Now before I get into what I want to say I just want to make 2 things clear, I support Martin Allen in his role as manager and feel that Paul Scally has done a very good job as Chairman in his time with us and that can never be forgotten or belittled. However, I don't think anyone can say that the start to the season as been ideal or what many expected. Against Colchester we lost 1-0 to a very late goal and I will admit there is some misfortune in that but if it was a boxing match I feel that would have been won on points by them not us, so to me I don't accept its just 'bad luck' that we lost that match. That is only one match in a Season of 46 so it was really a case of you win some you lose some, even though it was very disappointing. The last two games against Bristol City and Wolves have been games that I personally never expected to win so honestly I really don't mind the losing as if you were to look at the fixtures at the start of the year you would have probably put them down as losses. Putting it this way we have just lost a fairly even match to an impressive looking equal in Colchester and been beaten by two far superior teams (lets not lie to ourselves). Not good but not awful right? Not quite. I won't go back over the well trodden ground of summer recruitment but it seemed to many to leave us without many options that we may need. Looking at the fixture list with Brentford, the Swine, and then Bristol City again in the next three games I fear we may be in a position of played 5 lost 5 (in the league) if our level of performance continues as it is. Granted this is hypothetical but still probable and I fear what may happen if this comes true, some of the ogres on Kent Online are already calling for MA's head and I not for one minute think that is the right idea but I feel the mood around Priestfield could get quite tense if we are without a point after about a ninth of the season. I know this is all a bit negative but I do feel we have to face the reality as we have a paper thin squad which seems to be getting thiner by the day and those player we do have, have failed to cover themselves in glory this year (Mr. Legge if you would be so kind as to step forward). Hopefully we sign a few more in the coming weeks and we get something out of the next few games and people look at this in a week or so chuckling at my skeptical outlook but it has to be said that in a short time, in my mind we have gone from potential play off chaser to relegation dodgers. By all means dispute this view and I would be more than pleased to see positivity but I am more than a fair bit anxious about the way this season may pan out as last time we were in this league we won 5-0 on opening day and still went down so god only knows what fate awaits us this year!
Can I just point out that I am not script writer for gfclukey - for a start I am unimpressed by some tactics employed by MA, and as far as Mr.Scally is concerned - a good businessman in the mid 90s - convinced creditors to take a pittance to write off what they were owed by the Club - which has gone on to acquire 'new' debts - which, if we believe some figures were (are) about £12million. Where is this debt - it hasn't just gone away..... so I am sceptical as to just how much of Mr.Scally's own money he has put into the club ( and what is still owed & can come back to reward us with -10 ).......... I digress.... I mostly agree with the OP. Let's hope that, as with the last time we were in L1, we have 10 points after 7 games.
I am finding it all quite amusing seeing this face of change in supporters (not you gfclukey), the contrasts from last season to this. The hilarious revolving doors of Gillingham Football Club. Fourth Division to Third and at some point back down again. That is the reality of who we are aside from all the dreams of the armchair customer who turns up once in a while, whilst at other times jumping out of his or her chair at every SKY Super Sunday or whatever it is called these days. On Saturday against Wolves, I was trying to pinpoint what actually went wrong but my analysis drew to no conclusion at the time. Yes, I could reflect once again back to the controversy of my 'youth v experience' thread, which was dismissed through the smoke in chatter of 'smashing league one' - the dream being achieved after 49 years in picking up champions silverware, but that is as good as it will ever get folks. The analysis eventually concluded a day later. We don't have the millions of ex Premiiership clubs, we will never attract 19,000 plus for a league one game...now Martin Allen gets my support in the same way as managers before him. Just please dispense with the hoof ball and at least try for one game, Bayo with Cody. Everything has been all but a dream, maybe Scally's dream and edged on by MadDog's ever forthcoming TV appearances, but in my eyes we are but a mere small lower league club, currently punching above our weight against teams such as Wolves, while failing in our ability against teams such as Colchester. We certainly have a reasonably decent following of our own, while supporters such as myself, desperately try to hang on to football's traditions in the City of Medway. However, we are now in the era of modern football, where orderly lines are formed to enter a ground and take to your seat. A football era that has left me behind. The only difference being I will still be here fighting vocally my corner and traditions, I will still be here even if in a couple of seasons we were to fall from grace to become a Conference league side or whatever fancy name it is given these days. While mulling back over my own separate conclusions, where have the 11,000+ disappeared too from our trophy winning anniversary. Don't be fooled by the attendances this season which will include the early birds of 3,000+ season ticket holders, that is unless you can keep them the next season and then the season after that. The Chairman may have a short memory but regular supporters, the bread and butter do not, while I still await a courteous email. As for Martin Allen I'll stick my neck out and say we should extend his contract. Sorry what's that...mad you call me? I heard no one complaining last season, despite my opposition to certain transfer moves. MadDog has come here and now instilled his own personnel and style on the club, I really don't want to go through the rebuilding again of a new manager over another two seasons, now he needs to finish the job and do what he promised to do... If not this season, next, smash league one, he knew the budget back then. No good trying to delude me or anyone else with the crazy eye talk on national tv. You don't fool me but you do make me laugh with your humour. We might have to do it all eventually by the lottery of playoffs, where a one off game might just see us through. That's as good as the dream will get. Then Mr. Scally can build better on the increased revenue or do a runner, only he knows the answer to his plans and future while we get ever closer to nothing more than dreams for the dizzier heights of pampers league football. Everyone else's dreams I hasten to add, not mine.
