Something like the last 15 minute display against Port Vale for a full 90 minutes against Carlisle would make a refreshing change...but unlkely: Nelson Harriman, Davies, Legge, Martin Whelpdale, Lee, Weston Keds McDonald, Dack That ^^^ won't happen either
I think it will be the same team as started last week. I just think Taylor believes that that team is his preferred choice and he'll only change it if a player is injured or suspended. The rest are likely to be confined to the bench, and if he gets the job perminantly some of those will be sent out on loan to make way for a couple of loanees, which will mean they will go straight in the team and those who they are replacing will take the vacant positions on the bench. I think within the next few weeks we will be saying goodbye to Bayo, Cody and Gregory, at least on loan if Taylor is manager.
I think Gillingham will line up as follows....................... --------------------------Nelson---------------------------------- Harriman--------Legge----------------Barrett----------------Martin -------------Hollands----Gregory-----------Lee-------------------- Weston--------------------------------------------------Whelpdale --------------------------Kedwell----------------------------------- Subs: Howard (GK), Davies, Linganzi, Dack, McDonald, Akinfenwa, German After last week's defeat to Port Vale I hope we see Steven Gregory come back into the starting eleven, now Steven Gregory of course gets a lot of criticism but I think he is our best defensive holding midfielder at the club, their is a spot for Amine Linganzi in our five man midfield but Linganzi needs to be played further forward and not as a defensive holding midfielder, I would like to see Danny Hollands dropped with Linganzi starting and Gregory in-front of the back four but I don't see Peter Taylor making to many changes. And that is why we will continue to line up with a 4.5.1 / 4.3.3 formation, Bradley Dack, Antonio German and Cody McDonald all impressed when they came on last week, but we needed to go for it to turn a loss into a draw and we nearly got a point at the death as well, if we need to turn a draw into a win or a loss into a draw then those three may well come on as subs like they did against Port Vale. We really can do with the three points this week, Carlisle United at home are the kind of matches that we need to be winning, that isn't meant to come across as disrespectful to Carlisle United, but looking at the games we got coming up in November and December, their are a good run of games where Gillingham can pick up a lot of points. Any Carlisle United Supporter making the trip from Carlisle to Gillingham tomorrow has my deepest respect, I have only once gone to Carlisle United and it is a very long journey, I also intend to go to Carlisle United away this season.
..............................................Nelson.................................... .......................Davies............Barrett.............Legge................ Hariman........Whelpdale..........Kedwell.........Linganzi........Martin ..............................................Dack...................................... ...........................................Weston......................................
This is another of those games we need to be winning.Carlisle will be bottom 8 I reckon,and if we want to stay up then we need to win these kind of home games just like Notts County.They have improved with Kavanagh coming in,but im hoping for a Gills win.FOM`s Team looks about right in what I expect the Team to be,but I think he might keep Linganzi in the side.
Really hope linganzi is given a go again this week potentially superb but just needs games to get the errors out of his game. Would like to see bayo play as well with keds playing as a proper striker, feel that could be so effective today.
How many players do we have to get rid of?! We've already sent Charlie Allen on loan for two months until January 4th. Our squad is ridiculously small in my opinion, in an ideal world we could do with at least four more players. A full back, centre half, winger and a striker. As for Saturday, I'd go for this team: Nelson Harriman, Barrett, Davies, Martin Linganzi Whelpdale, Lee, Hollands, Kedwell, German.
What a rubbish first half. At least Taylor had the decency to say that he would have booed the loudest if he had to pay to watch the first 45 minutes. So if he heard the grumblings - I'm pretty sure he would have heard some - if not all - of the calls to leave 'One up Front' In the first half especially we had NO outlet. It didn't happen too many times in the second half - but when we did, we at least looked like as if we would cause some problem for Carlisle's defence. It is scandalous that we could not at least have Weston on the halfway line - instead there were times when ( before the last 4 added minutes ) when their goalkeeper was in a much better position to score compared to Stoke's keeper - because there was no threat to him in the same time zone as him.
