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Where do we need to strengthen the squad?

Discussion in 'Gillingham' started by AshfordGill, Jun 13, 2012.

  1. AshfordGill

    AshfordGill Active Member

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    OK I know that before we sign any players we will need a manager! But I was looking through the free transfers and was thinking who would we like? For me a left back, centre back and strikers are required, so looking at those available on a free and possibly within our range (so no Drogba or Owen!). Would any of these interest us? LB - James McEveley or Gary Borrowdale, CB - Fitz Hall, Gary Doherty or Sam Sodje, FWDS - Danny Webber, Patrick Agyemang, Freddie Eastwood, James Hayter, Ben Strevens
     
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  2. gavingills

    gavingills Member

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    Think we need pacey wingers and a strikers but then birchall will be like a new signing
     
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  3. alwaysright

    alwaysright @ Very Angry Camel

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    ( on paper ) Birchall & Kedwell should be able to 'feed off' each other - in the same way as Cody & Bayo. I believe that Whelpdale and Lee ( if played in midfield ) should be able to provide the right ball up front. This leaves us with the ( main ) problem of last season - i.e. the defence. We all know that the fullback positions is a particular problem.
    I'm unaware as to the (likely) fitness of Fuller, and I would prefer that Jackman was in midfield instead of left back. So we need cover at fullback and, we probably need another centre back - I believe that there's a chap available who could just fill that position.. Now if only I could remember his name.... hang on I think it's coming back to me.....yes - Oh I remember, Simon King !
    I agree ( have said many times ) - we need somebody with genuine pace - to give us a different dimension - to cause other teams the problems that speed merchhants have caused The Gills.
     
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  4. bristol407

    bristol407 Well-Known Member

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    Two left sided defenders and one person to provide a different option up front and thats it! Steer clear of loan signings (barring emergencies and not ruling out a season long loanee) and there is a good chance of promotion whoever is manager.
     
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  5. BSG

    BSG Well-Known Member

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    We definately need a manager
     
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  6. The Gills PegLeg

    The Gills PegLeg Rock 'n' Roll Football

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    I would say we would need five or six more players. At least one more centre back (maybe two), one more left back, two left sided midfielders and at least one more striker (again maybe two).
     
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  7. Kedwell's Penalty Coach

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    A left back, a centre back and maybe another striker as back up to Birch and Keds. Unfortunately, I don't think it will be Tomlin :(
     
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  8. Gills_Steve

    Gills_Steve Active Member

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    Next season's line-up, including the new players we need:

    Gazzaa


    Fuller Essam <Good CB needed> <Decent LB needed>


    Whelpdale Payne Lee Jackman


    Kedwell Birchall


    Subs:
    Flitney
    Frampton
    Martin
    <Need a pacey winger as a super-sub option / back-up for Jackman and Whelpdale>
    <Need a back-up forward>


    So need 4 signings I reckon, two for the first team.
     
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  9. bristol407

    bristol407 Well-Known Member

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    Steve's analysis is probably not far off. He seems to have overlooked Miller who may feature more often as he gets stronger and more mature. Fuller will have to go some to dislodge Fish who was excellent with Essam over the last couple of months and Evans could make the grade too. A frugal manager may well try and make a left back out of Fuller/Fish/Evans if he is on a tight budget.
    One of the mysteries of last season was why Martin bombed after Christmas having been reasonable until then. It is one thing to abandon someone who is incapable of playing well but you have to question what has happened when somebody has reasonable competence and then loses it. Perhaps Matt Lawrence covered for him more than we realised.
     
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  10. alwaysright

    alwaysright @ Very Angry Camel

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    Oh bristol407 - I hate to criticise a fellow Gills fan ( honestly ) - but..
    I don't know how many times you saw Fish last season - he had a couple of reasonable and a couple of goodish games towards the end - but was, by & large pretty awful - especially his distribution.... and he's not as quick as some people may think.
    I'd like to think that he might be better this year - but I would rather see Fuller or Evans @ RB
     
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  11. bristol407

    bristol407 Well-Known Member

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    I saw all the home games and a few away AlwaysR. I took a particular interest in Fish because I got accused of being him when I posted something positive early this year. He found himself in the first team too early (he was part time at Dover until August) and, unsurprisingly it showed in his nerves and distribution in his first few games.
    When he came back for a second spell most of the fans had made their mind up and failed to recognise the huge improvement in confidence and performance. It became a bit of a joke to hear the sighs when Fish misplaced one pass in five when the rest of the team were misplacing two or three out of five without comment. He and Essam stitched up the right side of defence and if you think back, almost all the goals conceded over the last 10 games or so came down the opposite and much less mobile side. He is not lightening fast but he must be the quickest out of what we have got and if we continue to play without wingers, he does offer a different tactical option which the others do not and he blends well with Essam who seems likely to be a fixture now. Fish and Evans will be a year more experienced and improved next year whereas Fuller will be just a year older and slower. If he (Fuller)can get his place back he will be doing well.
     
