(Before I start I apologise if this becomes a rant but there is a lot of stuff I want to get off my chest!) So, why did I call this Article, A turning point? Simple. Todays game at Crawley will be looked back on as one I have no doubt, however I have no clue if it will be positive or negative. We can all agree that today was a poor showing considering we were 1 goal and player up but managed to end up losing and the sad thing is, I wasn't at all surprised. We've watched the team play 6 league games without recording a win and after seeing what happened today, at this rate, we look a safe bet for relegation. So, whats going to happen? In my opinion there are two options, we act when the loan market on monday and during the week, to strengthen the squad and give us a bit more quality, resulting in a upturn in fortunes. We saw this when Hessy brought in Whelpdale and Lee on loan in League 2 which resulted in the team looking a whole different concept. However, there is another option and I fear this one is the far more likely. Nothing. We will sign no one during the week and Martin Allen will lament bad luck for our loss as he has already begun to do by claiming Lee shouldn't have been sent off and saying it was a good performance. Now I know it may seem like I am just bashing the club but I can actually see the Logic in what Mr. Scally planned. By spending a sensible amount, it was hoped we could build a squad capable of holding our status in League 1 and then pushing on next year with a steady build. A good idea in theory but it is painfully clear that it isn't working, we have to add more quality as doing nothing is just reckless. By trying to save money this year we may lose quite a bit if we go down again as I don't know when we will get back into League 1 again! Hopefully this sounds like a reasoned argument and am not just ignorantly shouting 'Put your hand in your pocket Scally' as Im sure some of the less evolved members of the Gillingham fan base! I really like the mentality of not getting too high when you win and not getting too low when you lose which Martin Allen employs but maybe it might be time to get the boys in on monday and having a bit of a chat about whats going on rather than just plodding along with something that isn't working. Let me finish by saying that Im not expecting to open the paper and see we've brought in Rooney on a short term loan which Allen has described as 'A tidy bit of business but instead going out there and finding some players that want to play football and can pull us out o f this situation. I guess pro-activity is the buzz word of this article, I don't want Mr. Scally to throw money around in some mad Doncaster-esque attempt to bring in players but instead just ring round and get some exciting kids and battle tested veterans that other clubs want rid of and we could have. Still have faith but its hanging by a string!
I've got plenty I would like to get off my chest as well but the timing is not right. However, most of it does stem from last season. Sadly the shining glimmer of silverware and MadDog's character fooled many, not me. Scally does not need to open his wallet, Martin Allen needs to put right the situation. The same options he gave our youngsters at the start of last season and still embedded in my memory. Like those players I require 100% from you MA.
Maybe its a mix of both? If Martin doesn't feel backed or supported by Mr. Scally it must put him in a hard spot especially if he just won the first league title in decades? Not defending him but maybe they have to work together more. Maybe Hessy did more than we thought!
Then maybe MA needs not to have spoken so carelessly last season. It was a joy to watch and witness but when you try to highlight the future development people did not want to hear it. I said back then with all the MA chatter, that if we are to believe what he was saying, then he should not be asking Scally to write any cheque's this season. I'll go back and find the posts if people so want me too. I'll continue to support him as our manager but it will not be through kidology.
I still have faith in MA and do believe our fortunes will change. My only criticism is that he could be a little more honest with the media and in turn the fans. I am minded that he was saying, before the campaign began, that this division is not much different to league 2 and that he was planning to "smash it" this clearly is not happening and was never going to be so. I wonder how what he puts out to the fans differs to the players I hope his motivation , of the players, was and is more honest and realistic. I say this as to not be balanced and giving it large can easily lead to a collective complacency and then we can we be taken by surprise which I believe has happened to some degree. Of course MA needs to motivate the players and inspire excitement in the fans however MAs battle cry before the season started was so far away from reality he has placed unnecessary pressure on himself and the team. Anyway the reality check is in place so let's see the Gills start soon come on u gills.
If we go down,I fear there will be huge implications next season. We sold a lot more season tickets this season than last, but how many will renew if we go down,and I suspect many of the season ticket holders of earlier years ,may also not renew? After all we've seen it all before, and I for will will be really hacked off if we become a yo-yo club. Gillingham,with the support we have, should be capable of sustaining a League 1 club.At the end of this season,we have a lot of experienced players that are out of contract. Would we be able to keep them if the manager wanted too,seeing as how the income stream will be significantly reduced? I seen on different boards people saying all Scally wants out of the club,is a decent income for himself. I don't know if this is true or not,but certainly new loan players at least are needed immediately, if he doesn't want to see the team drop to an unrecoverable position. Losing,or at least not winning,becomes a habit,and its something that needs rectifying asap. On paper at least,September should be easier that August,but it hasn't started ff very well.
