To think it was only a few days ago I was looking back on some old Gills write ups I had done, via an old website domain I owned and managed to reset my sign in details. Names like Morecambe and Accrington Stanley, catching my first glance. Before the days of Martin Allen, so I still have to rub my eyes when looking at the League One table now. This cannot be real, I’m going to wake up and find it was all a dream. Gillingham FC never do things the easy way and after waiting for our first championship in 50 years not that many seasons back, surely my decades will pass without ever seeing such an achievement again. My love of lower league football and views of the class divide have been written up on many a time, but here we are the 2015/16 season and yet another new chapter is being written in the history of GFC. Justin Edinburgh, he comes out in his immaculate clean cut look, probably using the same hair stylist as Stuart Nelson, while his team turns out the same clean cut look in pace and vigour. I never thought I would write so highly of my team, but just looking at our line up would be enough to make any Northern voice such as Neil McDonald’s turn gruff as he flusters at his own players down the touchline. It certainly brought a cheer today from my new found temporary position in D block. Maybe the Gods had heard I had given up my season ticket, so thought they would reward me Hereford style, but I had a new trick to keep moving seats, like a lucky charm, although in reality the funding of my love is the real reason and today’s centre line seats were courtesy of my son. While a quick mention for the steward, when I was having a self guided tour of the concourse, within permitted areas, the yellow jacket man decided to politely direct me to the bar! Forty years I’ve been following the shouting men and my eyes are not what they were four decades ago, so at least today I could see both halves better than the referee was having any chance of noticing the pushing and shoving of the Orange men. Even the lino was too blind to move out the way of an oncoming player as he hurtled towards him, although my eyes are not quite that good to see the other side and what truly happened. At least the ref found his card in jest. I’ve done my usual while putting type to word, in ensuring I have not read any other post match reports, to sway my opinion. Not even a radio phone in. I thought Blackpool was the best opposition I have seen at Priestfield this season, they just lacked that finishing touch or maybe Egan and Ehmer are just that unbeatable. I use that last word loosely, because we finally conceded our first Priestfield goal this season, but nice to joke the opposition never scored it! Now I know whenever I write about Cody, it tends to sometimes touch a few nerves, but I write as I see, and today was one of those days, that if Cody had been an opposition player, I would have said the number 15 (Aldred?) had McDonald in his back pocket. But I can feel nerves tingling already, ok, ok, so let’s just say from the first 45 minutes there was no way I ever saw our number 10 breaking loose, twisting or turning pass their big lad at the back. And if Cody had even tempted to fall over Aldred would have busted him. Thankfully the switch was done with minutes on the clock, well about 15 minutes, then GOAL, Dack finding the net yet again. How Mr Scally is going to fend off Premiership scouts, heaven knows, but please let us just hold on to him until the end of season. My opinion, he’s not for sale but I still think 6,231 needs to be improved up on to keep the Chairman’s coffers and pockets happy. I tell you what though, if we are in this position come the end of season and I can’t get a ticket, I will be fuming! As the Blackpool hardened following faithful found today and I am sure might say, we have little tolerance for Glory Hunters. Well I do anyway. Long gone the Pamper days for them, but will they go down? No, I don’t believe so and the last time I said that was a few seasons back when Notts County looked doomed and had a miraculous turn around. Only real question I had from today was who put the handbrake on Jackson? Dickenson just dominated down the wing, turning the opposition inside out even when they attempted attack. Norris free kick spectacular and unlucky, while Loft first goal and won some improvement points with me. Hessy doing his job quietly but seemed a shadow of him self - I’ve always given him praise, so I’m allowed to say that. Nelson did well in the opening minutes, when Blackpool could easily have gone one up. A game that seemed destined for the draw and at one stage seemed a bit rocky for us, came good only 8 minutes of the Cody change, to see Gills 2-1 victors yet again on their home turf. Did we deserve to win it, yes, those final 10 minutes including four of injury time, showed the Gills were always in control, but...it was close.
brb I share your passion for The Gills - but I know that your tongue is firmly in your cheek if you think we are /were immaculate. There appears to be a lot of potential in the squad - great ! - but the 'performance' of today (and last week) was not over impressive, let alone immaculate. I do not wish to disrespect the opposition thus far - regardless of recent 'status' they may have occupied - or the expectation of the media for our opponents, but I do not believe that we have played against the probable best three teams in the division (accepting that Sheffield Utd may be 'coming good'). You may say that we can only play as well as the opposition will permit - and that we remain the only unbeaten team in the league 1 fixtures to date - ( long may it continue ) - but today and last week we didn't play with the intensity that we had previously seen. There were far too many long balls pumped forward - why ? - we have players with quality to play with the ball on the ground. I hope that we can apply a little more of THAT quality - because, whilst it's great to be top of the league- ( AND I would take another 17 points from our next 7 games - with exactly the same 'performances' ), we are a long way short of being immaculate. ( let's hope that at least 22 other teams in L1 remain 'less immaculate' than ourselves).
