On another forum, a Gills fan has stated that the team is less than the sum of its' parts !... and that's probably about right.. what new recruitment is needed to help the maths ?
I think that the team is lacking in certain areas - such as a 'natural' striker who can score (fairly) regularly - but - overall there is (on paper ), a decent amount of skill amongst the whole squad to... expect better ! - and that is despite the usual consideration that we're a L2 club with L2 players etc...yet, as a complete unit, we're not delivering to our collective potential.
There can be very few reasons for this underachievement...Most of them must lie with the fault of tactics and / or formation...and that's the remit of Harris - who, as we hear so often, employs tactics that are so negative.
I can admire his 'clean sheet' mentality - but - if all you're doing is defending, eventually you'll concede and lose the game... His defensive mindset means that the players are passing sideways and backwards ( at snail pace ) - too afraid to commit to more dynamic progress upfield...
....and what happens ? the team gets 'squeezed' by the opposition - and retreat - quickly passing back to Turner - who gets 'chased down' and has to lump the ball into the grateful laps of the opposing defenders.
We saw against Morecambe and Mansfield, where Gills are able to play the ball to feet - and move a bit quicker.. It was pleasant to watch ( even if we didn't score many.) We looked as if we were able to at least get into positions where there was a chance to shoot - and if you don't shoot, you can't expect to score.
I understand the mentality of clean sheets - but does that have to be the height of our ambition? - it certainly didn't work at Grimsby - where we only decided to be adventurous from minute 88 (( far too late.))
The squad needs a different mindset if we're going to really trouble the opponents - instead they've nearly fallen asleep by the time we have taken the ball over the half-way line.
That mindset starts with the manager - maybe that's the only new recruitment that is needed to make to make things add up ?
I think that the team is lacking in certain areas - such as a 'natural' striker who can score (fairly) regularly - but - overall there is (on paper ), a decent amount of skill amongst the whole squad to... expect better ! - and that is despite the usual consideration that we're a L2 club with L2 players etc...yet, as a complete unit, we're not delivering to our collective potential.
There can be very few reasons for this underachievement...Most of them must lie with the fault of tactics and / or formation...and that's the remit of Harris - who, as we hear so often, employs tactics that are so negative.
I can admire his 'clean sheet' mentality - but - if all you're doing is defending, eventually you'll concede and lose the game... His defensive mindset means that the players are passing sideways and backwards ( at snail pace ) - too afraid to commit to more dynamic progress upfield...
....and what happens ? the team gets 'squeezed' by the opposition - and retreat - quickly passing back to Turner - who gets 'chased down' and has to lump the ball into the grateful laps of the opposing defenders.
We saw against Morecambe and Mansfield, where Gills are able to play the ball to feet - and move a bit quicker.. It was pleasant to watch ( even if we didn't score many.) We looked as if we were able to at least get into positions where there was a chance to shoot - and if you don't shoot, you can't expect to score.
I understand the mentality of clean sheets - but does that have to be the height of our ambition? - it certainly didn't work at Grimsby - where we only decided to be adventurous from minute 88 (( far too late.))
The squad needs a different mindset if we're going to really trouble the opponents - instead they've nearly fallen asleep by the time we have taken the ball over the half-way line.
That mindset starts with the manager - maybe that's the only new recruitment that is needed to make to make things add up ?
