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FOM BLOG: GILLINGHAM SUPPORTERS REPORT (PART ONE)

At the start of the season, I asked Gillingham Supporters for there thoughts and opinions on Gillingham’s Player Recruitment, Where Do Gillingham Need To Strengthen The Squad In The January Transfer Window, And Questions About Gillingham’s Home Form, If you want to check out that blog in full then here is a link to that blog - http://fan-of-mulligan.tumblr.com/post/176599990077/fom-blog-gillingham-supporters-season-preview-for

This blog is a follow up blog to the blog that every Gillingham Supporter participated in before the start of the season, and that was the first blog of a four part feature, this blog looks at how Gillingham have performed after Fifteen League Games, The Third Part will be after Thirty League Games, and the final part will be A End Of Season Review Blog, Answering these questions are the following Gillingham Supporters,,,,, BQGillsFan, Jay Wilson, Finley, Richard, Dan, Ann, Gills In The Blood, Emlyn Timmons, Richard Gransden, Loonpotter, Ben, Jonathan, Rob, f77Mark, Luke, Matthew, Malcolm, gfclouis, Diane, Robert, ForzaGills, Gills Debate, Lewis, Dave and Stephen - I want to thank every Gillingham Supporter for contributing to the blog, not only the supporters who participated in the first blog, but also the newcomers who have given there thoughts and opinion’s on the first fifteen league games of The 2018 / 2019 Season For The Gills, Now on to the questions and answers.

1. GILLINGHAM HAVE SIGNED BARRY FULLER, CONNOR OGILVIE, JOSH REES, CALLUM REILLY, DEAN PARRETT, REGAN CHARLES-COOK AND BRANDON HANLAN THIS SEASON - WHO DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN GILLINGHAM’S BEST SIGNING THIS SEASON ???

BQGillsFan - Barry Fuller has undoubtedly been the best signing of the season for Gillingham. Hanlan and Charles-Cook deserve a mention, but Barry has given 110% to every performance and saved the defence from shaky situations on several occasions.

Jay Wilson - Although he has had limited game time so far this season Regan Charles-Cook for me has been the best signing, he injects much needed pace going forward. I have to mention Barry Fuller as well, he’s still got it, runs his socks off.

Finley - Regan Charles-Cook - The energy and skill he brings into the midfield helps us supply the strikers more with better quality and he has been outstanding when playing in my opinion.

Richard - You really don't have to look much further than Barry Fuller. 100% commitment and a superb goal to boot last week. I think Hanlan has also done well. Charles Cook and Parrett I'm sure will be valuable but injury has hampered them.

Dan - Without a doubt Fuller he is still hungry for the game and puts in 100% every game

Ann - Best signing by far has to be Barry Fuller.

Gills In The Blood - During the opening part of the campaign I thought that both Regan Charles-Cook and Brandon Hanlan played a huge part in how we wanted to play. They have both continued to be positive even throughout the difficult run we’ve endured, but for me Barry Fuller has been exceptional. I didn’t expect him to play so much when he came back, but he’s been super consistent in a side that has struggled at times and conceded too many. And all this at 34 years old and playing in an unfamiliar position, superb.

Emlyn Timmons - Regan Charles Cook

Richard Gransden - Barry Fuller - I don't think anyone expected him to be more than a back up but he's forced his way in,helped by other people being out of form, but he's taken his chance.

Loonpotter - I think when I heard that we were resigning Barry Fuller I admittedly raised an eyebrow, however, he has put in some very good displays and has pleasantly surprised me, Charles-Cook and Hanlan have injected some much needed pace and Callum Reilly impressed me from very early on when he first played at Scunthorpe away last season... I would struggle to pick one over the other... I remember the very first game of last season, A 0-0 away at Doncaster where I had Connor Ogilvie as man of the match that day... I believe he is a good option to have although maybe doesn't offer quite enough in the opposition half.

Ben - For me I think it's out of either Fuller, Charles-Cook, Hanlan and Parrett. Fuller we know what to get out of him as he always gives 150% for Gills as he has done in the past and has done so far this season. Charles-Cook adds a bit of creativity in the side, Hanlan still has a bit more to learn but think he will turn good. Parrett has been fairly solid but a couple of games, but been quite impressed with him and can understand why Wimbledon fans were gutted he left.

Jonathan - For me personally I think we have got more out of Fuller than I was expecting. Sadly Charles-Cook being injured hasn’t helped. Reilly has done well but I wasn’t expected Fuller to still perform consistently well at this level so that has surprised me the most.

Rob - Barry Fuller. I fully expected Barry to be a backup to Luke O'Neill and play only a few games this season, but the opposite has happened. Barry has been turning back the clock with his performances out of position on the left, keeping three senior left backs out the side. Over time, I expect Dean Parrett to be our best signing, but injury has restricted his appearances thus far.

f77Mark - I like the look of Regan Charles Cook, but due to limited pitch time Barry Fuller at present.

Luke - I've been most impressed with Regan Charles-Cook out of those signings. His ability to turn defence into attack quickly and make things happen has been instrumental on the few occasions we've had positive results. Barry Fuller looks even better then his last spell here and thoroughly warrants his place in the side. I've not seen enough of Rees and Parrett due to their injuries to comment. Ogilvie and Reilly we already know about but Brandon Hanlan always looks a threat going forwards. He has frustrated me a couple of times by choosing to shoot when they are better options to pass but I'm sure he will improve in time with more games played.

Matthew - The best signing has been Barry Fuller as he has very experienced at this level of football. The past few games I have seen him play he has been fantastic and deserves the man of the match but does not it which annoys me.

Malcolm - It’s been a struggle for new signings to get going after such a promising start due to injuries. Regan Charles Cook has looked especially promising, but Barry Fuller has looked every part the Gills player we expect. Hard working, tough in the tackle and even scored a goal!!?

gfclouis - I would say Regan Charles-Cook, I feel we are look a much better side with him in the team and we look a lot better going forward with his pace and energy that he brings. I also think Barry Fuller hasn’t put a foot wrong this season and has always given 110%. Even playing at left back.

Diane - Barry Fuller has been outstanding for me so far of the new players. Regan Charles-Cook, Brandon Hanlan and Dean Parrett have made a big difference to the team when they have played and not injured. Not seen enough of Josh Rees play, not seen Connor Ogilvie this season so far.

Robert - I think the best signing of the summer has been Regan Charles-Cook. When he plays he brings energy to the midfield which is otherwise absent and he makes the perfect link between the midfield and attack. Not technically the best footballer but at this level he is what we need.

ForzaGills - I think most of the signings have settled in really well, Barry Fuller has been fantastically consistent, Dean Parrett is very classy on the ball and Brandon Hanlan has really surprised me with his pace and strength. But for me the best signing this season has been Regan Charles-Cook. Gills look a completely different team when he’s not playing, I don’t think it’s any coincidence that our winless run coincided with Regan’s injury. He’s quick, direct and creative, and still only 21. I think he’s going to be a star.