It did sound a scrappy game,but the main thing was we got the three points.No one will remember the performance in May if we stay up.But it was important to win the game against a Team that will be down there with us,and to get three points with Sheffield Utd up next in the League.
If there is one bit of praise I would like to give PT it is that we have now beaten two teams in the lower half of the table. Notts County, Carlisle. To me these are the most important results, rather than winning say against higher table opposition. 3 points taken and 3 points gained.
Good result, very very poor first half performance, did not test their keeper at all and no attacking threat, much improved in the second half and looked much better with Cody and Bradley Dack on, players still learning the passing game PT wants to install and it will take some time for it to sink in, Kedwell was the man once again! Like the fact PT acknowledges the shortcomings of the performance, well done Gills!
People are being over-critical. Carlisle had taken 7 points from the last 3 away games and were no mugs. Sure, it was not particularly entertaining in the first half but it was still a lot better than the dross we were watching at Priestfield from November to March last season. Harriman and Kedwell were excellent. There were decent performances from Hollands and Gregory and Macdonald looked sharp for a change. Not much positive to say about the rest of them but PT is getting the best he can from a poor lot and all the changes in formation and players made complete sense for each phase of the game. 15 points from 15 games is poor but gives us a chance of staying up.
The first half was dire. Second was better. The players can't be faulted for effort, but Gills could well be the worst footballing side in the division. Carlisle will do well to stay up, but even they looked superior in terms of individual ability and the type of football they attempt to play. Gills responded well when the Rainham End got behind them in the second half. The fans have a role to play, so hopefully there will be a little more atmosphere in future than there was for the first 45 yesterday.
Yesterday's match against Carlisle United was one I was relieved that we had won because Gillingham really needed the three points and our match against Carlisle was one of those matches where you gladly accept the three points regardless of how good or how bad our performance on the pitch was - but their is no doubt in my mind that Gillingham and Carlisle are both two very poor football teams and we will both end in the bottom third of the table, weather we both got enough in us to avoid relegation is too early to tell, but if you are going to stay up then beating the teams around you is essential and that is precisely what we have done we done with yesterday's 1 - 0 win. The opening twenty minutes were almost a non event because the only thing noteworthy in this passage of play was Matt Robson's free kick which was blocked by Danny Kedwell, David Amoo wins possession of the ball off Adam Barrett and his high cross was gathered by Stuart Nelson (just) because the wet and windy conditions made it very difficult and I thought Stuart Nelson did well to hang on to the ball and there was a very imaginative set piece between Whelpdale, Lee and Legge which almost came off. After struggling to get into the match for most of the first half, Bradley Dack came on for Amine Linganzi who I felt was very ineffective again, I thought Amine Linganzi struggled the previous week against Port Vale and he is defiantly not a defensive holding midfielder, but I felt he could offer us more as a advanced midfielder and we could (or perhaps should) of brought Steven Gregory back into the starting eleven, so that we have someone in midfield who can protect the back four, at least we made a attacking change because Bradley Dack would hopefully come on and play in the number ten role behind Danny Kedwell as their was very little attacking adventure shown by Gillingham for the opening twenty / twenty five minutes of the first half. David Amoo was a real threat for Carlisle United down our left flank, David Amoo took on Joe Martin and went to the byline and his pull back was just about cleared over our crossbar from Leon Legge and right at the end of the first half, David Amoo took on Joe Martin again and his pull back to Matt Robson was perfect and Michael Harriman blocked Matt Robson's shot which was goal-wards, it did look like Michael Harriman blocked the ball with his arm and Carlisle United had a decent shout for a penalty kick which we got away with. I am concerned about the lack of pace Leon Legge and Adam Barrett have got because