So on Saturday 10th September 2011, Gillingham took on Accrington Stanley at Priestfield, I took to my normal seat in the Medway Stand along with my son, on this visit we also met up with a neutral supporter before the game, who was back over in England for a while and just wanted to see a game of football. The neutral being a Championship team supporter himself, what sort of afternoon could he expect, well League Two football against Accrington Stanley and with no disrespect not exactly the most riveting prospect of someone’s afternoon. However, that’s what true football fans are all about and even more so, when a neutral is prepared to come along to the ground on which was to be a dire afternoon of this so called football. I’ve found it really difficult for the first time this season to describe our performance after the game, without actually repeating the same words that have already been used in the previous two games, so I can only best describe it by saying, that I am glad we managed to ply our guest for the day with some real ale (well John Smith’s the nearest thing you are going to get in the Blue’s Rock) before kickoff. Whatever words you want to use to describe recent performances are no help to the fact that our current stats stand as follows over the last three games, one point out of a possible nine, noting two of those three games were at home. Five goals conceded and one scored. Maybe we should turn to our neutral visitor and ask what he thought of the game, I shall use his precise words from the message board... ‘I thought you were pretty sound defensively and apart from your keeper making one serious blunder, you never really looked like conceding for 85 minutes. You just need a bit more width up front and a good playmaker and you will be ok.’ Probably a hospitable and reserved judgement but that will do for me. Looking at the defence on the day, Fuller, Richards, Lawrence, Martin – not much wrong with that, even better knowing that we have Captain Frampton, who missed his first game this season, due to a reported groin injury. Now what about that width? Ah! Now there’s a problem, what width, if you keep turning inside with the big Accrington men in the middle, you might as well just throw yourself at a brick wall. The name Andy Barcham springs to mind but that is history and would he have got the delivery anyway? Now what about some pace or maybe something called a striker, I have these thoughts going through my mind of Championship strikers, hijacked deals, continued media and message board speculations, I would be rolling about killing myself laughing if I had not paid £349 for my season ticket. Not exactly the promotion material that the Gills fans, had foolishly believed in, after only four games into the season. Well that is some of the negatives, so what positives can be drawn from this? We are five points better off than we were at this stage last season, a season in which we missed the play offs on goal difference. In my opinion just some minor changes are called for, however, to do that is the bank balance available? I’m no tactician and don’t pretend to be, I just count the points on the table, eleven points so far is good to me, however, one point in the last nine reads that something seriously needs to change. http://www.gillinghamfan.com/match-reviews.html
BRB, an excellent post with the restraint that I have come to expect from our moderator. It is the 1 point from the last 9 that is of the greatest concern.
im not as diplomatic as you brb i am feeling sick in the stomach over the last 3 games, not just the results but the performance of the team, how come we have overloaded the defence & midfield & completly failed up front? i hope & pray keds dont get injured or we are really in brown stuff, & then be looking for 2 more strikers,,,,,ihope our season is not ending here, i had so much hope at the start but now im getting that end of season feeling 7 games in,,omg i am hopiing it is just the sunday mornig blues & all will be well 2morrow,,,,haha
Great summary from a neutral point of view, i can't see the width issue being sorted out this season but hopefully these past three results will spur Hessy on in getting a striker, although i fear his initial 3 targets (one championship and 2 from league two) may be already gone. Harrad and Wes Thomas from league two all seem to fit the mould and have moved on and Lisbie obviously was the Championship striker he was looking at, this means he may have missed out on his targets and have to start the search again? Hopefully i'm wrong though and he has someone lined up!
Was I unhappy with yesterdays match? "yes I was gutted" It's now 24hrs later and time to get real, Rotherham and Shrewsbury are 2nd and 3rd in the table, as they have been for the last several years they are good league 2 clubs. Accrington were also in the playoffs last year, "yes I know" they have just let most of their team go and brought in a lot of new players, (hang on that sounds familiar) I think we need to give them a few more games to settle in, bring in a striker who scores goals, and no that isn't a knock at Kedwell but he's not going to score many, with or without a partner. Lets wait until the end of the month before we start calling for mass sackings, Hess knows what's needed but he can't force players to come to the back of beyond if they don't want to.