Gills Debate - On what we have seen so far, I’d go with Barry Fuller or Regan Charles-Cook. I thought bringing Fuller back was a decent idea as I thought that he’d be a good back-up in the full-back positions, and that his experience would prove to be useful in the dressing room. I didn’t expect him to have the impact that he has had though! Playing slightly out of position on the left-hand side of the defence I think he’s done really well, and he is obviously also someone that gives his absolute all, every game. Charles-Cook makes a big difference to the midfield when he plays in my opinion, he gives us some creativity, energy and flair in the attacking midfield role, and hopefully his goal on Saturday will be the first of many for the club.

Lewis - A lot of people would probably say Barry Fuller, and it’s hard to disagree with them. I think bar maybe bar Josh Rees (yet), you could argue all have been a success. Even Conor Ogilvie - he’s not played much but done his job when he’s been called upon. I’m sure Josh Rees will come good, he just needs time. He’s a big talent and suits us perfectly, and, when he’s firing, he’ll be very useful. Back to the question, my argument would be Charles-Cook. He’s had his injury problems and only just scored his first goal for the club but he makes us tick. His pace and flair gives us a new dimension and we look a different outlet with him in the side. I also really like the look of Brandon Hanlan so far as well as Dean Parrett, Regan gets my vote.

Dave - The stand outs for me are Hanlan, Charles-Cook and Fuller. Sadly injury and inconsistency have hit most but the best, surprisingly has been Fuller. Mr Consistent and a leader plus he’s excelled at left back as well as stunned us with a worldie at Doncaster!

Stephen - Barry Fuller has been the best of the players you have listed,and our best player so far this season. His experience,and no nonsense self has been welcomed. He had been played out of position recently, but still been MOTM in games.

2. AFTER FIFTEEN LEAGUE GAMES, AND HAVING HAD A GOOD LOOK AT GILLINGHAM’S FIRST TEAM SQUAD, WHERE DO YOU THINK GILLINGHAM NEED TO STRENGTHEN THE SQUAD IF WE ARE TO IMPROVE ON OUR CURRENT LEAGUE POSITION ???

BQGillsFan - I don't actually think our squad is lacking too much talent to be honest. I'd say a big, no nonsense defensive midfielder, but that would likely see Billy Bingham dropped and he's so important to the team. You could look at maybe getting some natural wide men in, because whilst Hanlan, Parker & List can all play wing, that's not their natural position.

Jay Wilson - The centre of midfield, we get over run at times and often the hoof ball bypasses the middle of the park. If he had a creative “feeder” going forward it would give us decent balance with what we already have.

Finley - I think a midfielder to come in for Mark Byrne would be most ideal. Mark Byrne has been ok but someone who can come in to the team and win the ball back when called upon and has a lot of strength, would come in handy to our team quite a lot.

Richard - A definite left back despite Ogilvie’s arrival. I would also have another striker to give further options. Eventually Eaves will have to move on so we can prepare before hand by getting someone else.

Dan - Another striker to help Tom Eaves, Parker isn't cutting it this season, Wilkinson needs a p45 so support for Tom, and maybe another cb so that if lacey need to cover dm we still have experience at the back.

Ann - We need good couple of strikers with the players that have seemed to have been dropped and maybe a good midfielder to improve.

Gills In The Blood - With the breaking news from last week regarding players being sent away I guess we’ll have to see if those individuals are allowed back into the group before making too many decisions. I think we may still be a central defender light, and maybe a striker if others leave.

Emlyn Timmons - Defence.

Richard Gransden - Striker - we need a poacher to work alongside Eaves.

Loonpotter - I think in the current climate at Priestfield I wouldn't be overly unhappy with the squad as it is... I feel that an issue has developed with the organisation of the team... they just seem less organised than the majority of last season.

Ben - I think defending wise has to improve and we have conceded very sloppy goals. Maybe another centre half would be good. Also I'd say another forward, as Hanlan has already been injured and without him, we have List and Wilkinson, Wilkinson for me not really a threat up front.

Jonathan - If money wasn’t an object... I would actually like to see the midfield strengthen. Sean Clare, Bradley Dack and Callum O’Dowda into a 3 man midfield leaving us with Reilly or Charles-Cook to come into that. We don’t seem to be able to hold the ball for any significant period of time.

Rob - I think we need a striker and a left back. Eaves had been scoring, however the other strikers haven't really hit form yet. Wilkinson has been dumped at Dagenham, while Parker has had issues with his attitude, Hanlan has had injury problems and List seems to perform better as a super sub. This means I think we need just something more up top to complement Eaves. Someone with a real poacher would perhaps suit, although we do seem to enjoy playing wide forwards. As well as Barry Fuller has been performing at left back, he can't be a serious long term option and therefore, despite having three other left backs, we could do with a boost in that position.

f77Mark - attacking / linking midfielder but DJ Oldaker could be the answer.

Luke - The treatment table certainly needs strengthening the amount of bodies that has been on there recently. I still think we're missing some bite in midfield but if people stay fit then we will be fine.

Matthew - At this moment in time I think we need a winger with a bit of pace as some time we lack it in the final third.

Malcolm - Up front. Nash and Wilkinson now out on loan, Parker looking disinterested causing Lovs to send him home, there’s not a lot of support for Eaves. Hopefully Regan Charles Cook and Hanlan can get a run in the team and add some more attacking threat before January.

gfclouis - I think we need to get a few wingers and stronger midfielders, there’s been too many times this season where the midfield has gone absolutely missing and we have lost many games due to that.

Diane - This is a hard one, but on the season so far i would say in midfield.

Robert - I believe we need to strengthen at the back. We have only scored 4 less than Portsmouth and Luton who are 1st and 5th respectively, but in terms of the defence we are almost averaging two goals a game conceded and are one of the worst teams in the league.

ForzaGills - I personally think we have a strong and well balanced squad. Maybe another midfielder in the mould of Charles-Cook, someone quick and creative as I believe we really struggle when you take that pace out of the midfield.

Gills Debate - I think a ‘hard man’ in the middle of the park would be beneficial for us. I don’t think we have anybody in the midfield that has been an ‘enforcer’ type player this season, that will put in tough challenges in the midfield areas, and that will break up the opposition attacks by doing so. I think we’ve seen what Billy Bingham, Dean Parrett and on Saturday, Darren Oldaker, can do in the deep midfield role in terms of controlling the game and picking out passes going forwards, but I don’t think that any of those are massively ‘tough tackling’ players. I think bringing in a winger or two could also be useful, as I do feel that the players we currently have restrict Lovell into playing formations without wingers, or using the likes of Parker, List, Garmston and O’Neill in the wide areas. A natural winger or two could give us some more options tactically. I think if we could get another striker in who is in a similar mould physically to Tom Eaves then that would also be good, because if Eaves was to get injured/suspended then I don’t think that we have a ‘like for like’ replacement for him currently in the squad, and it’s always good to have healthy competition all over the park!