one ball over the top beats the two of them and Adam Barrett just about hooks the ball out of play for a throw on, I think we have got much bigger problems to sort out in midfield, but in the long term we will need to look for a pacey defender, or we just chuck Callum Davies in for one of Leon Legge or Adam Barrett. Charlie Lee defiantly clattered into Chris Chantler and Charlie Lee was pretending to be seriously injured to try and avoid being booked, but Referee Charles Breakspear was always going to show Charlie Lee a yellow card and I think that Charlie Lee is suspended for The FA Cup Match against Brackley Town, Danny Kedwell did everything he could do to get involved in the game, he held the ball up, flicked the ball around the corner, won his fair share of aerial challenges and defended from the front but the service and support into him was very poor, Danny Kedwell has not got the pace to run in behind defences and Carlisle just kept getting possession of the ball and while Leon Legge and Adam Barrett do lack pace they were winning their defensive headers. Other then the score-line and the improvement in the weather their was not many positives we could take from our first half performance and things needed to change in the second half. At the start of The Second Half Peter Taylor used all three of his substitutions as Cody McDonald and Steven Gregory came on for Charlie Lee and Myles Weston, Charlie Lee was already booked so it made sense to take him off and Myles Weston is not a ninety minute player, Peter Taylor changed from a 4.5.1 formation to a 4.4.2 formation and we needed to do something because that first half was very poor.
Gillingham's first chance on goal came in the 53rd minute as Stuart Nelson's long kick down-field was headered goal-wards by Adam Barrett and Mark Gillespie makes the save and hangs onto the ball, Carlisle United got a few players going into the referee's notebook as Sean O’Hanlon and David Amoo both get booked for some cynical fouls, Sean O’Hanlon's pull back on Cody McDonald was a blatant foul because Gillingham were going to break on the counter attack. Gillingham get a free kick right on the edge of Carlisle United's penalty area close to the byline and Chris Whelpdale's floated cross is punched clear by Mark Gillespie and Danny Hollands just about gets to the ball first before Danny Livesey and Danny Livesey brings Danny Hollands down inside the penalty area and Referee Charles Breakspear pointed to the penalty spot, that was a defiant penalty and up steps Danny Kedwell to smash in the result penalty to give Gillingham the lead and that is six goals in the last six games for Danny Kedwell, and when it comes to penalties their is no way Danny Kedwell is going to miss. Goals do change football matches, especially if that goal gives your team the lead because we needed something to wake up the supporters in the stands and Pascal Chimbonda had possession of the ball but Danny Hollands was pressing Pascal Chimbonda back to his own goal and Cody McDonald cut out the route back to the goalkeeper, Pascal Chimbonda dives to the floor and the referee gives Carlisle United a free kick, unbelievable and I was out of my seat straight away because that was a dive, Danny Hollands didn't even touch Pascal Chimbonda and to give Carlisle United a free kick for that is appalling. Gillingham were now pressing for the second goal which should kill this game off and Bradley Dack's threaded pass to Cody McDonald was cut out but Chris Whelpdale reacted first to the second ball and Chris Whelpdale's shot was blocked, but the block bounced very fortuitously for Carlisle United as Lee Miller gets the ricocheted ball on the halfway line, turns and plays a fantastic threaded ball through to David Amoo and Michael Harriman, Leon Legge and Adam Barrett were all running back towards their own goal and David Amoo fires across goal but Stuart Nelson makes a very good save. Carlisle United look a threat from corner kicks and I don't like how we still bring everyone back to defend corners, all we are doing is inviting more pressure on our goal and Stuart Nelson has more bodies in-front of him and the ball and it doesn't have to be a powerful header to beat Stuart Nelson, thankfully Chris Whelpdale headers David Symington's corner kick clear, Joe Martin keeps the ball in play and goes on a sixty yard run from one end of the pitch to the other and wins Gillingham a throw on down the near side. Now I don't know what happened from where I was sitting for Lee Miller to be sent off but I saw Adam Barrett signal to the referee that he got stamped, someone told me that Adam Barrett got elbowed, maybe some who sits in Block C of The Medway Stand