I'm a simple chap with simple idea's, You win football matches by scoring more goals than the opposition, we don't look like scoring and seem a long way from keeping a clean sheet. (a few 1 - 0 wins are fine by me) We need to take small steps and I would start with playing to avoid defeat, shut up shop, frustrate the opposition, siege mentality, do this and the goals will come. I will never except going into a game expecting to lose, Wolves only had 11 men on the field at one time it's what the FA cup dreams are made of, if supporters are looking at losing before a ball is kicked what does that say to the players, no team is better than us until after the final whistle.
I do not think that losing away to Wolves is any big deal. What are they doing in this league for God's sake? Someone should have been sacked! Oh, that's right...they were. My personal harbinger of potentential doom was the Woking result. After 'Work,Rest and Play' with endless chicken salads in La Belle France followed by quality sides to try out against in Ipswich,Millwall and Palace, we failed to demonstrate big time our readiness for the new season at Woking. The following three games have confirmed that the Woking match was not a one off. I wonder what the coaches are now saying to each other behind closed doors? Finally, what is MA's true feelings about pairing Bayo & Cody? Is he making them endure a long and sexless engagement sharing longing glances from the pitch to bench and vice versa. When he finally allows their union does he expect a fusion of fireworks to ignite their long awaited appearance with a hat trick a piece? I suspect MA fancies himself as a bit of a psychologist, or does he simply not want their partnership to flourish because it was originally created by Hessie and not by him?
Cmon guys how about a bit of optimism v Clochester a bit of bad luck V Bristol Okay maybe MA dont wanna be in the comp due to small squad size V Wolves who expected us to win anyway We are only two games in and the FL computer has given us a tough start. It made the display against Colchester all the more frustrating because we all no what was coming next in the fixtures. We have a decent core of a squad . We have been promoted from this division before and are more than capable of beating some of the teams in this div MA may well be Mad but he is not stupid. He got us promoted and will keep us up ...That I am sure about ...I think...maybe
Why do people keep saying they never expected anything from the 1st 4/5 games, remember we have to play these teams twice, are you really suggesting we should give up on 30 points without any expectation of gaining even a few. It's all about mental attitude, if you go into games expecting to lose then what's the point, if we were playing Chelsea or ManU on Saturday I would go to the game expecting us to pull of a win. Who expected us to beat Wolves, I did.
This all rather depends on your expectaion levels for the season. Mine are reasonably low, if we finish mid table we would probably of done rather well with the limitations of the squad. Wolves away will probably be the hardest fixture of the season not really any great surprise we lost. Colchester was a tight game and I think we will have plenty of those this season. UTG
Whilst I did hold out a faint hope that we might be able to grab something spectacular at Wolves after their indifferent start to the season, it was a hope rather than an expectation. What did disappoint me (other than the 'beer' on sale in the only pub in Wolverhampton that was open to away fans) was the tactics deployed by the Gills. It was obvious that they were playing to orders, but at 3-0 down after half an hour it doesn't take a genius to work out that the plan isn't working, and at that point, if not before, surely the captain must take the initiative to make some changes if the manager doesn't. But it was still long ball out of defence, bizarre when when you've got a not very rapid Kedwell playing as centre forward, and Cody playing frequently too far away from him, and everyone back for the (numerous) Wolves corners. Defensively the first goal was the killer, with both Legge and Barrett standing off Griffiths, allowing him time to control the ball and get his shot away. After that the reverse seemed to happen too frequently, with both Legge and Barrett going for the same ball, thus leaving space which was willingly exploited by forwards of the quality that Wolves had available. It was only after Dack came on that Gills were able to get a little bit of control and time in the midfield, but I still think that the 44% possession given on BBC Sport match report flatters Gills. As either BSG or Leedsgill commented in the car on the way back up, the territory figure would be the really telling one - we spent a lot of the match in our own half. Yes, it is a long season, but we cannot afford to get cut adrift at the bottom end of the table, and the light in the sky that heralds the dawn seems already to be a worryingly long way away.