Lewis - I think we definitely need another centre half, we needed one in summer and we still do. Especially with Finn O’Mara leaving. Ryan Huckle has just gone out on loan and Jack Tucker isn’t ready yet either, which leaves us with just the three. One more wouldn’t go a miss at all. The same with strikers - we have Tom Eaves, Brandon Hanlan and Elliott List A’s first choice, and then Josh Parker if he gets his arse into gear! Conor Wilkinson has just left on loan which, really, leaves us with 4 senior strikers. I’d like one more in there. I think the priority though is wingers - Lovell was stubborn in summer and didn’t sign any but I hope he’s learnt his lesson because he’s found himself in situations where he needs them. We’ve seen strikers out wide and full backs out wide - it’d be nice to see some wingers out wide.

Dave - A goal scorer to support Eaves, more pressing now Wilkinson and Parker have been bombed and Nash not making the grade. I’d also like to see a creative midfielder but maybe Oldaker can step up after his promising 2nd half vs Bradford.

Stephen - I think upfront we're quite reliant on Tom Eaves to score our goals, I think another striker of quality would improve us, We have some good options,but none have been as consistent as Eaves. A Dack type of player would be welcomed too in Midfield

3. WHO DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN GILLINGHAM’S MOST IMPROVED PLAYER THIS SEASON ???

BQGillsFan - Elliot List has been fantastic to watch at points this season. There are some games where he seems to struggle, but he's still young and he's taken the opportunity given to him by Lovell and improved at an incredible rate this season.

Jay Wilson - For me Tom Eaves, he scored goals last season but this season has moved up a gear, I really rate him!

Finley - This for me is a difficult question as the players who have shown the most quality have been new signings. If i had to go for one though it would be Billy Bingham just because I didn't see enough of him last season.

Richard - I would say Elliot List. Impressed yesterday and there are signs he's coming into his own. Hopefully with more appearances he can get a permanent place. Lacey has also done we in Midfield.

Dan - I don't think there's a improved player at the moment but eaves has seemed the most consistent from last season

Ann - Most improved player idd go for Oldaker to be completely honest by what I've seen from him.

Gills In The Blood - This may seem an odd answer to some as he was our top scorer last term, but I’m going to go for Tom Eaves. I think he’s simply got better and better since arriving, and the stats this season back that up. Last season he had netted times seven after 15 league appearances (only one from the bench), yet this season he’s surpassed that with nine goals, and in four of those 15 games he’s started on the bench.

Emlyn Timmons - Tom Eaves.

Richard Gransden - Struggling to pick one!

Loonpotter - I'm not sure I see any of the first team as being particularly more improved than last season... those that seem to have improved are possibly the ones that don't get given an opportunity... Nash scores for fun when out on loan , Darren Oldaker has probably deserved a chance long before the game vs Bradford…

Ben - No-one really stands out for me if I'm honest. Eaves has continued his scoring form from last season, but no one really springs to mind so far.

Jonathan - I’m going to go back the my biggest surprise for me and that’s Fuller. I wasn’t expecting to get as much out of him and I think he has been a bigger asset than he will get credit for.

If we are purely going on players in last seasons squad to this has there really been any improvement?

Rob - The most improved player is difficult as most players have been off form so far. Perhaps List fits the bill, having scored this season and causing trouble with his pace. He's added the goals and assists that have been lacking in previous seasons.

f77Mark - List, much better this stage of the season than last year.

Luke - Most improved is difficult to say as most players have lost form during the start of the season. I will probably have to stump for Elliott List as he's now starting to look a real threat in attacking positions whereas previously he would end up running into invisible walls.

Matthew - Our best improved play has been Mark Byrne as he has always given it 110 per cent in the important games this season.

Malcolm - Eaves’ quality on the ball in front of goal has been surprising but exciting to watch. Purely for ‘that’ goal he has shown a huge increase in confidence.

gfclouis - I’d say Elliott List, he looks very more confident and a different player to who he was a year ago, I think him scoring his first goal gave him a massive confidence boost.

Diane - This is a hard one to answer up to now.

Robert - List has been the most improved player. Even if he doesn’t start, I am always excited when he is brought on because he brings so much pace and is one of very few players that will run at defenders and cause problems.

ForzaGills - Most improved player for me would be Elliott List. He hasn’t had too many chances to start games so far this season and can occasionally be ineffective such as during the Southend game. However off the bench he’s a real asset to have. Lightning quick and really tricky, he’s got the beating of any defender at this level on his day, and he’s already chipped in with some really good goals this season.

Gills Debate - I think I’d possibly go with Darren Oldaker or Tom Eaves. At the fan’s forum in the summer, Steve Lovell was very openly critical of Oldaker, and it didn’t sound like he’d be featuring in the 1st team any time soon. However, he’s clearly made big improvements in his work rate and off the ball work, whether that be in friendly matches or in training, and that’s what probably earnt him the opportunity that he got on Saturday to start the game. Eaves was clearly a good player for us last season with the number of goals that he scored, but I do think that he has improved this season. He’s scored more goals than he had done at the same stage last season, and I also think that his all round game is improving.

Lewis - For me it’s close between two. In a close second is Elliott List, but, after the Bradford game, I’ll stick my neck on the line and say Darren Oldaker. Elliott has been great and I’m happy he’s proved himself and found a settled place up top after being shifted out wide and to wing back a few times. This season, though, I’ve watched DJ a few times and, granted they were mostly friendlies, he’s improved his game and matured a lot. He’s doing that defensive work that current and previous management staff have spoken about, and Saturday showed that, combined with his ability on the ball, has made him into a decent little midfielder. I know it’s only one competitive game but hopefully he’ll get a run of games and prove himself at this level now.

Dave - Honestly, no one. At a push Tom Eaves but even he has been inconsistent.

Stephen - Elliott List finished the season well, and has had some good games this season, He's not the finished article, but going from being almost released to starting games whilst having an affect is a big improvement from this time last season.

4. AND WHO DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN GILLINGHAM’S MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER THIS SEASON ???

BQGillsFan - This is a tough one, because I couldn't initially think of one really poor individual out of the lot. At first I was leaning toward Tomas Holy, but I think it's got to be Callum Reilly. When he came in on loan he was a revelation for Gills, but I haven't really seen that so far this season. And now with performances from Oldaker and Charles-Cook against Bradford, I don't see him getting back into the starting 11 for a while.

Jay Wilson - Sadly Garmston, i feel for him as on his day he has bags of talent but his injuries have really set him back.

Finley - Either Bradley Garmston or Josh Parker would be my standouts as they have both been lazy, tried to take everyone on when they have not needed and also lose the ball countless times.

Richard - I'm sure others will say the same. Bradley Garmston, He is capable but it just isn't happening. Shame but never been the same since his injury.

Dan - Parker has been awful so far this season on same par as Garmston.

Ann - Gillingham’s most disappointing player this season has to be Parker.

