Being a frequent message board poster on various sites, I often write many articles and reviews in regards to the Gills performance, however, I do try as a season ticket holder, to write balanced views. I don’t expect people to agree with my opinions; however, whether a performance is good or bad I will try and state it fairly, I will attempt though to write positives with the negatives. I have to admit my shock if not surprise at some sites I’ve visited, that I will not mention, that have absolutely laid into Andy Hessenthaler, particularly over the last week. Yes, I will also vent frustrations as a supporter or even start banter in regards to my team performance, to me though there is a line. Some people know no boundaries and maybe they perceive their comments as that same banter, it certainly is not something that I care to share a part in, words that I care not even to repeat. I did not travel to the game today against Hereford United (Saturday 17th September 2011), although I did listen on Gills Player. What an excellent response from Hessy and the team, to all the critics, with a 6-1 rout of Hereford United at Edgar Street and who should open the scoring, our much needed new loan striker Frank Nouble. Hereford United may be 23rd in League Two but let’s not forget, they did beat Dagenham & Redbridge at home in September, also managing a goalless draw away to Bristol Rovers late August. So Hereford certainly was not there just for the taking, despite being a poor side. Some part of me would normally feel sorry for Herefords plight, on this occasion though I just wanted the Gills to absolutely slaughter this sorry outfit. Three points to the good, a new improved goal difference, so looking forward to next Saturdays home clash with Burton Albion. Probably a slightly more difficult task but let’s just savour the moment as Hessy and the team have displayed a big up yours (my words) to their critics.
As a player I liked Hess, as a Person I rate him alongside Hendon, no morales whatsoever. Despite an emphatic win it was against a poor poor team, who to be fair would struggle at conference level. I admire the gills fans they have put up with a lot over the years but At best gillingham are a mid table team.
Although it will not be argued that Hereford are a poor side, as the thread states, Bristol Rovers and Dagenham & Redbridge both failed to beat this poor side. If the Gills had won say 1-0 or 2-0, I would say fair enough it should be expected, some credit has to be given for a 6-1 rout, no matter how poor the team. In regards to the conference and Hereford being a team that would struggle, I believe that could apply to a lot of the League Two teams, being on par with the much improved conference over the years, probably now the fifth league. At best you state Gillingham are a mid table team, what league do you refer that to? League Two? Where are the stats to confirm that? 2010/11 League Two missed play offs on GD 2009/10 League One relegated on GD 2008/09 League Two play off winners
The one site that sticks out for me where people like to stick it to Hess has a comments area and isn't a forum despite how many times the people that write on there say it is. I have no issues with people being critical of a performance but much of what is written is personal, abusive and just vulgar. As for Hythe tiger's comments about Hess and Hendon please could you clarify something for me? What do you mean by "no morales"? Hendon never signed a contract with Dover and was well within his rights to come to us many people would have done exactly the same. Then he moved on to West Ham again who wouldn't? What hasHess ever done morally wrong? You come across as a bitter Dover fan? Much like the posters on the site I mention above.
Just to add brb that I don't feel one result answers the critics. That can only be done over the period. And unfortunately over time things will usually end up going the way of the critic. As for the result, as with all wins I'm going to savour it, enjoy it and (especially with this one) keep checking to make sure I haven't m got it wrong. Lol The focus must now be on the Burton game. And getting good performance and 3 points in front of our home fans. UTG
I wish gillingham well, we will see at the end if the season if gillingham are better than a mid table team, I never mentioned being a Dover fan and why would Dover be bitter, I'm a proud hull fan, but I think and feel that they should have handled things a little better than they did. And reading through The web I noticed you signed a few Dover players close season, was that because they impressed in one game, I wish the gills well in their plight this season of becoming a top league 2 team, but do you expect any better than that.
Once again Hythe Tiger I ask why you say Hess has "no morales whatsoever"? And what better can we expect this season than being a top League 2 club? A good cup run would be nice but I'll be happy finishing somewhere near the top of the league.