can explain exactly what happened, even the highlights on Gills Player don't show the incident, but within a matter of minutes Leon Legge was sent off as his first touch was dreadful and Leon Legge was always stretching for the ball and his challenge on David Amoo deserved a booking - but the first booking was defiantly not a foul as Leon Legge clearly won the ball and only the momentum of the challenge sent Lee Miller to the deck - but the last thing you do after the opposition have gone down to ten men is give the referee a reason to even the game up and Leon Legge had to go because he was on a yellow card and that challenge on David Amoo deserved a booking. Now it was 10 v 10 and Danny Kedwell played at centre back alongside Adam Barrett meaning that Cody McDonald was on his own in attack and I thought Danny Kedwell was out-standing in the heart of our defence as Kedwell must of won at least three defensive headers and kicked the ball clear away from danger twice, and yesterday's match was not the first time that Danny Kedwell has played in defence for us, I remember last season against Rotherham United at home, we moved Danny Kedwell to centre back with Adam Barrett and Leon Legge and we grinded out a important 1 - 0 win that day. Both teams had chances to score in a matter of moments as David Amoo fired across the face of goal and Adam Barrett's blocked turned out to be a good pass to Chris Whelpdale and Chris Whelpdale then plays a fantastic cross-field pass to Cody McDonald who brings the ball down brilliantly and Sean O'Hanlon was defiantly pulling Cody McDonald back and had Cody McDonald hit the deck then Sean O'Hanlon would of had to be shown a second bookable offence, Cody to his credit does stay on his feet and Cody McDonald tried to round Mark Gillespie but Mark Gillespie makes a very good save and The Carlisle United Keeper also clawed the second ball away as Cody looked to get to the re-bound first. Gillingham should of made it 2 - 0 right at the death though as Chris Whelpdale had possession of the ball near the corner flag as Gillingham were winding the clock down, but Whelpdale turned back on himself taking two Carlisle players out of the game and Chris Whelpdale went past a third Carlisle United Player and this is where Chris Whelpdale should of looked up to play the ball through to Cody McDonald, Whelpdale went for goal and Mark Gillespie made another excellent save, and after four minutes of added time were played Gillingham held out for three valuable points. We did it the hard way, it wasn't pretty or entertaining (especially the first half) but it is points we need, not pretty performances which don't get us a result, both sides look very poor and all you can do is beat the teams around you and hopefully we end 20th this season, higher then 20th would really be a bonus with the squad we have got at the moment. I still think the midfield is by far the major area of the team that needs reconstruction, Charlie Lee and Chris Whelpdale on their day are decent players while Myles Weston is a good impact player, Steven Gregory is a decent defensive holding midfielder but I think we need someone better in that position long term, I think Charlie Allen will move on, I am not convinced about Amine Linganzi or Danny Hollands either - I think we need to sign a defensive holding midfielder, a central attacking midfielder and two wingers with pace, all four players must be better then what we have got so we may have to beg and borrow and hopefully Peter Taylor has got a few contacts with some Championship and Premier League Clubs to find us a few players who will want to sign for Gillingham on loan. I think Peter Taylor has got the manager's position at Gillingham until the end of the season, a win against Brackley Town will seal the job for Peter Taylor and IF that happens, then three wins from five games would not be too bad of a record considering that Peter Taylor is working with a small squad with very little quality. Final Thought: Why didn't we give The Carlisle United Supporters the last two blocks in The Gordan Road Stand, that is a long way for Carlisle United Supporters to travel to sit in the wind and the rain, everyone of those 260 Carlisle United Supporters deserve a lot of respect for making one of the longest away trips in The Football League, their will be teams with far less to travel who won't bring 260 supporters to Priestfield Stadium. Sorry, had to dived the post into two
Nice write up FOM! Any news on Lingazi?- he seemed to be holding his hamstring are when he went down.
In actual fact fom, most of them were from the London branch of their fans club. Lots of them were in the Will Adams ptior to the game.