Gills In The Blood - In all honesty there have been a few who haven’t performed as well as we know they can, but I’m going to say Conor Wilkinson. The kid clearly has ability - you don’t score goals like the one at Pompey last season without knowing how to play - but there’s always been a nagging doubt regarding his attitude, and it’s recently resurfaced with ‘BannedGate’. On top of that he’s a striker who has scored only three league goals in around 40 appearances for the club, of which he’s started about 43% of those games.

Emlyn Timmons - Conor Wilkinson.

Richard Gransden - Garmston - been woeful every time I've seen him.

Loonpotter - I've not been overly disappointed with anyone... it's been more of a disappointment as a whole than one individual... if I had to name and shame anyone, I have been saying for over a year that Wilkinson shouldn't be anywhere near this squad... an undoubted talent but more often than not he just looks like he can't be bothered…

Ben - I'm going to say Garmston, and at the time of typing, I'm glad he hasn't been near the starting line-up. Good pace but been caught out many times and rightfully so, Barry Fuller deserves the left back slot. In the past I think Garmston has been a half decent left back, but now it doesn't look like he is interested.

Jonathan - I think multiple players need to step up. Parker for me has been disappointing. As a player that was grateful for an opportunity because he has a lot to prove when he joined the club - he hasn’t proven much at all.

Rob - This is a tricky one. While Wilkinson has been dumped to the Conference before Bonfire Night, I wasn't expecting much from him anyway. Callum Reilly has been a strange one in that I don't think he's reached the level of his performances last season. However, selections have not helped (he needs creative players to feed the ball too after winning it), there's definite room for improvement.

f77Mark - Josh Parker has become a shell from the promise he initially showed.

Luke - Pfft where do I start. Mark Byrne looks nothing like the POTY award winner. Reilly hasn't looked great either and O'Neill dropped some form for a few games. I also feel Holy is suffering from not having as competent of a keeping coach this season.

Matthew - Our most disappointing player has be Bradley Garmston as I feel he leaves us short at the back when he runs to far up the wing.

Malcolm - Parker looks like he just doesn’t care. At times last year he seemed to be the only one who showed any threat. At Doncaster especially he was a passenger when we needed him to work back and help us keep the ball when under pressure.

gfclouis - I think for me Luke O’Neill, I think he’s been very poor and a shadow of the play he was last season. Although in the period nobody was outstanding but I would expect better performances from him.

Diane - On the season so far i would say Josh Parker.

Robert - It ’s a tough choice for most disappointing player but I would probably go for Garmston. I wanted him back from injury for so long and was under the impression that when he returned our left side of defence would be transformed. But when I watched him play earlier on in the season it is still too easy for opponents to attack down that side. Perhaps he pushes too high sometimes but more often than not I believe it is down to poor positioning.

ForzaGills - Josh Parker has been disappointing for me so far this season. Whilst Eaves has been fantastic and carried on his form from last year Parker has struggled to kick on. Granted, he’s often played out of position as a number 10 and missed games due to international call ups but I would’ve expected him to chip in with some more goals by now. Also there are suspicions that Parker was one of the few that were sent away from the club because of attitude problems last week, which would be even more disappointing if true.

Gills Debate - I think I’d unfortunately say Callum Reilly. I was really pleased when we managed to secure his signature on a permanent deal in the summer, because I thought that he did well when he was here on loan last season, and that he did give the midfield a bit more balance being a left footed player. However, I don’t personally think that he’s been able to show his best form since coming back to the club. Hopefully, once he has fully recovered from his latest injury, then he will be able to recapture the kind of form that made Lovell so keen to sign him in the summer.

Lewis - I’m going to go with Luke O’Neill. After impressing so much last season I argued his case all summer that he was the best right back in the league and spent ages trying to work out why Southend would let him go. He started the season well with a clean sheet at Accrington and scoring a free kick against Burton, but it went down hill from there. I think he put in a few performances with effort below the level required, and it was a shame. In all honesty he looked a shadow of his former self, and I heard Paul Scally wanted him to be sent home with the others last week. Lovell defended him, and clearly it paid off with another clean sheet against Bradford, and hopefully his performances can pick up from here.

Dave - I think Bingham has struggled and looks off the pace but injury has taken a toll. It would be easy to say Wilkinson but Parker and Garms have struggled too. Controversial I know but I think Zakuani has been below his excellent best of last season.

Stephen - Conor Wilkinson has not looked up to it in the games so far, Hopefully the loan move to Dagenham will do him good.

5. GILLINGHAM HAVE RETAINED SEVERAL YOUNG PLAYERS FROM LAST SEASON, AND TOM HADLER, JACK TUCKER, MIGUEL SCARLETT, AARON SIMPSON, BEN CHAPMAN, DARREN OLDAKER, BRADLEY STEVENSON, AND NOEL MBO HAVE ALL MADE APPEARANCES FOR GILLINGHAM’S FIRST TEAM THIS SEASON, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON GILLINGHAM RETAINING SO MANY YOUNG PLAYERS ???, AND WHICH YOUNG PLAYER HAS IMPRESSED YOU THE MOST SO FAR ???

BQGillsFan - I would have said Bradley Stevenson, but after the 4-0 win against Bradford it has to be Darren Oldaker. Gills fans have been waiting a while for Darren to back up the hype and with a man of the match showing in that win, hopefully he can push on and become a regular starter.

Jay Wilson - As I said in the summer youth development is so important for a club like Gillingham, its the life blood of our continued existence. So many examples of past youth players that have moved onto better things and earnt us some decent cash. Oldaker for me is defo one to watch.

Finley - I think it's good that we're keeping a lot of youngsters to progress through the team and make a name for themselves. Based of our last game it would have to be Darren Oldaker! He was phenomenal and he was man of the match in my opinion.

Richard - Same as the last blog I'm sure several are unlikely to make the breakthrough, We do need young players though and hopefully more will progress, Who impressed the most? Oldaker was superb yesterday, Fabulous ball for Eaves goal and is best for me, I am also a fan of Jack Tucker.

Dan - I like the idea of keeping it home branded using our own quality gives them a chance to show what there about I haven't seen to many of them in action but Stevenson has impressed me the most in the 2 games I've seen him in.

Ann - Oldaker has impressed me the most.

Gills In The Blood - I think keeping on so many in that age group is no bad thing at all because let’s be honest it’s all pretty low risk in terms of wages. If they don’t work out and move on elsewhere then so be it, and if we happen to unearth a gem then that’s a real bonus. For me the two that still stand out in terms of longer term prospects are Darren Oldaker and Tom Hadler, but of course only time will tell.

Emlyn Timmons - I think it’s a good idea you might unearth a gem, Most impressed by Oldaker.

Richard Gransden - Was impressed by Stevenson. No problem retaining youngsters but you have to give them a chance. Simpson must have been looking at the out of form left backs thinking it's finally his time but he's not had a chance.

