Lovell has put his head on the block. Looks like Lovell has had enough. He has sent players home during training after the Plymouth game. If we lose on sat he will be gone. Only hope he has got is if they go on a long unbeaten run starting saturday.
My first thought when I saw PS's message was that it was the first stage of preparing to fire SL. He's not stupid and knows that public criticism of staff members can only be interpreted one way. He might want to blame the players, but he's not going to sack them, so there's only one other place left to go. I've seen the not unfavorable comments from Plymouth contributors regarding Tuesday's result, but the bottom line is we lost and apparently never looked like being on the pace. Putting in a decent performance once every 6 or so games isn't going to do the job.
Ok, I'm going to play devils advocate here with the Chairman. If you sack Lovell who the hell is going to replace him! We don't have any money for starters, and if you do, why hasn't SL got it? The pitch probably took our last coppers out of the jar, the very same pitch that injured our budget players. Can you see the problem here, not the manager but the circumstance of events. I wished i could just mysteriously appear with 300-400k without taking a loan, amazing, I suppose at least we have greener grass. I clearly said last season, the team we had were a shower of shhite, Lovell did a good job with a bad bunch. The only mistake the guv made was getting rid of Wagstaff. So who do i blame...YOU Mr Chairman! You ain't got the brass, sowing grass seed is expensive business these days, simple as that, or if you have you are not splashing the cash. That's not a problem, not a problem for me anyway, might be for a lot of supporters, L1, L2 or even Non League, I don't care, but let's not go round in vicious circles. Either flash that money or be happy with your lot. The media report Tuesday was embarrassing, great let's join the bandwagon and slate the team publically, Plymouth fans are insulted and so am I. I assume you realise a good portion of the supporters that travelled to Plymouth would have been ST Holders, my logic has not worked out yet your pointless offer, how a free ticket benefits them, but maybe i'm just being a bit thick. I assume you know the supporter coach broke down Tuesday, guess any help would have been much appreciated at the time, but i doubt you keep up todate with social media events. I've always supported Scally, despite some of the crap in his direction, but i'm not going to let SL be used as a scapegoat for our own club inadequacies financially. Anyway, some straight talking, if you sack Steve Lovell, you might as well walk with him, i'd refer you to my dead parrot sketch but it would probably go right over the top of your head. Oh well, I said i was playing devils advocate, so go pick the bones out of that furnace. Any one got Maddogs telephone number?
SL does sometimes make strange decisions, Lacey played in our win at Portsmouth and the draw at Doncaster, then he ends up on the bench at Plymouth. The good news is that after our trouncing of Bradford on Saturday sparks a 6 game unbeaten run, all this will be forgotten.
You think Lovell's got it bad - In the last two days I 've had a camel take food out of my hands, been caught up in a spitting contest in Jerusalem market - been stopped and searched by Israeli police, Mrs always has been groped ( not sure if she didn't enjoy it ), then -- whilst in a massive queue, Mr. Stroppy, directly in front of me went into a mad rage - flailing his arms and threatening to punch and kill the next person who pushed him. ... I asked if he was a member of the Palestinian branch of GFC supporters club... He certainly appeared to be less cheerful than most of us.,...,.. ( I 'll be back next week -- for some real misery ) -- lose to Hartlepool - and it will be Lovell who will be hung - not a monkey
What a brillant second half saves Lovell. We were very lucky first half should have been 2 or 3 down. Lets hope we can get some more luck and score some more great goals and go on a good run.
Another 3 points. Makes it 2 wins in a row. Another home match on tuesday hopfully will make it 3. 7 goals for 0 against. No one saw that coming
Well to be honest after the first two games I would have seen it coming, but after those opening two games there has been an awful mess. This team has the ability to do well (let's not dream of playoffs etc) but it needs to settle down and get some 'internals' sorted out.....not least player contracts that need to be extended.
I am very happy with results and goals for but i am not going overboard. In both matches we got the rub of the green at the right times. May it continue as we did not get much earlier in the season.
He's certainly bought himself some time. On paper we were expected to beat Bradford (not that that really means anything the way that things often work out), but I've been impressed with Fleetwood's form so far this season so that looks like a better result, regardless of performance. At least we didn't concede against Fleetwood, and that surely counts for something. The bottom line is though, that we're still only 3 points and 5 goals above the relegation zone, albeit with a game in hand, so Tuesday's result is pretty crucial. This recent upturn has coincided with the return of Bingham and Charles-Cook - any coincidence?
Tim, We won our fist two games with Charles-Cook and Hanlan in the side. Then these guys get injured and and our results suffer. We also needed some creativity in midfield. At the same time, Eaves started to go 'wide' instead of being in the middle (( chasing the ball - which wasn't being fed to him.)) It is no coincidence that since C-C & Hanlan have returned - with the bonus of Oldaker, all of which has allowed Eaves to get back in the middle - and Hey presto it's raining goals. (( It also helps to have someone like List - who is an ideal 'super-sub. )) I hope that these influential players can continue to be injury free. They aren't world-beaters, but possess enough skill to make Gills more than a useful side in L1. We need to ensure that we give Eaves a proper contact, and to tie in Oldaker - to ensure that we don't let him go as cheaply as Dack.
You make your own luck in football, Hanlan's goal came from putting the defence under pressure and his incredible turn of speed. Fuller has helped defensively, but I also think there has been a tactical change in defence. has no one else noticed that O'Neil and Fuller are coming inside and the midfield are covering the fullback positions a lot of the time.
