So Ady keeps his job next season with Peter Taylor coming back and moving upstairs. (Bristol will be pleased)
Well Scally has decided to keep Ady next season as i think could not get anyone else as has no money. Taylor back again, this time going upstairs, looking for player recriument despite feud with Scally.
I want to reserve my thoughts on Pennock for the moment. Personally as it stands I don't have a problem with him continuing, however, I want to see what crawls out the woodwork over the coming pre-season months before putting my own personal stamp of approval on it. To back someone fully i need to understand all the unsettling's and bad press around the club, and until we know the truth, I will reserve my judgement.
If we are to believe what he has been saying - and there's no real reason why we shouldn't, but it is only one person's opinion - there is a huge amount of structural disorganisation within the club at the moment. To be fair to him he is putting his head on the block by firstly pointing out that there are problems (and the club haven't exactly been quick to deny those claims), and secondly by wanting to stay around and presumably sort things out. I have no doubt that this is a relatively low cost option for the club, but there is now someone in charge who it would appear really has the future well being of the club at heart. He has left himself with nowhere to hide if it doesn't work out, so all I can say is good luck to him, and here's hoping for some better quality football to watch next season. It probably won't all change overnight as there'll be so many new players coming in, but I'm quite prepared to defer judgement until the end of next season, assuming of course that the initial stages of the season aren't an unmitigated disaster.
Hope it works out for him. Sounds like a right mess when he came in. Was just able to keep Gills up last season. Will need a new back 4 or 5 without much funds. Lets see who comes and goes.
I think Taylor will be here to sort out the infrastructure of the footballing side of the club, all the points that Ade criticised. This will be the academy, the development squad set up, the physiotherapy side of things, the player recruitment. (in consultation with Ade) I'm happy to give this a go and will support the both of them in expectation of a brighter future, it might take a couple of years for any real benefit to show but as long as there's progress I'll be happy.
Taylor back. Hurrah. A crack of common sense at last. 5 promotions with 4 different clubs. Best England under 21 manager ever making Southgate look a moron. Took Hull from League 2 to the brink of the Premiership. Best achievement of all.....Keeping Gills in League 1 with the dead legs left behind by MA. I will renew that season ticket after all.
Pleased Ade has been given the chance to build his own team and hopefully get rid of the bad eggs and get in players who want to work hard and play for the club. With little financial clout Peter Taylors role will be crucial in recruiting cheap talent, looking forward and hoping for a much better season come August, cmon U Gills!
AP's first job is a mass clear out. I hope he has some funds for a new defence. He also needs more (and better)) centre backs. Midfield may depend on if we'll still have Wright & Dack -- and, of course, up front needs improving. ---- I don't expect miracles, and will be surprised if it's anything more than mid table next season. AP also has to improve himself ! and learn from the many mistakes he made. He had half a season, during which performances by the side actually got worse than under JE. I know that AP inherited a lot of rubbish - but there were several games when it needed better tactical decisions than he made --especially many strange substitutions, including taking off players who were 'man-of-the-match' at the time. AP also didn't change things in games - when he did have options - there were times when it cried out for a bit of width and pace - yet List wasn't used ( as an impact player, a-la- John Hodge' ). AP complains that players have not worked - and yet he kept on selecting them ! I'm not suggesting that players like Oldaker and Mbo are ready for a permanent place in the starting line up - but - if other players were not pulling their weight, then why not give one or two of the 'established' youngsters a chance ? two or three years ago we had a young fullback Romeo ( now at Millwall ) - Gills never gave him a chance - what happened ? - at the game at the end of the season, Romeo had a brilliant game against us. He and another discarded fullback ( Joe Martin ), helped Millwall get into the play-offs --- but then, at Gillingham, we don't 'do' fullbacks these days - we continue to play 3 at the back -- and leak in the most goals in the division. Good Luck AP
I notice that the new gang of 2 already have a name "Adept" ( very skilled or proficient at something) the letters certainly fit nicely, just have to wait now and see if they can live up to the name.
Maybe our dynamic duo can emulate Brian Clough/ Peter Taylor (the other one) or Malcolm Allison / Joe Mercer partnerships rather than Harry H Corbett / Wilfred Bramble. I always thought that Stimmo would have benefitted from an older man to put his arm around him and whisper in his ear. (No, not Quentin Crisp )
I think, having read Mr Scally's piece on 'Gillsconnect', that he is being very fair and decent. It appears he may have learned his lesson over the treatment of our Championship winning manager who was ousted unceremoniously after 11 games on promotion......he was never given the chance to adjust. I, along with many others, hope that this partnership works out for all concerned and we have a decent season once the necessary pruning has been carried out. I would still like to see a team built around those who have the ability, have shown the right attitude, and are willing to 'knuckle down, and prove themselves in a Gills shirt. Like the banking adverts " Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance".....but good players do not become poor players over night. It will be a team effort to re ignite certain areas and push on, I wish everyone well including all our long suffering supporters.
Mitchell Dickenson The 20 year old defender has just been 'released' by The Gills. He did have a small amount of game time in the Check-a-trade trophy, and involved in 2 league games - but not really 'tried' at many times when we didn't have fit defenders. Dickenson has stated that he was given the news of his sacking by a telephone call ! He had spent 10 years with The Gills. As far as I am aware, he hadn't beaten up his girlfriend or involved in illegal betting or refused to attend training because the weather was cold or driven a car without the necessary documentation etc etc. Mitchell must have done something really bad not to be given the courtesy of a 'personal' meeting. .........But - we don't do class at Gillingham ! Dear Mitchell - I hope you go on to follow Romeo's example ( the one at Millwall ). Will Mbo now expect to get a text message from the Club ?
Osabede has on field bust ups with team mates not pleasing Ade or JED. Last season he tore into young Stevenson in the Tin Pot. The previous year he had a spat with Luke Norris which I remember upset JED at the time. People have been quick to pick on this generation of players for their 'attitudes, but who remembers that Hales & Flanagan punch up that reduced us to 9 men at a stroke? Flanagan went on to become 'joint' manager of the club FFS