Loonpotter - It's always good to retain your home grown if you can... potential for hidden gems to emerge as big players earning maximum profit whilst giving the club a chance to do something good in the process.. for me, Darren Oldaker is stand out ... I rate him higher than a few of the current first team squad... yes he is raw, no he's not the greatest when we are not in possession of the ball, but he certainly has the ability to do things others can't and it's always handy to have such a set piece specialist on top of that.

Ben - I think it's good. I think one of our keys is to retain many youngsters, as it has been proved before they can do well in their career and move on to bigger clubs, I.E Bradley Dack to Blackburn. Young player I have been impressed with so far I'll go with Jack Tucker. Although I've only seen him in friendlies, he has been solid at Centre Half. Same with Stevenson, a great attacking midfielder. Oldaker a bit early at the moment, although as the time of typing he had a great game against Bradford, but wasn't thoroughly impressed with him in Pre-Season but has the role to improve and get into the 1st team no doubt about it.

Jonathan - As fans we have to be realistic and understand we can not financially compete with the likes of Portsmouth - if that means investing in youth and promoting youth players I’m all for it.

Rob - As I said before the beginning of the season, there's no point in having all these youngsters if they never get a chance. Oldaker appears to have grabbed his with both hands, which is fantastic to see, but I fear for Simpson who cannot oust a mid-30s out of position Fuller from left back. O'Mara has already left, and I expect others to do the same before the season is up.

f77Mark - We are placing our hopes in finding another Bradley Dack to sell, DJ at present.

Luke - I'm all for giving the kids a chance if they're good enough. It's a benefit for us if they can get up to the standards of some of our previous youngsters. Stevenson has looked impressive in his appearances and Oldaker looks a lot more well rounded than previously so fingers crossed they can keep moving forwards.

Matthew - I feel retaining so many young players is key to and clubs at this level. The young player which has impressed me is Oldaker and he has made many appearances for the club this season and played very well in the midfield.

Malcolm - Oldaker looked great against Bradford, but it’s easy to look good in a winning team. Stevenson didn’t look lost against Doncaster and would like to see more from him.

gfclouis - I think it’s good to have a plan to look into the future as it is a talented bunch of youth prospects coming through the ranks at Gills, Darren Oldaker has impressed me a lot and seems to be on the right track now and with more performances like against Bradford he can have a very good season.

Diane - I think it is a good idea to retain young players, especially as we do not have a very big budget this season, Having not seen many youngsters play, it is not easy to say but am impressed with Aaron Simpson and Darren Oldaker on his recent appearance.

Robert - I think it’s great that we have so many young players, we have high hopes for a number of them and it would be a complete waste if they didn’t get their chance because some of them have very good potential. I personally haven’t seen Oldaker play this season although I heard he did very well. For me it has to be Bradley Stevenson because I think he is the most consistent and reliable at this level.

ForzaGills - I’m always a fan of retaining the younger players, and the two that have impressed me most this season are Bradley Stevenson and Darren Oldaker. Bradley Stevenson started off really well with appearances at Millwall in the cup and then in the league, and Darren Oldaker was superb at home to Bradford last weekend. Both will take time to become regular starters, but I’ve been really encouraged by both so far.

Gills Debate - I think that as fans we all like to see players who have been in the youth system at the club coming through and playing (and hopefully doing well) in first team fixtures. For his performance on Saturday I’ll go with Darren Oldaker as the most impressive so far, but I think that Stevenson has also done reasonably well this season. I think that Stevenson has been bright when he has come on as a substitute, and I think that he deserved the opportunity to start at Doncaster. I thought he did OK, nothing spectacular, but a decent enough performance, and I hope that he’ll be able to earn himself more 1st team appearances in the remainder of the season.

I do think that Oldaker made a difference to the side when he came in on Saturday. He made a few mistakes as you’d expect, but what pleased me the most was the way that he didn’t let that affect him mentally, and how he continued to be happy to show for the ball and have the calmness, confidence and ability to pick out good passes. It was of course only one game, but if he builds on his performance on Saturday and continues to make a difference when he is given opportunities, then I think that he should find himself involved in the first team squad on match days a lot more as the season progresses.

Lewis - I don’t think it’s a problem, because obviously they cost very little in terms of wages, and there’s a chance a couple of them will progress to become stars, or at least regulars, in the first team. Like the question mentions, we’ve seen a few of them do well in the first team already this year, so hopefully that carries on. I’m a big fan of Darren Oldaker as I’ve already mentioned, and obviously Aaron Simpson due to the fact he’s a good friend of mine. I very much hope Noel Mbo gets his chance, because I think he has plenty of potential, as well as Ben Chapman, but he’s dropped off a bit recently. I’ll go with Darren Oldaker, but I like a few of them.

Dave - I firmly believe we should be investing in youth at our level so it’s good to see. Sadly none have excelled yet but Stevenson & Oldaker have been promising. I’m really optimistic for M’Bo and think he could be decent, with Parker and Wilkinson out of favour he may get a chance.

Stephen - Clubs like ours have to rely on good youngsters coming through, so I'm pleased, and also hopeful many will become regulars in the years to come, Bradley Stevenson has looked good in the games he has played, and Oldaker showed recently he has it in him to become a decent league one player.

6. AFTER FIFTEEN LEAGUE ONE GAMES, GILLINGHAM ARE EIGHTEENTH IN LEAGUE ONE, HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP GILLINGHAM’S PERFORMANCE IN LEAGUE ONE SO FAR, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK GILLINGHAM WILL NEED TO DO IF GILLINGHAM ARE TO START CLIMBING THE TABLE AND HEAD IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION ???

BQGillsFan - It's obviously been a disappointing season for Gillingham, but I don't think our squad is that bad and we've got a capable manager. We've played 7 of the top 8, so it's been a rough start to the campaign. I believe Gillingham just need a good run of wins/strong performances and we can carry that momentum forward to avoid relegation.

Jay Wilson - Consistency is so important at this level. Its a league where anyone can beat anyone. We just need to stay injury free and keep our best 11 playing as much as possible. Easier said than done!

Finley - Gillingham have been very up and down this season in league one and we need to start pulling some wins together in a good spell of form to get higher up the table.

Richard - There are many factors here. Confidence which comes from results, more quality and variety of options. Not just route 1. Better players. But can we attract them. Lastly on the bigger scale more investment.

Dan - Below average so far this season and I like seeing us beat the higher teams but we need to start beating the lower ones Bradford was a good example of what we should do

Ann - I now think Lovell has got ridden of the bad apples so to speak e.g Parker Wilkinson Reilly and knows he can't go by one game but seems to have a effect with Charles-Cook and Hanlan back hopefully we can now start to improve the table after a rough start due to bad apples and injures we have had.

Gills In The Blood - I think the main issue for us all season so far has been trying to find the correct balance between defence and attack. At times we’ve almost looked unplayable going forward, but in doing that we’ve lost a lot of defensive stability. Some of the goals we’ve scored - Luke O’Neill v Burton, Elliot List v Coventry, Callum Reilly v Peterborough, Tom Eaves v Portsmouth, Barry Fuller v Doncaster and Regan Charles-Cook v Bradford - have been nothing short of brilliant, but I’ve lost count of times I’ve spoken about goals conceded being soft or preventable. All the time we concede at the current rate we’ll struggle, but sort that and I think we have enough going forward to get higher up the table.