Hess stated he wouldn't come back and turn the heads of the better players at previous club , Hendon had an agreement in principle ( gentlemans agreement) to join albeit lowly Dover , and he went back on his word. If I say I'll do something in agreement then I do the difference being I have morals. I genuinely hope the gills have a good season as it would be good for the county if gills as our leading team won something either via play offs or automatic promotion , but I can't see it happening ok you had a couple of good results against tougher opposition, but this was your first win in how many, gillingham are like my club, do well against the tougher teams, and I would suggest struggle against the teams around them, and tbf most teams will beat Hereford or Plymouth, you don't have to beat teams by six for it to be convincing after all I witnessed hull have a convincing win over Portsmouth and that was only 1-0 ( they didn't turn up) but hey if you beat teams by six now and then you shouldn't have a prob with the gd and playoffs and if gills get auto promotion I'll be the first guy in the cricketers buying you a pint
Mangers take players from their old clubs all the time. To Hess's credit he gave Dover a season before taking Flitney, Fish and Birchall where most take them straight away. Hendon did nothing wrong with regards to Dover either he basically took one job over another something i dare say you have done in the past and /or will do in the future, the length of time he was or wasn't in the job is irrelevant. I truly believe we have a team that is capable to be there or there abouts come the end of the season and while we have had a bad couple of weeks I think that was down to a formation that didn't suit us all be it the best formation that was available at the time. UTG
I certainly have opinions on things regarding PB such as why did he stick with that player or why did he insist on using that formation, however I believe if phil was still in charge for our last nine premier league games, we would have stayed up, I appreciate what Phil did for our club he took us to the promised land and IMO kept us there under his reign, I think he will do a good job at Preston, Now we have Nigel pearson who is a good manager and last season I feel worked a small miracle with the squad we had left. but you will always get the minority who whatever manager is at a club will not be good enough. A few years back my mate who is a gills fan was slaggin of pulis, now IMO that guy should be a legend at your club, is my mate in a minority or is that the general feeling albeit from a few years back.
Tbh I rarely watch Dover, I'd rather travel 5 hours to hull. Lol, however fish is a good player flitney no comment and Adam b he has the potential to be a legend, I agree he left it a year but made it very very public and turned heads of players, who allegedly went AWOL, again correct ways to do things, but hey you got another good signing in nouble , if when Adam birchell is fit and if you still have him on loan be prepared to be excited
Agree to disagree ! I meant nouble if you can keep on loan. if you can get him and birchall playing together it will be a good partnership
Gemini - a fair point Also I would just like to add, I create threads to create debate, I certainly don't expect people to agree with me, having read the discussion between yourself and Hythe tiger, it is so refreshing on this site (unlike other sites) to be able to have a discussion, without it turning in to a slanging match
No I don't think saturday results answered anything, let alone the critics. The simple fact is that this impressive 6-1 victory, albeit against a very poor side (I doubt we will face a team as poor again this season), means nothing more than three points in the grand scheme of things. This should be taken in context of the season, just because we have won 6-1 doesn't make us world beaters, the same way a defeat doesn't make us relegation fodder. Football fans, in my opinion come across bi-polar in relation to their beloved clubs, the highs after a win are orgasmic and the lows after a defeat are crushing, but one game in the season, good or bad, means nothing. To prove the critics wrong Hess needs to get the club promoted simple as.
There's some good sensible discussion here and I agree that one thrashing doesn't guarantee us anything for the season, in the same way that getting tonked for 7 at Shrewsbury three years ago didn't either. My biggest concern is that we live in a culture of instant gratification and that as a result, we and everything club I'm sure, have a generation of fans now who think that it's the end of the world when the team performs poorly for a few games and lose two or three in a row. It happens, even to the best of them. The fact that some fans have been starting to call for Hessie's head is so short sighted in my view. We all now that we had a horrible to start to last season and that the team didn't begin to perform until November. 15 points from the first 16 games was horrible for all to witness. What we subsequently saw however was that Hess did have what it takes to turn it around. If our season had started with that away win at Oxford, in the 39 league games played since we've picked up 67 points. In league 2, after 39 games of the 08/09 season and last season, 67 points was good enough for second place. People have been quick to focus on the last 4 games of last season when we lost our way, but cast your memories back to the 08/09 play off win. We ended with 10 points from the last 4 games, but with the 4 games prior to that we disastrous and cost us automatic promotion. So I suppose the point I'm making here is that whilst one big win isn't proof of certain promotion, neither is a two or three week bad spell a sign that we need to start loosing our heads and changing the management yet again.
I also meant to say that we should enjoy the moment and turn up the noise at home next week. We're expecting the team to perform week in week out, without playing our part and making Priestfield as intimidating for the opposition as it used to be.
I may be a hull fan, but I am a football lover and enjoy trawling across the boards to see what is going on in the world of football, brb you started a fantastic discussion and I wish we could see people on other boards with your passion, Gemini thankyou for taking my comments as meant and not a personal slating of gillingham fc and not just looking for a row like the other boards seem to do. I'm going to clear off back to the hull board now but as a Kent lad I'll keep a check on the results and hope they go your way and who knows mayb I'll pop into the cricketers for a pint and a game cheers lads
Everybody is welcome to the Gills board. I just like to understand what is behind those comments if I don't agree/understand them. All the best to Hull for the season.
