My Honest Assessment

I am surprised at how quiet it is here today after what I think was one of the most gutless performances I have seen from a Gillingham side since the days of Flanagan or Roeder. I am concerned about the style of play and the tactics being employed by our coaches, two men for whom I have the upmost respect and who will always be welcome at our club for their achievements in the past.

But this about the here and now, in my opinion we need to make changes now in order to give us the best chance of surviving. Last time we were relegated from this division Mark Stimsons much maligned side played some great football at home (wins over Leeds and Southampton have lived long in the memory) but we stuck with him when it was clear he could not get the team to play away from Priestfield and ended up going down on the last day of the season.

We have now had 3 successive defeats and only 1 win in the last 8 matches, we have not won on our travels in the league this season and only twice this year. I don’t like sacking manager after manager, and I would love us to have some continuity, but in order to persevere with your manager you must have some progression and I don’t see that at the moment. I believe that there is more than enough talent in our squad of players to more than survive in this league, but something is stopping that from happening and it appears to be the management /coaching/tactics that are not working.

 

I think it is always difficult for members after a bad performance, simply because more comment are always applied to negativity, than positivity, it is human nature. Thankfully members are being reserved, than see a freefall of comments. Albeit there is a thread where members had aired some views, re midfield.

But my own thoughts coming away from the game...Taylor now needs a win away from home, the longer we go without one, the more desperate and difficult it becomes. Yes, Stimmo springs to mind as you have highlighted. I actually liked Stimmo's style (at home) far more than i can bear with PT.

Yet, we have got it together and i see no reason why we can't again. There are some good prospects out there in the team, Egan without doubt, Bywater has stepped into a difficult act to follow, brilliantly. Loft is a good captain, putting aside differing views on yesterday. Then we have the likes of Hessy (did not play yesterday), Dack and Davies. Linganzi put in a decent shift. Martin did his normal consistent job.

So where are the question marks...now i know some will not agree but McGlashan again has given me doubts, he's not a headless chicken like Weston, he just needs to be quicker (can't get out of my head how he was done against the Posh) and look at his movement. Yesterday a couple of times he turned into the centre of problems instead of taking the open space on the wings. So for yet a second home game in three i see failings. Maybe it is time he was dropped, but problem is i know the guy can turn it on.

Cody...well best i avoid that debate unless someone else wants to dare take it up...and yes Norris was no better. However, at least Cody is chasing down the keeper again. When things are uniformed and strong, you need to chase in the hope of causing them to make a mistake. Cody do what you do and breath down the keeper's neck...yes, wasted energy but yesterday he didn't do much else with it.

 

I think the first 30 minutes was not to bad, not spectacular but ok, then Loft gets dismissed and Taylor fails to change things around.

So the players are at fault for the misplaced passes and lack of fight but equally Taylor is at fault for failing to respond to the situation as it developed.
The decision to replace Pritchard at half time was correct but failed to address the light weight midfield, with morris at right back why didn't Taylor put him in the midfield (his position) and bring on a new full back, why didn't he take off Norris and strengthen midfield.
I think we are capable of surviving this league but only if we have a plan "B" so far Taylor has shown a distinct lack of tactical awareness or ability to change things when plan "A" isn't working.

 