Emlyn Timmons - Pretty poor so far, I think we need to keep our new signings fit or we will struggle!

Richard Gransden - Poor but unsurprising given lack of investment. Personally I feel we need to play wider with wingers. It seems bizarre we play so narrow with a tall, strong striker who could benefit from crosses. We also need to practice throw in movement as we have no movement at all. No-one wants the ball.

Loonpotter - It’s a strange one... sometimes going forward we look great, sometimes when we are defending we look solid.... and yet at any given time we also look ready to collapse in a heap and become ragged and clueless... it goes back to me feeling we are a bit less organised this year... we need to come together as a more consistent, collective unit not defence having a good game but forwards not on it or forwards flying but defence is ready to concede 3.

Ben - Mixed. Great wins over Portsmouth, Burton, Accrington and Bradford in the League, but we have dropped so many points mainly against teams around us which is really what we need to be doing. Injuries haven't helped, but as long as we're picking up points against teams around us, and getting the odd great result against teams up the top (Portsmouth for example) We should be fine.

Jonathan - B- some good snippets but overall a badly written essay.

Rob - Our performances have been poor. Very poor. We have lacked creativity, can barely stop conceding. It's worrying and before the win against Bradford, I couldn't see where a win was going to come from. There were some promising signs in that game. We have a paper thin squad and having all our players fit makes a huge difference. Keep Hanlan, Charles-Cook, Parrett and Bingham fit (and obviously Eaves!) then we will be fine - just.

f77Mark - It’s been hard work, very tough as a supporter (we both know how bad first hand Plymouth was) a settled consistently picked first eleven on a decent home pitch will hopefully suffice.

Luke - Average to Poor. Too many inconsistencies at the start, playing people out of position hasn't helped. The over reliance on playing the diamond with players who can't perhaps play those roles has led us to throwing away some games. When we have won we've looked very good and we're still the only team to beat the league leaders this season. Building up consistency and keeping players fit will see us moving up shortly.

Matthew - I would sum up our season at the moment as to being relegation form as we can never keep a clean sheet and go behind to silly mistakes from the defending and this is also were I would get us to do better to move up the league.

Malcolm - Simple really...sure up the leaky defence and score more goals!!? Got to get back to the way we were playing at the beginning of the season which we saw again against Bradford. High energy, high pressing game, working as a team in attack and defence.

gfclouis - I think the performances haven’t been great, I think it’s been disappointing and poor. I feel we need to be a lot better defensively and stronger in the midfield and close games out.

Diane - Probably a fair reflection of our season so far, but there are some games we should have won and did not do so. We need to play more consistently and to maybe get 2 or 3 new players in January.

Robert - Disappointing. I still believe this is a very good squad. Eaves is a consistent goal scorer, the midfield on paper are very good and players like Zakuani in defence are hard to find in league 1. I’m not sure why they aren’t performing as well as we all thought they might after the first two league games, but the defence surely has to be fixed before we get any better. Perhaps a new centre back to replace Ehmer or maybe even an experienced holding midfielder that can shield the defence a little better than Bingham and Byrne can.

ForzaGills - I think Gillingham’s success this season will depend on how many players we keep fit. With a fully fit squad we’ve beaten Accrington, Burton and Bradford really comfortably, but when we’ve had key players missing we’ve struggled. It has to go down as a poor start on the whole due to that winless run over September and October, but there a definitely signs that this team are better than the current league position suggests.

Gills Debate - I think it’s been a bit of a mixed/inconsistent showing so far. We’ve put in some good performances when you consider the games against the likes of Portsmouth, Accrington Stanley, Burton Albion and the 2nd half against Bradford City. Unfortunately though, there have been too many poor games as well, where I’ve felt we haven’t deserved to win/ deserved to lose, which is why we find ourselves down towards the wrong end of the table. To improve, I think we have to reduce the number of goals that we concede. 28 goals against is the 4th worst record in the league, and that’s something that needs to be addressed. It’s perhaps even more frustrating when you consider that we had quite a good defensive record last season, and our only addition to the defence has been Fuller who has done well. For me, we need to work on the way the midfield functions, and is balanced, to reduce the number of goals that we do concede.

Lewis - Started off brilliantly, went to crap, now we’re a bit unpredictable. After the Accrington and Burton games I thought ‘Christ, this could be something,’ but after the Walsall loss it went a bit down hill. We were conceding goals for fun which is something that didn’t happen last year, and we looked so open. If you think of games games such as Rochdale away or Southend at home - we shouldn’t be losing like that, not that easily to teams we should be competing with or even beating. I like to think we can start to improve after our win against Bradford. It’s important to remember Bradford were very bad and were bottom of the league, but it’ll bring more than 3 points, such a momentum and a bit of confidence. I like the fact that a few players got sent home as well, because we can’t afford to carry players who aren’t mentally or physically ready for selection.

Dave - As I said earlier a striker to play off Eaves and a playmaker is what we are short of. Realistically we are roughly where I expect us to be with the squad and budget so maintaining mid table is a realistic aim given the strength and finances of some of the teams in our league.

Stephen - Frustrating would be the word I would use for our season so far, We started the season really well, but have struggled for the most part, What we need is our best 11 on the pitch as often as possible, also to stop conceding poor goals.

7. AT THE START OF THE SEASON, I ASKED THE QUESTION REGARDING GILLINGHAM’S HOME FORM, HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP GILLINGHAM’S HOME FORM SO FAR ??? AND WHAT DO GILLINGHAM NEED TO DO TO ENSURE THAT PRIESTFIELD STADIUM IS A FORTRESS - ESPECIALLY AS GILLINGHAM HAVE GOT FOUR HOME MATCHES IN A ROW COMING UP AGAINST FLEETWOOD TOWN, BLACKPOOL, HARTLEPOOL UNITED AND CRAWLEY TOWN ???

BQGillsFan - The home form has again been an issue, not helped by increasingly shrinking crowd numbers. If people actually got behind the team, rather than just walking away from it, Priestfield could be rocking every week and this would undoubtedly lift the team. However, you can place the blame for some of the performances on the crowd, the players need to take responsibility and step up to the occasion.

Jay Wilson - Results show our Home form has been poor although maybe the 4-0 thumping of Bradford has changed our fortunes. Again adds to my point about consistency. Time will tell. We need to get more fans into the stadium to lift the atmosphere which should lift the players.

Finley - I know it sounds controversial but we need to keep the ball on the deck and with the help of the new pitch this will help us to play better and more effective football at home this season and this must improve if we are to move up the table.

Richard - Very disappointing on the whole. Yesterday aside we have not performed as we should and even yesterday the first half was below par. We still need bigger home crowds and more of an atmosphere, I would also like a better work rate similar to what was seen at Portsmouth away.

