Half Way Stage...

26 points having played 23 games, normally i'd say around 51/53 points to stay in this league at least. So SL has half the job done, same again please, without the hinder of having to climb a mountain as he did in the first half of the season.

SL has now built the foundation for survival...

Not sure if this includes the result tonight;

Last 6 matches (HOME AND AWAY)

		GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	2.5+
1	Blackburn	6	6			18	7	+11	18	83%
2	Portsmouth	6	5		1	8	4	+4	15	33%
3	Wigan Athletic	6	4	1	1	13	3	+10	13	67%
4	Scunthorpe	6	4	1	1	10	4	+6	13	50%
5	Bradford	6	4		2	10	8	+2	12	67%
6	Plymouth	6	3	1	2	6	7	-1	10	33%
7	Oldham	6	2	3	1	9	5	+4	9	33%
8	Gillingham	6	2	3	1	8	5	+3	9	33%

 

Our position makes for slightly better reading than could have been expected after the first few games of the season. There is still a lot of room for improvement. We are only just beginning to start to score from some chances in games -- it wasn't too long ago when we struggled to create barely one chance !
Although we have a reasonable defensive record for a team who has been in the bottom four, I am far from convinced by the choice of fullbacks ( partly forced on us by injuries ). When we play with 3 at the back, there is far too much space down our flanks - which the opposition greatly enjoy.
In midfield we could do with the way Bradley Dack is performing at Blackburn. Upfront, Eaves and Parker work hard ( a lesson only just being learned by Wilkinson ), and are probably giving as much as they've got -- which is all I ask of every player.
Under Steve Lovell, the squad is beginning to give some results to encourage the fans. 6 points from two games has helped to make it easier to look at the table. Without those points it would be a bleak Christmas for Gills fans. Much work is still to be done to retain L1 status -- but if we can recruit a couple of (right) players in January, we might yet sneak a play-off place. --- however, on this point -- I feel that the recent revival and comparative success might make Scally reluctant to spend on what he may consider to be an unrealistic hope, and that Scally will gamble ( at least until 31st January ), that we'll be OK with what we've got.

 

It's even better over the last ten league games, we are in 5th place with only Blackburn, Wigan, Scunthorpe, Portsmouth ahead of us.
January has Scunthorpe as the only team above us that we are due to face, we need to make the most of it.

 

I guess you rightly so, would be laughing all the way to the bank if we pulled off a play-off place that gave us hope of Championship football, especially having taken up the offer of a two season STH.

Personally it would be justified reward on the basis it could have been L2 football (and of course still could be).

Watching SL trying to turn this around has been nothing short of a miracle, we was so deep in the poo, that every time we were winning it just seemed no amount of points was moving us up the table. But now the blossom is bearing fruit, however, not to dampen the enthusiasm we need to keep an eye on games played, we are in the driving seat but it's ground other teams could make up, IF they win their games in hand.

We have three massive fixtures coming up, these will tell us at the end of that spell, whether we are going to be good enough to push for play-offs, or just worth our salt to survive for L1 next season, wouldn't it be nice if it could be the former.

 

well before Lovell we would have been in the same position as Bury looking very likely to be relegated. We now look like a team that could beat anyone in the division with a couple of good signings. If we finish in the top half of the table this would have been a good season.
Looks like Ady did sign some useful players with Holy now looking a top keeper after looking very shaky last season. Eaves has been a revelation. O Neil has improved massively last few games as right back. Parker is starting scoring and adds some much needed pace. Zak is class and best defender we have. Bingham before injury also looked good.Nugget has also done well. Two loan signings have also been vital with Claire really impressing. Oglive although not as good has been important with Garmston injured. Bryne Martin Ehmar and Wagstaff have all been good most of the time.

 

I read somewhere on current form if Lovell had been here from the start of the season, we would finish on 79 points which is play off form. With the start we did have under Pennock and Taylor and if our form is to continue then I read that we should finish on between 65 and 68 points which is higher mid table. Would definitely take that considering our start.

 

Great result today - pleased to see that you seem to be on the up now,