Have to say that that in the only game I've seen this season - Rochdale - Hanlan was the best player on the pitch when he came on for the last few minutes. Then when I though he was fit again he wasn't being selected. Maybe at last (injuries permitting) SL has got an idea of his best team, and best formation. That certainly didn't seem to be the case earlier in the season. Think you comment about the influential players staying injury free is spot on. We don't have the depth of squad to have any replacements for them.
Lovell saved job few weeks back. Now job back on the line. Another poor performance home to Luton. Whats worse was he thought we were unlucky. Anyway big match tomorrow against another struggling team in Bristol Rovers becomes vital. Lose that one and possibly lose to non league Slough and i think he will be gone. The players turned up last time to save job, need to do it again.
I'm not so sure. We all know the squad limitations that he has to work with, and there's supposed be more quality there this year than last. Perhaps the quality of other teams has improved as well, and probably this is just about our level at the moment. I'm beginning to think that in fact squad development and tactical stability are going to be more important in the short / medium term (max to end 20/21 season) than actually staying in L1 at the moment. If the team keeps on putting in the effort (2nd half and extra time against Hartlepool, NOT the first half) and the quality of play slowly improves (less hoofball, and especially predictable long balls from O'Neill - sorry, but got it in for him at the moment after last Wednesday), then a season or 2 in L2 maybe wouldn't be a disaster. However that would only be the case if we get out of L2 in a couple of seasons and make some decent money on transfer fees in the meantime. Ultimately we'll be in a much better position if we keep concentrating on youth development and accept that we'll lose our best players, but make money on them, and stay as a L1 club medium term. You might say that lacks ambition, but without money, ambition at this level is a pipe dream. What it will do make us is a viable financial concern, which is what PS needs to achieve if he wants to sell the club. The development side of things is happening and although we're already seeing the benefits of that, it's not something that's going to be able to change the fortunes of the club overnight. I can understand that if the plan I've laid out above IS actually in PS's mind that he doesn't want to make it openly public. It's not good for supporter morale to talk about considering relegation as many supporters (and especially those not on fans forums) don't think much beyond the last match, never mind the next one. But the closest PS has got to to saying that is his comment that the business plans and budgets don't differ significantly between L1 and L2. The only problem is that we all know it's easy to keep slipping, and to get relegated out of the FL altogether would undoubtedly be a disaster. The big question is whether SL is the man for whatever medium term plan PS has for the club, whatever that may be. If my reading of the situation is correct then it may not matter if we get relegated. This season SL has been concentrating his after match comments significantly on performance and effort, and my own view is that providing PS is seeing those qualities improve, especially in younger players, then SL will still be here next season, whatever division we're in.
Tim I understand the sentiments of your post. I am also realistic about the prospects of The Gills- and know that, in our present financial position, those prospects are not great. You will appreciate that, for many people, football is all about results ---- it can also be said that performances will bring results - and that, in general, our results reflect the level of performance. Not too many people have the patience to tolerate the sort of results we have had -- in what is now a third season in a row where we will be fighting to avoid relegation. Our attendances this season, show that a lot of people have had enough. I can understand their reaction, especially as too many players have been guilty of not giving 100%. In times of austerity, people are becoming intolerant of players 'not trying.' -------- with every respect to your good self, you don't have to endure the quantity of rubbish that has been prevalent at Priestfield (( first half at Hartlepool is all too common .)) It's very noble to talk about loyalty - but - that virtue is a rare commodity in modern times. Many [absent] Gills' fans will defend their decision to stop attending games by stating that they have given plenty of loyalty in recent years ---- and if you paint the future as bleak as you (rightly) have, the same 'fans' will also have the same outlook. It would be difficult to argue against their continued absence for the foreseeable future ----- I have Gills in my blood. I have completed some outrageous stunts to be able to go to a game - including discharging myself early out of hospital to get to a match ! --- but -- even I am reaching my breaking point. I had intended on going to Bristol tonight - but - after the crap I saw at Oxford, followed by the obvious lack of effort against Luton (( only beginning to 'break sweat' when 0-3 down )), I have decided to stay in with mrs. alwaysright and write a few Christmas cards and wrap a few presents together - (( otherwise I won't be allowed to watch Champions League football )). I won't have spent most of today on the road - and won't have lost most of a night of sleep -- and saved myself a load of cash........ and I don't feel one bit disloyal !
I agree it is a results business but i think we would be crazy to get rid of SL. We are seeing some good young players coming through for us, and no one could predict the injuries we were to pick up early season, hence the replacement pitch. If RCC had not got injured maybe our run would have been better. I hear people now, saying well surely we can't evolve around one player! - I'd argue the same about Eaves....and my age old argument re Cody. So yes, people would be right, but don't make it fit when it suits, because quite simply we don't have the money. Get rid of SL what happens next, er, no money equals not anything different. The points came home tonight and that's what happens when you keep the faith.
I take your point that my post was more about financial stability than on field success, but the inference was that providing we are financially stable then we will be able to put further investment into the squad and achieve greater success. It's an acknowledged fact that, PL aside, it's better be a successful team in a lower division than a struggling one in a higher division, and we all have expectations of what is an acceptable level of performance. even at this level. I would certainly take issue (or more!) with anyone who accused you of being disloyal. You, along with 3,000 or so other core supporters are the ones that the club should reward first. I think that point is sometimes lost on the marketing team. But loyalty is all about following the club through thick and thin. That doesn't mean going to every home game, let alone buying season tickets and travelling to away games, but at least getting to as many games as you realistically can, home or away, regardless of the level at which your team is playing.