Dan - Abysmal really we used to have a fortress at home and we certainly been lacking that but we need to start supporting the lads like the old days not slate them like now but hopefully Bradford will be the turning point.

Ann - Gillingham’s home form hasn't been the best and we definitely need to improve that again with bad apples gone hopefully that will help performance of team all round, ticket prices could be reduced to try get more in gate and more atmosphere.

Gills In The Blood - Looking at the cold stats, two wins from seven (or seven points from 21) doesn’t look brilliant, but considering we’ve played two relegated sides and a Peterborough team who will be there or thereabouts i don’t think it’s as bad. The two shockers for me were Wimbledon and then the second half versus Southend, but in games against Burton, Sunderland, Posh and Bradford we’ve played some cracking stuff, and the newly laid pitch will only aid that. It’s fine lines isn’t it, if we’d managed to nick a win versus Coventry or Peterborough it would be three wins from seven which is nearly 50%, but we have a good chance to go on a run at home over the next fortnight.

Emlyn Timmons - Home form not good enough, need to keep the ball on the ground and stop hitting long balls then we will progress.

Richard Gransden - I saw a stat that says if you bought a 2 years season ticket at the start of last season you had paid £78 per home win - it's been shocking.

Loonpotter - The home form has been atrocious... we need to be more confident in our ability, treat it like it is... a home game... and the manager needs to be braver when making selection, like against Bradford which saw us score 4 goals... Darren Oldaker needs to given that sustained chance not just a show of strength by Lovell.

Ben - Not much better than it was last season. With only 2 home wins so far, again really picking up points against teams around us is what we haven't done. We need to become a side that teams fear of coming to Priestfield. Putting in performances against the likes of Sunderland and Peterborough, although we lost them both but I felt maybe at times we could have nicked it and caused an upset. So far in the 5 home games we've picked up 3 points, so if we can continue that, it would be a good achievement to pick up some points and I don't see why not.

Jonathan - We need to hold the ball, stop giving away easy and cheap possession. You can’t win games when the other team is in possession and we absolutely suck at keeping the ball.

Rob - The home form has been poor compared to the away form. Perhaps a win against Bradford and a run of home games will build a run of momentum, especially on the new pitch.

f77Mark - Very poor so far, hopefully the previous answer will bring consistency followed by crowds.

Luke - It's still been poor frankly. Thrown away results when we haven't needed to and the pitch was absolutely diabolical. Now we have a new pitch things might start getting better. Too many people get on the backs of the players at Priestfield, supporters need to do more to help gee the players up at home and we will soon see the rewards.

Matthew - Home form is key to us having a great season. Ours is a bit shaky at times but last Saturdays game was out-standing second half. What I would do to make Priestfield a great place to come is to get the fans packed into the stadium with some ticket deals such as kids for a pound or buy one get one free for non season ticket holders. Also give season tickets something for free on match days like free pint, food or programmes. It goes a long way.

Malcolm - My mind hasn’t changed since the beginning of the season. We have to work far harder to win and keep the ball at home, pressing when we don’t have it and then attacking with pace when we do. We’ve held off too often giving the opposition time and space to play which has been ineffective.

gfclouis - I think Gillingham’s home performances have been very poor this season and worse than last season, we just need to start winning and giving teams a bit of a go and pressure. As we saw when we gave Bradford a go they crumbled. We need to start playing some football on the floor.

Diane - I feel that the players need to have more confidence at home to make Priestfield a fortress again. Our run of home games is what we need to give players that confidence in front of home fans, and wins are very important in all of the home games.

Robert - I think the Bradford game was a good start, although against a very weak side a 4-0 win should get the crowd hopeful again. The home form hasn’t been good enough for a very long time now and I don’t believe for a second that it was down to the pitch. I think the problem is a mental block for the players, I’m hoping that a couple of hard fought wins will make them realise they are capable of winning against any team at home.

ForzaGills - The home form is still concerning despite the Bradford win last week. The home form has been poor for a number of years now and I think we just need to start getting bigger crowds through the turnstiles each week. Ticket prices are far too high in my opinion, I’d much rather half the ticket prices and double the crowd size, I feel it would give the players a real boost. Look at the Sunderland game in August, big crowd, great atmosphere, brilliant performance despite the defeat.

Gills Debate - Like our form in general, I think our home results have been a bit mixed. We’ve had a couple of games against Burton Albion and Bradford City (2nd half) where I think that the result and the performances have been good. I think we’ve had a couple of games, against Sunderland and Peterborough United where we’ve put in a fairly decent showing, and fans haven’t left the game feeling too dissatisfied, but we’ve been outdone by sides with more quality and perhaps also some poor defending on our part. Unfortunately, I think that there have also been 3 games, against AFC Wimbledon, Coventry City and Southend United where we’ve not played very well. I think in these games we’ve struggled to create opportunities, struggled with our movement and creativity, and ultimately struggled to score goals. That’s something that I think we do need to work on, and my hope that is that Dean Parrett, Regan Charles-Cook and perhaps now Darren Oldaker, will be able to help us with that by adding some more creative spark from the middle of the park.

Lewis - Let’s be honest - it’s not been great. We obviously got the win first game vs Burton, but since then it’s been crap bar the Bradford game, featuring disappointing to losses to Southend and Wimbledon amongst other poor performances. We needed a new pitch - we have done for over a year. It took the pitch being literally unplayable with a complaint from another team for Scally to budge, but at least it’s done now. That’ll help, because it will allow us to play our football more. We need to utilise that. The atmosphere can also be pretty toxic if we’re playing badly, and fans like to single out players for no reason sometimes. We could do without that, but it won’t change. It’s important to get the atmosphere going, because that will encourage good performances.

Dave - I believe our home form is poor because Lovell likes go play on the break and you can’t do that at home. Indeed it is no coincidence that we have performed well away and against the top teams who come onto us. Indeed at times Lovell has lacked a plan B and we resort to lumping it long. As for getting Priestfield rocking, not a chance. Whilst I accept there are issues around pricing some of our fans (and some of this generation of fans) have a sense of entitlement that we should be at the top of league 1 and splashing endless amounts of cash. I’m by no means pro Paul Scally but perhaps if they put as much effort into supporting the team than abusing the Chairman the atmosphere would be better. There is no Arab billionaire or magic money tree so if you say you are a Gills supporter then support the team! Sadly I feel many are followers rather than supporters.

Stephen - The home form has been poor, and Priestfield Stadium needs to be Fortress Priestfield, We have plenty of home games coming up, so we need to show consistency and win most of them, An FA Cup run would be lovely too.

8. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON STEVE LOVELL AS GILLINGHAM MANAGER ???

BQGillsFan - I still fully back Lovell. People have very short memories and forget what a dire situation we were in this time last year, it was far worse than this season. Lovell is working with an incredibly limited budget and still pulling out performances like Portsmouth and Bradford. We cannot keep chopping and changing manager, we've had 4 in the last 2 years. This club needs some stability and I fully back Lovell to bring that.

