Gills’ new boss John Coleman faces his first test tomorrow as Fleetwood pay a visit to Priestfield.
“Everything is in place for the club to go forward,” he said at Thursday’s press conference, as he admitted he is getting to know the players and it could take up to 12 days to get a handle on how to go forward.
Coleman said he’s been studying the past five games in depth, to help him coach the squad, and has held intensive training sessions.
“I’d like to see us play a little bit more football through the lines, but not get bogged down with it, where it becomes style I want it to be exciting for the fans and I want it to be exciting for me as well. People can get sidetracked by this perception of how you’re playing and easy-on-the-eye football.
“You don’t get prizes for aesthetics … the hard currency is winning.
“I’d like us to play a style that we can get it up the pitch without risking it too much by just kicking a ball back to the opposition. That’s what I don’t want us to do.
“We’ve got to be able to mix it up, and hopefully we will.”
Coleman feels the players are at a good club and a forward-thinking one that has a good structure.
“We should be performing better than we have,” he continued. “That’s no slight on the other, previous managers because I’m sure they have tried their hardest.”
He said he wanted to help the players, and said there were many positives within the club that need accentuating.
“Winning is everything in this sport, and winning is the best thing,” he said. “The best driver and best builder of team spirit is winning.”
Fans will have their part to play. Coleman has previously highlighted how the noise from the supporters had made Priestfield an intimidating place for visiting teams to come to.
“There is nothing better than playing in front of a vocal crowd, a big crowd as well, who are desperate for success, and we’ve got an opportunity to deliver that. What I want on Saturday is our fans to be there when the final whistle blows … we’ve got a duty to make sure that every person who pays their money to get in on Saturday gets maximum value for the day from the Gills.”
The squad, he said, are facing just two injuries at the moment – Connor Masterson and OIi Hawkins.
As to his first opposition as Gills manager, Coleman said that Fleetwood “started (their season) off quite well, and had a really bad draft of injuries,” he said, adding
“Injuries have done it to them, particularly with Brendan Wiredu being off so long because I think he’s an integral part of their team.”
He also said they were in a similar place to The Gills with a recent change in manager: Charlie Adam left the Cod Army just before Christmas after a winning one game in 11. The final game he managed was a 2-0 defeat against Barrow.
Pete Wild was appointed on Christmas Eve, starting on December 27. He had previously managed Barrow.
Gillingham’s record against Fleetwood
The Gills visited Highbury for their third fixture of the current campaign and came away with a point, thanks to a goalless draw.
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As Fleetwood were relegated from League One last season, this is the first time the teams have met at Priestfield since April 2022, an occasion when they again held each other to a goalless draw.
And in the same 2021-22 season, Fleetwood won at Highbury, scoring two goals to Gillingham’s one: Robbie McKenzie found the back of the net for us in that game.
Overall, the Gills have not beaten Fleetwood in their last seven encounters, drawing four of them and losing three.
What is Fleetwood’s current form?
Like the Gills, Fleetwood lost their last game: 2-1 away to Doncaster.
They drew against Harrogate and beat Chesterfield in their last two home games.
They lost against Barrow, who scored two, while they drew against Accrington Stanley.
This means their current form is (most recent first):
LDWLD.
They sit 16th in the League Two table on 27 points, but if they beat Gillingham the two teams could swap places.
Dare we ask, what is Gillingham’s form?
The last six games have not been anything to write home about with just one win:
LLLDW
Over Christmas and New Year, they lost at home to Bromley, away to AFC Wimbledon, away to Colchester.
Their pre-Christmas game was a home draw against Cheltenham.
And go back just before that, and you find the team’s last win: a 1-0 victory over MK Dons at their stadium.
Where are Gillingham in the table and what will happen if they win, draw or lose?
The squad currently sit in 14th place with 30 points.
They have at least a game in hand after their match against Chesterfield was postponed due to the weather.
Above them in the table, with 31 points, is Cheltenham Town, while Barrow is just underneath with 28 points.
If Fleetwood and Colchester win, they would go above the Gills due to a superior goal difference. Barrow, on 28 points, could leapfrog us if we lose.
A draw could see the team stay put or draw level on points with Cheltenham.
But a victory could see Gills swap places with Cheltenham, into 13th place and keep them within a shout of reaching the playoffs: if they win their game in hand, they could be on 36 points, and four points behind seventh place.
However, the gap to the playoffs is widening. As it stands, Gills are 10 points behind seventh place, and 12 points behind the automatic promotion spots. If Coleman can find a run of form for the team, then promotion is still possible. Losing, on the other hand, could see them struggle to be anything other than mid-table by the end of the season.
Simply, this is a must-win game.
Will the game be called off due to the weather?
Last Sunday’s match against Chesterfield was postponed due to snow, and there have been fears this week that the weather will cause a second postponement.
However, the club said that a pitch inspection was carried out on Friday, and it was deemed safe to play on.
A second assessment will take place at 8am on Saturday, January 11, to allow fans plenty of time to decide whether to travel to Priestfield or not. Although it will be cold overnight, the club is expecting the game to go ahead, with kick-off at 3pm.
How can fans get tickets?
There are a handful of seats available in The Rainham End, and plenty of availability in The Gordon Road and Medway stands.
The club has these available to buy from its website: https://tickets.gillinghamfootballclub.com/content
Watch The Gills In The Blood match preview
Cod Army fan Jack Kershaw joined Matt Boosey to discuss Saturday’s game.
It can be watched on YouTube