alwaysright I'm sure you read between my lines, I hinted at several aspects but in a more positive tone other than McDonald. Then the sentence on its own, asking who put the handbrake on Jackson. Now maybe this was some tactical ploy against Blackpool, that he has pace to close down quicker when one at the back, while a certain striker needed the help up front of our big boys. However, the alternative solution was there as I saw it, Dack! As soon has Cody went off and Dack finally closed into a one off Cody position, he turned the defender inside out. Our number 10 sometimes comes all too predictable, over the top, quick turn, little flick, out pace the defender, if that fails fall over. Like i said Aldred would have kicked his butt if he had tried that. Whereas Dack don't need the little repetitive tricks, he has the ability and stamina, vigour and pace as i call it to take on the big lads. Cody didn't play at Coventry and Norwich for a reason, so if we are to make the step up we need to start thinking ahead. We will be lucky to hold onto Dack after this season and there is no way i can see Little Mac making the step up with us, if we do. Because otherwise we will be coming straight back down. Yeah i will get the Cody purists on my back now, but prove me wrong, please prove me wrong. I think JE knows what his starting eleven is now and in my opinion it don't include MC. Just watch he will go and score a hat-trick against Colchester now, good, hope he does, because he certainly needs to stop standing around like a square peg in a round hole. And yes, I agree alwaysright, why have we started lumping balls forward, erm, I think the answer is above. The simple truth is Cody could have cost us two points, if he's not match fit then don't be giving him 75 minutes in a starting line up!
brb Yes - I do read between lines ! With regards to McDonald - as much as I am a fan of him- he has limitations if not partnered to a 'centre forward' who can win the ball against a centre-half. Cody cannot do that. He had great success when we had Akinfenwa in the side. If we are going to deploy the long ball game, we might as well not bother with McDonald - whose skills are more in tune with the ball being passed on the ground. To defend his performance of yesterday - the service he got was awful. When we changed our tactics - reverting to a bit more football on the ground, Dack got into a great position and we won the game. It was the same position in which Norris found himself in the first half - and had a couple of reasonable attempts at goal. If we are to continue to play McDonald - we must play to his strengths.
but i think that's my point alwaysright, do we play to his strengths and build the game/team around him, i hope not whereas Dack is more versatile, imagine swapping Dack and Cody's positions yesterday, like for like, who would have been the better more adaptable player, erm, i guess that is not a question really. We ought to stick a distance covered counter on them. I don't like strikers that just hover, like the Kuffour's of this world, unless you're Gary Lineker of course, jest intended. I liked Akinfenwa for one reason, that is he drew in two or three defenders to hold his frame, not just because he fed Cody, but that was the bonus side of Bayo's actions, much as it is for any club he plays. It's not just a trait reserved for McD, otherwise they would be attached like twins Whelps & Lee, only funning.
Only Cody's 2nd start of the season and brb's getting on his back. The last man brb did that to was a certain Joe Martin, who after those comments went on to be voted in League 2 team of the year when we won the league
Very true my friend, I remember it well. Joe used to irritate me something cronic but Martin Allen I believe was the turn around of his performances. Allowing him to come forward rather than stagnated in position. I think JM's problem is when we had a decent winger, Barcham and Obita I think it was springs to memory, but as soon has we had less able wingers Martin came into his own fulfilling a role tactically set by MA. However, how adaptable is Cody in the same manner, he's not going to get a Bayo up front, our tactics are different now. I'm always happy for a player to prove me wrong and i will be the first one to give praise as I did previously, after all it benefits the club if we can get a player to find the form that suits the team set up. I felt against Blackpool they had done their homework and did it well in silencing the supporters golden boy. You know me Gills PegLeg, never one to hold back on a difference to the majority view.