Think when dealing with situations like this it is important to look at the context surrounding it and use that to make your decision as looking at a one off result might be a bit short sighted. It is nearly a year to the day since MA was sacked and Taylor was brought in, league table wise we seem to have shown no improvement and even a small downturn. Now I am not saying that getting rid of Mad dog was the wrong choice but honestly we don't seem to have gone anywhere since and after the preseason promise we once again seem to be relegation dog fighters. I also don't like the idea of constant change but I can't see a multitude of different tactics to tackle different teams and simply seem to try and 'square peg round hole' teams tactically. I don't know where the wins are coming from, under Stimson we were so erratic with so many good (in my mind at least) attacking players in Jackson, Barcham and Weston to name a few that you always thought we might get something but right now I don't know where it will come from Doug Loft runs that team but with him missing for 3 games the midfield looks let to go all at see without his calming influence and with Cody our only real proven fit striker the goals aren't exactly going to be flying in if he isn't getting the assistance. Why we didn't keep Bayo will always remain a mystery to me, someone who partners Cody so well and whos game is based around control and physicality, two aspects of his game that aren't likely to diminish over the next two years but I digress. Simply we haven't got enough up top to score the goals we need and why we didn't get a loan signing to cover Kedwell is beyond me. I wouldn't be saying Taylor out just yet but this weekend is a huge one for me another away game against a recently promoted team that if we lose it and drop into the relegation zone after 4 league defeats on the trot I think maybe Mr. Scally should ready the forms.

 

Hi to yesterday's extra 2,000 fans! Guess we wont be seeing you for a while now.
Sir Keefy - your powers of prediction are frightening. how do you do it?

 

What was with the attendance yesterday, was it this change in ticket pricing that brought them in or was there another event going on....I'm getting too old for all these kids LOL

 

I will put yesterday in my top 20 of miserable afternoons at the mighty Priestfield. I though it was quite an even game before Loft got sent off but from then on total non-event as far as the Gills were concerned. We conceded soft goals and chased shadows and never looked liked scoring or getting anything out of the game. A lot of poor performances and a lack of effort from some players which was quite concerning. We really miss Kedwells energy and commitment so hopefully he will be back very soon. Anyway lets consign yesterday`s game to the rubbish bin and move onwards. Cmon u Gills!

 

You know, I think that the majority of players that Taylor has signed are perfectly adequate for this division,the exceptions in my opinion being Norris and Dickenson. What makes it so frustrating for me, is Taylors tactics. Against Scun thorpe, they have a corner and everyone is in our penalty area. The ball comes in, we clear it up field to a defender who then sets up another attack straight away. Scun thorpe,even in their lowly position, when we had a corner left TWO players on the halfway line. This immediately made us bring 3 players out of the penalty area to defend a breakaway, meaning we were light on numbers in an attacking position. Norris and Cody are playing far to far apart and we all know that Cody needs a partner to play near him to set up chances. Why,oh why didn't we sign another forward,if not in the summer,but certainly when Kedwell was injured. When Keds comes back, there is no guarantee he will stay injury free for long,especially as players coming back from injury, often pick up knocks and hamstrings which then keep them out for a while. We shouldn't be surprised by Taylors tactics,we were warned when he took over by plenty of fans at his previous clubs that he prefers to play defensive football and hope for a breakaway. It didn't work for them, and it won't work for us.

 

More and more I am pleased I no longer go to Priestfield after their disgraceful mistreatment of me and mine.

I said back when it happened getting rid of MA was a stupid knee jerk decision. He is currently sitting pretty, top of the league with Barnet, the fact some of the players didn't like being told what to do so they wanted him gone is a testament to stupidity, I wonder how many of them if asked now would they rather be sitting in the playoff spots or higher under MA or nigh on bottom under a nice guy what they would pick? Hindsight is a cruel mistress.

Taylor/Hess is not the right combination to lead us forward, I forsee a sacking at Christmas and a battle in the new year. Although if of course Taylor goes we all know who will be made manager on a contract till the summer and then be given a years deal after; Hess. Taylor must be a complete idiot to not realise his replacement is standing next to him in the dugout, just the same as he was sat in the stands watching MA's final games.

 

Throwoff your statement about Taylor being an idiot for 'not realising his replacement is standing next to him' is absolutely ridiculous. Shall we look at the facts?

Taylor was out of contract at the end of the season, therefore PS was under no obligation to keep him. So if he wanted Hessy back then why not do it in the summer?

Taylor bought Hess in and had to convince him to take the role, he even got rid of Schofield in order to get him.

Scally sacked Hess back in 2012 when we couldnt get out of League 2, do you really think PS would see if as a permanent League 1 manager?

