Ref for Saturday is Darren Bond, he has issued 32 yellow and 2 Reds in 8 games so far this season. He has only been in charge of a Vale home game once...when we beat them two nil last Sept ironically. Fingers crossed for a similar scoreline. 12 out of the 17 in the squad that day wont be involved on Sat. Amazing how things change in just over a Year Cant imagine there being any changes from the Tuesday starting lineup to be honest, unless Gregory doesnt recover from his knock. COYG
Also a hint in the press conference that SDK may have a tight hamstring but didnt sound too serious COYG
I will be making the trip to Port Vale so will be hoping to bring home some points. Also Chatham Town's big day tomorrow and I know a lot of Gills fans have mentioned they will be going...so good luck to them and hopefully see them in the first round proper against The Gills. Nelson Harriman, Davies, Barrett, Martin Whelpdale, Linganzi, Lee Keds Dack, Weston Will never happen but that's my selection
I think Gillingham will line up as follows....................... --------------------------Nelson---------------------------------- Harriman--------Legge----------------Barrett----------------Martin -------------Hollands----Gregory-----------Lee-------------------- Weston--------------------------------------------------Whelpdale ------------------------Akinfenwa---------------------------------- Subs: Howard (GK), Davies, Linganzi, Dack, McDonald, Kedwell, German Danny Kedwell has a tight hamstring so there is some doubts if he will start tomorrow after playing 180 minutes in the previous two home games, Cody McDonald could start up top but I think we will replace one physical striker with another and play Adebayo Akinfenwa up top. Port Vale have got a very wide playing surface and I think Peter Taylor will stick with the 4.5.1 formation that we have been playing in the last two home games, I don't like the idea of Danny Hollands and Steven Gregory starting together in the same midfield, but I don't think Peter Taylor can make any changes to the squad player wise unless he knows he has got the managerial position on a permanent basis. ( And I think he will get it depending if we stay unbeaten in the next three league games). I will be going to the game tomorrow, but I know so many Gillingham Supporters who will be cheering on Chatham Town or going to The Ebbsfleet United V Dartford game that this could well be Gillingham's lowest away support on a Saturday for quite a few years - I glad take a draw now but I would love to see Gillingham pick up all three points - COME ON YOU GILLS
I would take a point at Port Vale tomorrow.They had a great result at Crawley who looked really good when we played down there.It will be a tough game,so I would be delighted with a point if offered now.
I think Fan of Mulligan has probably got it spot on there. I personally would swap Weston and Whelpdale but FOM's XI is probably how Taylor will set us out.
Wanted at least a draw today and thought we were good enough to get a point but by the sound of the second half we didn't deserve it and we gave the game away which is rather annoying as we keep on doing that Hopefully our luck will come and we will put a good run together, before the season ends and it is too late.
Today's journey was hard to bear. Only got to the game practically dead on kick off...from 9am - 3pm is not funny due to pointless annoying hold ups and as for a particular bunch of six youths in Vale...well...words I cannot repeat on a family forum.
Taylor is to see Scally this week about strengthening the team http://www.kentsportsnews.com/taylor-wants-new-faces-at-gills-27-10-2013/
Nelson - flapped for a second game. England's number one normally pulling off miracles is currently league one average. Harriman - pace but needs to get stuck in. Also for yet another game seen the opposition holding in our corner near the end. Quite simply and this also applies to Joe take them out. Martin - same as Harriman needs to get stuck in and take a few yellows...teams are just taking the p out of us. Hollands - get rid. Barrett - did ok but sometimes seems to be getting caught out and hits the deck. Legge - good performance if it was not for his ability in the air we could have easily been 3-1 down at half-time instead of a 1-0 lead. Well done. Whelpdale - MOM for me for a second game. Linganzi - young and needs to gain more experience but right choice to choose him over Gregory. Let's nurture this guy. Weston - plenty of pace and ran and ran again...but his pace is to no avail when the team cannot keep up because they are playing too deep. Plus Weston looked knackered after each run. Fitness maybe? Kedwell - usual work horse. Let the young lads take the front role. Lee - ok, one of my favourite's but sadly no praise for this game...I hate to say it but the correct substitution but should have been part of that final quarter. Dack -pace, enthusiasm...let's get this young lad starting German - another youngster I like to see given a chance McDonald - the make up of a good young trio, we had lots more to offer when PT made these changes...if the trio had been brought on earlier we may have salvaged a point.
