winning sequence in League 1..... and that was 'only' 9 games. League 1 Play -off final is Sunday 24th., May Kick off @ 5.30pm
With the next month seeing us face Bristol, MK, Swindon, Chesterfield, with Ehmer, Egan, Loft all on 4 yellow cards, mid-table sounds good right now.
4 yellows does not matter now they have to get 10 bookings for a suspention not 5 as it has gone past 31st dec.
No matter really. To aim high and fail is ambition, to set your sights low and achieve mediocrity at best is, I believe accepting failure before the race has started. The points level at present put us in with a chance. Let's try to enjoy the ride. Glass half full?????
I thought the referee was the most biased i've seen at Priestfield, wouldn't have surprised me to see him jump on the Sheff Utd bus at the end. The 2nd half was ridiculous, i think he got a bashing from Sir Clough (i'll get onto him later) at half time for not getting a penalty and preceded to give them everything after the break. On Clough, he should be ashamed of himself. His team are an utter disgrace in regards to their playacting, time wasting and general cheating, all of which clearly comes from Clough's direction. There were too many dives to count, the players got round the referee trying to get our players booked at every opportunity, whenever we had a sustained period of possession one of their players would fake an injury to break up play then miraculously cure himself, Clough moaned at every decision and clearly thinks himself above this league. Well Cloughy, you're not your Dad and you never will be, your a League 1 Manager who can't get the biggest club in the division by some distance anywhere near to the top of the league and i'm glad at that!
Its hard to believe that Nigel is Brians son, I am old enough to remember Brian in his hayday even as a pundit with Brian Moore at the 74 World cup and he was a real football man, his teams played the game on the floor and always in the 'right' manner recent evidence would suggest that Clough is junior is the polar opposite
Ronnie Jepson got our second highest consecutive win streak in 2006/2007 (I think?) with 6 wins in a row. If Ronnie could do it...
As soon as I saw who had the whistle for today's game, I knew it wouldn't be long before he 'disenchanted' the fans. Towards the end of the game he was making last weeks referee look good - thankfully he and the blind linesman managed not to see Garmstron's handball in our penalty area.
