Good news that he is recovering well and it is looking like playing a role next season... But will he be the goalscorer we need? No doubt he scored plenty of goals for Dover 64 in 78 games but that was at non league level, his scoring record at League level is not as good only 25 in 152 games. Will he come good or will he suffer with the adjustment to league football Keds experienced?
Very difficult one to measure, other than by his previous history before such a lengthy injury. We could see Keds and Birchall combine to create another Bayo and Cody partnership or we could see complete failure, hard one to call. My personal investment would be in Tomlin, how Birchall and Keds fit in to that I am not sure.
agreed brb, gavin tomlin is a must for gillingham...just will our new manager be interested??? tomlin & birchall could be some story next season, with miller and kedwell backing up our forward line ! i do think birchall will have a bigger impact than kedwell had in his first season for us, which can only be good alround. if we get micky adams as manager will he bring marc richards & anthony griffith with him from port vale???
they are indeed out of contract superbob, along with a few others, i think adams offered 16 players new contracts on tuesday...the day hess stepped down ! a few vale players worth a look at for sure. my head says lee clark as manager if possible though !!!
Birchall is the unknown quantity at the moment, he looked good in pre-season but we need to see him in a competitive match. Kedwell won lots of flick-ons this season with nobody close enough to run on, maybe next season we could have 2 strikers who aren't 40 yards apart.
I know we have Birchall back next season however I think we still need Tomlin, we could either rotate the squad here and there or play him in a midfield position, which may be a good option, he would be out wide, but that would really mean that we need someone wide out left if we want the team to flow at its best which means Jackman at the back. Regards to what we will see in Birchall time will tell, I am not getting my hopes up too much as he has been out for a long time which may have affected him a lot so I wonder what he will be like, if he comes into the team and gets quiet a good amount of goals then ****ing brilliant if not then I don't know.
The tomlin argument is questionable, because as much as Hess would like to sign him would the new manager only see the injury problems he had? It reminds me of Rene Howe when he played here, everyone loved the effort and striking capability but I don't think Hess wanted him.
gillslad69, Tomlin was the best player on the pitch until he pulled up at Priestfield with I believe his hamstring. Despite his attempted return at Oxford he took another knock but I see no reason why he should not make a full recovery. As for Rene Howe who I wanted at Priestfield a couple of seasons back and as you say 'I don't think Hess wanted him' - that was Torquay's gain (look where they are), although on goal comparison I believe with Keds. I suspect (without checking) Rene's were more from open play.
Don't get me wrong brb, I'd sign him but with a new manager normally comes a new direction and his own choice of players. I'm just unsure.
I hope that Scally is working on it to get Tomlin in before the new manager comes in as Tomlin could be gone by then or the new manager may not want to sign him, I just think he is vital for us next season, if we get him Kuffour can leave in my opinion as he is one of the highest paid and does not supply enough for the club so with him gone it would free up funds for another player or two at his rate of wage.