There's no doubt that Hess would be in temporary charge if Taylor got the boot (which by the way i hope doesn't happen unless absolutely neccesary) but to suggest that it's all a clever plan by Scally to get Hess back in as manager is just plain stupidity.

 

Can't believe i missed your point on Allen as well, my god where do i start.

You realise we were bottom when he got sacked yes? So how do you comprehend we would be in the play offs by now? Also he's top of the league with Barnet, which is great for him and a club i like, but it's the Conference!

Seriously your demeaning comments and constant berating of Taylor is boring, there's criticism that we all level then there's plain ignorance and moaning for the sake of moaning.

I think as a club and fanbase we're lucky you no longer attend games, try supporting the club as it is and always will be as opposed to your warped vision of where we should be.

 

I think the biggest problem on Saturday was complacency, the team and the supporters looked at the league table and thought we had already won.
What we should have done is look further than the table, Scun Thorpe's last 3 results were all narrow loses by just 1 goal against Nott's County, Doncaster, Oldham, with 11 men it was always going to be hard, with 10 it proved imposible.

 

I don't think we were bottom, though were we? I think we were in the same league position now as when Mad Dog went. I can't find any evidence to prove it one way or another, but I'm sure others can.

 

We weren't bottom, we were in 16th, we finished the season 17th and are now 20th, how Taylor can say we're progressing is laughable, we're going nowhere under him and he's taking us for fools.

 

This is a really difficult measure that the thread has turned into comparing PT v MA. I think what gets forgotten with MadDog is we had just started to turn a corner prior to MA's sacking. So the only valid measure we have is that PT kept us up, whether MA would have, can never be known. I was never the greatest supporter of Allen, even when most were singing his praises, my biggest moan about him was the inconsistency in what i saw as promises and reasons around rotation. However, if PT left tomorrow would i be bothered?...well no greater or lesser than the departure of the manager before him. That leads me to Hessy, sometimes during his reign I felt he was weak in his style, yet he did give the youngsters a chance, albeit when backs were to the wall with injuries. But it's about development in a management role, so if i had to make a choice right now between the three as a Chairman, PT, MA or AH, who would i choose. Andy Hessenthaler! Why? I can't for the life of me, bare PT's style and i just have too many issues with MA. Yet, the best style of all at home came prior to those three from Stimmo, but his failing was not winning away...currently q PT

 

I'm wondering if Micky Adams is manager in waiting, as Taylor was last year, because unless we turn a corner pdq, surely he'll walk or be pushed, maybe even as director of football. I think on a slightly positive note, I was happy with the playershe he has brought in (except for Norris and Dickenson), its just that Taylor wants to play too defensively, and that frustates fans and maybe even the players, because it's not producing the results we want, and we're not likely to replicate the crowd we got on Saturday any time soon. How long will Scally put up with falling attendances ?

 

Sack Taylor bring back Maddog it's bloody obvious. Make it happen Scallywag, make it happen.

 

I haven't posted in 3 months you clown, how exactly is not posting on here 'constant berating'

Someone has gone against your opinion so you launch into a diatribe of personal attacks while getting several facts wrong along the way?

Nice posting.

PS, don't you dare criticise my support of the club, as BRB can tell you I had the opportunity to rightfully drag the clubs name through the gutter press over my treatment and chose not to and instead undertake a self imposed exile from the ground because despite everything that happened I still love them. I just don't like the manager.

 

So i'm the clown for backing my club through thick and thin when you're the guy who doesn't come anymore because of a Manager you don't like and a mistake on a idiot stewards behalf, not really fair on the team is it.

I hated Stimson (appreciate that some like him) but I was still there every week.

You've said yourself that you don't come to games anymore, so where is your basis to comment on our style of football or the performances of our players. Why not go onto a forum that talks about whatever it is you do on a Saturday afternoon now. But yea i must be the clown.

 

Can we agree i close this thread please guys....i think its run its course...

I will not close it unless agreed.