Thing is brb we can't really justify playing Kedwell in midfield when he has scored 5 goals in his last 5 games as a striker.
Broadly agree with brb's assessment. Lee had one of his less effective games, and I'd have preferred to have seen Dack come on a bit sooner, certainly after conceding the second goal as we were being overrun in the midfield and needed a creative outlet, but from what I've seen and heard about Lee's performances this season there's no way he shouldn't be starting, preferably with Dack as Hollands was notable by his anonymity yesterday, and doesn't seem to contribute a great deal. But what we really need is a midfield player who is capable of 'seeing' the game and helping control the midfield. In fact someone like Jack Payne..... I also agree that Linganzi looks promising, but is obviously still learning and probably needs more game time. He looked competent against Wolves (when the rest of the team were pretty woeful), and yesterday put in a good-ish performance. He still loses possession (either through inaccurate passing or being tackled) more than is ideal, but he seems to have a little more time on the ball than some players, which is never a bad trait. What was disappointing to see was that after we went 2-1 down (after intense pressure from Port Vale who really came out of the blocks on fire in the second half) we seemed to revert more to the long ball game. When you're under constant attack obviously you want to get the ball out of the danger area, but unless you've got an effective outlet at the front, all the hoof does is give the back to the opposition round about the half-way line, and after another 20 seconds you're back where you started. At the end we might have stolen a draw, but overall PV were the better side, and their players were generally more comfortable with the ball than Gills. This was not a poor performance from Gills, but there's obviously work to be done, and I'm not convinced that certain individuals have the necessary assets to survive, let alone prosper, at this level.
The Gills PegLeg - a very valid point and of one I would not disagree, however, we should be playing as a team and each player within his role. If he is covering defence, through to midfield and finally a striker role...then something is wrong. This is not a criticism of Keds but the set up. If he is getting 5 goals as a workhorse then he should be getting 10 if we had a decent midfield. Cody came on yesterday and hassled the keeper and was waiting and poaching, with the energy of Dack in support it will push the opposition back which we seem to fail to do by playing to deep. I've kept on about this front line but it was evident for all the see when the changes were made. It wouldn't work in L2 but we are in L1 and until we start replicating the energy of other teams, we will stay in trouble. The biggest asset on the pitch yesterday was Leon Legge at the back, Barrett is there to support so if Keds is also having to do it, then there must be a weak link and we can't just blame midfield in front of goal mouth.
We have a few problems that need to be resolved, Players tire quicker defending than attacking, as yet we have failed in all 14 games to have even equal possession let alone more. Yesterday saw us have 2 shots on target from 11, against 8 for Vale from 13, professional footballers should at least get it on target. Failure to put pressure on the ball allows the opposition time for a pass/shot, are they trained to keep backing off. Lack of movement off the ball forces passes that are easily telegraphed/cut out. Defence! I don't know what to say, we certainly seem poor at man marking but also poor at marking zones, why do the opposition always have a spare man.
Fair play to those points. On a separate note though can I actually ask what happened to your coach? As plenty of Port Vale fans are calling me a liar after I told them that your bus was attacked. Was it the same coach you went back on or was it a replacement?
Six youths...carrying beer glasses attacked the door of our coach, which caused the coach to become immobilized. The bang was so loud, I thought the driver had actually hit a bollard at first. It happened on the main road through the shops (high st is it). We had to walk the final 10 minutes without any security through the Vale fans, remember this is considering what had just happened and lads obviously looking for a fight. I hasten to add I did not see club colours, so people can draw their own conclusions. They headed off in the same direction as the ground, although it does not mean they attended the game. There was no police presence so basically no one challenged the youths at what they had just done.