brb To make my position absolutely clear - I think that McDonald is our most 'natural' striker ( in the same way that Garmston is a more 'natural' fullback rather than Dickenson ) - but - there is NO point in having McDonald in the team if we don't provide a service to him that is in keeping with his strengths. I hate the 'long ball' pumped upfield. THAT tactic has only one chance of working - if you have a centre forward capable of winning a challenge - McDonald is NOT such a player. We should NOT play him with that expectation. Virtually every time HE will lose out. There are not enough occasions when he might get the ball, to create chances - let alone goals, In the first 3-4 games (including away from home ), we DIDN'T 'lump' the ball. We played, from the back - with the ball being passed to players moving into space. We created many chances and scored more ( as well as it being more pleasing to watch). Our goals in these matches were NOT as a result of long ball tactics. Since the return of McDonald, Nelson has, too often, by-passed everyone in the side to pump the ball 'up top.' This tactic has failed - and needs to stop. It doesn't matter who wears the number 10 shirt if he physically has no chance to win the long ball. This tactic is what you expect in 'pub' football. It rarely succeeds enough times to win enough games to succeed. What I've also noticed when we play long balls is that the players are becoming slower to move into spaces - are they becoming reluctant to expend energy if there is no chance of getting the ball ? The one real exception to this is Dack - he gets everywhere - but, then he isn't the one on the 'receiving' end of a ball being launched by Nelson. I believe that we have a squad that have enough quality to achieve considerable success when we play the ball 'on the deck.' So my point is not so much as an advocate for McDonald - but - to get us playing the style of football that is in tune with the strength of the team as a 'whole.' The way we played in those initial games WILL accomodate players as good as McDonald - but NOT if we play our game in the sky. The way we played in those early matches was NOT to play to the strength of just ONE person - but playing to the strength that is possessed by the team as 'ONE'.
I think the whole squad are pants, we've already lost 4 points out of 21 meaning only 1 point ahead of the chasing pack, if they can't do better we need a complete clear out. Ok, maybe that is slightly drastic but where's the fun if you can't be a bit grumpy.
LOL....I know i'm a very bad man for giving a performance opinion on the supporters golden boy. Next time i promise to chant his name at every touch, and applaud him for sitting in someone's back pocket After all who's this Dack guy, let's just get rid and set our team up around Bayo's lost twin, maybe we could bring McCammon back to bring the long ball's down for Cody Mc, my suggestion is already in to the Chairman
I think what needs to be remembered about Cody that he's pretty much missed all of pre-season so he's effectively 2 months behind the other players in terms of fitness and sharpness. Now he is fit he will start getting back up to speed soon in terms of scoring. But if he doesn't score for a while, it's not the end of the world because 1, the rest of the squad is scoring, 2 Norris is hitting the woodwork every game so it's only a matter of time before those hit the net and 3 and probably the most important statistic, Cody scores most of his goals after Christmas. History dictates in that all of his high goalscoring spells, he's scored far more in the 2nd half of the season than in the first. In fact last season I'm pretty sure he only scored 6 before Christmas, whereas he scored 12 afterwards. So if he doesn't score for a couple of games, it's not the end of the world. Come January he will be the best striker in the league again, you watch
Last season I suggested playing Cody with a centre back as partner, with Oshilaja as one of the top scorers this year he would be the perfect target man to get Cody up and running.
I agree. but there has to be an, However, lol, is it right that a player who is not fit and sharp, 2 months behind - not my words and which I notice no one seems to be disputing, is allowed to play for 75 minutes when a valuable 3 points are at stake, that's like putting player before club, when there was other players as in the first three games capable of fulfilling the position. Cody super sub, yes, but 75 minutes, no....just saying
I think there's a simple answer to that question and that's because he is our best striker. If you're Barcelona and Lionel Messi is fit enough to play some part, despite the fact that you're Barcelona you still have to play Messi because he can change the game. Ok the class maybe different but the principle is still the same, you always want to play your best players and Cody falls into that bracket.
Oh come on Gills PegLeg, the team had done superb in the first three games, Cody wasn't even in most people's thoughts of needing to play. It just seems to me as a golden boy he is the be all and end all of every team, to which i disagree. Not having a go at the lad, just saying my view is different to most. And as ive already pointed out his selection for 75 minutes nearly cost us, surely people can remove the smokey haze to see that.
He is still a possible game changer and chance taker. His instinctive ability to be in the right place at the right time has been well catalogued and filmed. I am not saying that the team should be built around him....and he may have to modify his approach work too....however despite the team's great start I feel that there is a place...and I believe an important place for a natural goalscorer in the team.
WINDYROG - I wouldn't dispute that I think the main principle of my debate is in regards to his selection or more so length of time on pitch Saturday. I guess the golden boy supporters would have had a different view if we had lost, and as unlikely has that may seem, it could well have happened, but that's by & by.
We're in agreement. One thing I'd hate to see is that we returned to 'hoof ball'.....we've shown that we're better than that and have pace and youth on our side. Jigsaw pieces and 'best fit'.....