I wonder when our season will start and when this first win will come. I feel like there is a lack of passion from the club as a whole including MA and Mr Scally. I am not Scallys biggest fan but for the first time I feel like he is stale towards the club and lacking in his usual self. I know he has not always put his hands in his pockets and its no shock that this season is the same but I cant help but feel there is more to it this time. I also get a feeling a lot of MA's comments will come back at him unless things change rapidly. Hoping for the best but would not be a shock to see us continue to struggle.
Given our current performances, and looking at the fixture list, I fear we may not register a win untill we meet fellow strugglers Notts County at home in 6 weeks time on 22 Oct. What do you think?
I think we've lost a lot of money by introducing a new kit. This year would have been one of the best to bring out a new kit in regards to revenue returns. People have asked why we haven't had any money this year, its clear that this shirt sales obviously makes a large impact for our budget and the high hopes of the signings of Bayo and Cody seem to be wearing thin, especially regarding Cody. Will we regret this decision, we will have to wait and see.
I genuinely believe the reason we have re-used the Kit this year is because Mr. Scally and the brain trust down at Priestfield hideously over estimated how many kits we would have sold in Hessy's second season meaning that we have had tonnes of replica kits lying in a warehouse somewhere and the decision was made to try and make money on those kits rather than dump them resulting in literally no one buying one as everyone who wants one still has it from only 2 years ago!
We'll still have them next season............. but Scally has a strategy to shift them - he will offer a free season ticket with each shirt sold.
Bad start and the vultures are already circling. Most people thought this squad was capable of holding its own in this league (even if lacking in depth). Perhaps the step up from Div2 to Div1 is bigger than we all expected. I'm expecting the old hardcore 'Hessy' fans to be calling for his return next and I see brb has started his 'youth' policy again!!!!
LENNY!!!!!! Where you been?...missing your love fella Ah now that mention of Hessy...so he built a young squad on the verge of the way forward. Something that MadDog completely dismantled in search of a piece of silverware. I'm glad you remember my stance and that long term goal...remember it Lenny, the five year plan? Youth v Experience I see from a local media source that now even another youngster Callum Davies is knocking the managers door wanting to go out on loan. Six games in and not a single league win. Even I never expected it to turn this sour so quickly. Hessy's team might have taken another season to get here but at least it might have been maintaining that position in league one, yes probably without a piece of silver but at this current rate that would have been a better achievement in comparison to tumbling back to L2. Anyone remember me mentioning the long hard winter ahead, if this becomes a failure those preseason ST antics are going to cost the club and the Chairman's pocket very dear. Like a script out of Ratner's. Actually probably not quite that bad as I have seen enough to believe we can still hold our own but all this talk of opening the cheque book is just becoming laughable. I said at the time if any supporter had ever mentioned about smashing league one they would have been sectioned. I said at the time MA will not need Scally's cheque book preseason then. So what did happen to all these morals of fitness and rotation? While we are here, what's all this messing about with the Bayo and Cody scenario? Now don't get me wrong, I don't like to see the recreation of old faces but Martin Allen choose to buy them back in and yet he seems to have some Hessy shadow hanging over his ultimate selection combination. Maybe like you Lenny...MadDog fears the darkness of the Hessy shadow looming...after all we can all remember Hessenthaler shuffling uncomfortably at the opening interviews...maybe he just knew what was truly around the corner when the mad dog was barking. Although from another site, this could go down as one of the best ever classic reads...http://www.gillsconnect.com/s/Gills...ARE_BUILDING_A_SQUAD_TO_SMASH_LEAGUE_ONE.html
I don't do away games but seen all home games - it's so frustrating we really don't seem too far off the mark, we have really good periods of play but seem so vulnarable to set pieces and break away goals especially during the last few minutes of games. I really don't understand the veto on Cody/Bayo I'm off to get married and go on holiday for the next few weeks, hope we have picked up a win or two by the time I return Roy
Ive been away a lot and now I'm off again. For the record just in case you weren't aware I thought 'Hessy' was utter dross for Gills as a manager. Keep the faith with Allen, we will be ok. Where is Hessy now anyway? If he was that good as a manager I would expect he will have some hi-profile manager job..............