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  12. gills4everandaday

    gills4everandaday Active Member

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    sorry bristol407, i agree with always 100%...fish was totally inept and was always found wanting, ok at times going forward...but defending very very bad.
    in those games he played, 95% of those were very poor whilst the other 5% was average to above average at best !

    seeing as we have him for another season(shame), he'd have to be 3rd inline behind fuller and evans....unless we bring someone else in when phil brown takes over !
     
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  13. brb

    brb Guest

    I know I am not a fan of Fish but I thought we did see a change in him near the end of the season to the better. alwaysright might be able to confirm, that was it Fish that saved our necks at Oxford? Goal line clearance in particular. Which raises a question part in favour of Bristol's view. Does Fish play better away from home because of the pressure put on him by the fans at Priestfield. Personally not a favourite of mine but not as high up that unwanted list as much an individual who I will not name through fearing the wrath of Gemini - lol - Ssh - LB
     
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  14. gills4everandaday

    gills4everandaday Active Member

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    i'd rather his dad...alvin playing for us now <whistle>
     
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  15. brb

    brb Guest

    <doh> Ssh! <laugh>
     
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  16. alwaysright

    alwaysright @ Very Angry Camel

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    brb re Fish @ Oxford - Yes - a goal line clearance. This was evident that maybe he might be improving - but (and this is not his fault ) Fish ( & a few others ) had too many games ( & allowed to remain in the side ) where the performance was poor - I suppose the tactics of retaining underperforming players is why we are looking for a new manager.
     
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  17. BSG

    BSG Well-Known Member

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    I feel that we have got good competant fullbacks for this division, the reason they looked woeful at times was to due to the tactics employed by manager. Birstol hit the nail on the head when he spoke about use not using wingers, the problem then becomes how do you get width? The obvious answer is to get the fullbacks to push up, but then you are asking the them to provide the attacking width AND the defensive cover. Now teams who have good attacking fullbacks, like Ashley Cole, know that if you are pushing the fullbacks forward you need to leave some cover behind him in terms of the wide midfielders. Unfortunately for the most part of last season we were essentially playing four central midfielders, leaving huge gaps down the flanks.

    I lost count of the number of times Martin / Fish / Evans et al were left 2 on 1 on the wings as the midfielders failed to drop back and support them. So to repeat it is not the playing staff at fault but the tactics .
     
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  18. brb

    brb Guest

    BSG - I agree in the main with what you are saying, the unclear aspect for me is Evans. It appeared to me he was a far better attacking full back than Fish, more so than the injured Fuller but for someone reason (maybe due to one or two poor games) was completely dropped? I hate to say it but much like our own personal choices, Hessy's were clearly coming through in my opinion and so much so the lack of attacking full backs and NO wingers left a gaping hole in the team.
     
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  19. Tom-Tom-Sat-Nav

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    So as per, we're looking at:-

    GOALKEEPERS
    Gazzaniga
    Flitney
    Hawkes (has he signed?)

    DEFENDERS
    Fuller
    Fish
    Evans
    Martin
    Frampton
    Essam
    Davies
    Carter
    I would certainly say another central defender with a new left back. Hoping Martin will kick on and make the LB position his own but at the moment I just don't see it. Jackman and Charlie Lee can fill in at full back positions at a push.

    MIDFIELDERS
    Payne
    Lee
    Whelpdale
    Jackman
    Montrose
    Brown
    Brunt
    We were packed out with midfielders last season but losing the likes of Weston & Spiller we will need to replace. Certainly need width as we were definitely lacking.

    STRIKERS
    Kedwell
    Birchall
    Miller
    Two further strikers required?

    So discounting the likes of Dack, Hessenthaler & co, the scholars, we are in need of a few!
     
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  20. gills4everandaday

    gills4everandaday Active Member

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    yes sat nav hawkes has signed for another season and i would also say that the key to a good season for gillingham fc is that the players that were brought in to play in certain positions...play in those positions and stay there !
    not cover when the main player is not good enough or injured, like last season and many a other season !

    basically sign a player or two for that said position and keep them there where they are comfortable and can cope with the task in hand <ok>
     
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