Jay Wilson - I like him, i like his style of play and i like how he is very vocal about his love for the club. Last week he acted when it was apparent some players aren’t 100% onboard with our football club.

Finley - The game against Bradford could have very well been Lovell's last game but the 2nd half performance has ensured him a job until next Saturday. We need to build on this win as it could mean nothing in 2 games time otherwise Lovell could be without a job come December.

Richard - I think he's doing as well as he can with what he's got, I’m not one for changing managers every 5 minutes but also accept that it's a result driven business and sometimes a change is made and teams push on. However I saw some last week making a relevant point that apart from Tony Pulis none of our previous managers have moved up. My concern is we change have a short period of results and then it drops of and we repeat the process. I'd personally give SL a bit longer.

Dan - I like him clearly he loves the club maybe needs a director of football to help with player signings but I like someone that clearly has love for the club.

Ann - Steve Lovell is a amazing manager and can only do what he can on funds he is given, I think if he was given sack there would be uproar because he isn't the problem Scally is, needs to give Lovell more funds.

Gills In The Blood - I think overall he’s done a decent enough job, and in terms of averaging things out over a 46 game campaign I think his points return would have us around mid table or just below. However, since the four game winning run at the turn of the year he’s found things tougher, and has perhaps been found out a little in terms of how we play and not having an alternative. On the flip side though, over the last six in the league we have eight points from 15 (plus two clean sheets) so perhaps with players returning from injury he’s just turning the tide again.

Emlyn Timmons - Like Lovell a lot, he needs a fair run with his new signings fully fit before considering losing his job.

Richard Gransden - Don't like to disrespect as I know his daughter but he can't seem to balance between attack and defend. I also think he should back/criticise team in public then slate individuals behind closed doors if necessary, not in public.

Loonpotter - I am a Steve Lovell fan... I saw the transformation he made when put in charge last season, he gave me some amazing away days. Then the season closed and I have found myself questioning him a bit more... something has gone wrong and something needs to change... I still think he's the right man for the job.

Ben - A top bloke and a legend. Tactics wise I have questioned as times but think the signings so far have been good ones. Would love to see him stay and succeed but I do fear if we go on another bad run, he will be sacked, But end of the day it's a results business but I do love Steve Lovell and hope he turns it around and we go up the table.

Jonathan - A man performing a tough job on a tough budget. If the club doesn’t get relegated he truly has done a good job. Do I think that if we magically get promoted he’s the man to control us in the Championship? No. But he is a man that will do a job on a budget.

Rob - Lovell has done okay. He's not had much to work with. Sacking him wouldn't change a huge amount as I don't think there's much extra to get from this squad. His comments about sending players home was very risky, but had the desired effect. He just needs to keep the players performing well and the majority of the criticism will continue to be aimed at the Chairman.

f77Mark - He clearly has the club at heart, any other would want funds to improve the playing side, he needs more time without injuries to the ones he brought in.

Luke - Better than Ady Pennock & Peter Taylor. Difficult not to like him after what he's done for the club over the years but he has frustrated me at times this season. Playing Parker at number 10, O'Neill on the wing, not playing Nasseri when we need to get something extra from the midfield. I just think at times he's a bit too proud to change things in the second half and rely on the diamond. He's clearly still got a lot to learn but when we play at our best, we play very good football so I just hope the Welsh Wizard keeps it going.

Matthew - I like Steve Lovell as a manager he is what this clubs need someone that has been here as a player and has to passion to get this club back to where it belongs.

Malcolm - He is Gills through and through. Give him time, time and more time. I appreciate his honesty and his love for our club and don’t think there is anyone else out there who could do a better job right now.

gfclouis - I think he’s done incredibly well to keep us up last season and this season might not have gone to planned, I think sometimes his game management can be questioned and tactics whilst chasing a game. I think we look a good side when going forward. It hasn’t been easy but I’d like it to work out.

Diane - I am very happy with Steve Lovell as manager and feel for him not having the funds available to buy more quality players, he has got in players he has been able to do so, with the budget he has available.

Robert - .Lovell’s record hasn’t been great for a long time but in terms of signings I think he has done a good job. This may be controversial but I think he had a great summer, strengthening the midfield with attacking players like Parrett and Charles-Cook but also bringing in Hanlan and Fuller who have balanced the team out. I would like to see him be given a little longer especially as we have a string of home games coming up where he can hopefully prove himself. He needs a little help from his players though…

ForzaGills - I still feel he has control of the dressing room for the moment, and the 4-0 win over Bradford has certainly eased the pressure on him, but I still feel he needs at least 2 wins from the next 4 home games or else he’ll be back under massive pressure.

Gills Debate - I’d be a bit gutted if Lovell did end up leaving us in the near future. After the excellent work that he did last season, I think that he thoroughly deserved the opportunity to build his own squad, and I was (still am) hopeful that he could be a manager that can take us forward longer term and not be a manager that follows a similar path to the one that Taylor and Pennock have trodden in recent times. My gut feeling was that a defeat on Saturday would have probably seen him removed from his position at some point this week, and I’d have found that an understandable decision given our position in the league and some of our recent results/performances, but thankfully as we all know that didn’t turn out to be the case! I really hope that he is now able to build on the Bradford result, put together a good run of form, and start to move us up the table!

Lewis - He’s a nice guy and is obviously well liked because of his time here as a player. I’ll always thank him for the memories of last season, such as away wins at Portsmouth, Charlton, and Rotherham, no matter what happens now. I think in the summer he recruited well, but his comments about wingers and his reluctance to sign any showed his inexperience at this level. Like I say, hopefully he’s learnt from that. I think he wants to play football properly but doesn’t have the resources, and that’s partly his fault. He needs some more time to build his own team then it could be okay. I think he struggles when we go behind, too. I’m feeling more positive after the result against Bradford, but a loss this weekend could bring it all back down again. It’s important not to get carried away, but hopefully this is the start of his revival.

Dave - I didn’t think Lovell was right for the job but after last season he deserved his opportunity. I still think he is naive and needs to learn tactically and given what we saw and suggestions of dressing room unrest leant to him being on borrowed time. But Plymouth aside the last 4 games have yielded a decent points return and whilst I was recently thinking he’d run his race, I’d stick with him now until the end of the season.

Stephen - I think Lovell is doing the best he can in a tough situation, The budget does seem to get smaller each season, So the task gets tougher, Hopefully he can get a good few results to lift us away from the bottom.

9. AT THE START OF THE SEASON, I ASKED GILLINGHAM SUPPORTERS FOR THERE PREDICTIONS ON WHERE DO YOU THINK GILLINGHAM WILL FINISH IN LEAGUE ONE THIS SEASON, SO AFTER FIFTEEN LEAGUE GAMES, WHERE DO YOU THINK GILLINGHAM WILL FINISH IN LEAGUE ONE THIS SEASON ???

BQGillsFan - I said 14th last time and I'll stick with that. Our squad isn't bad enough to go down on paper and I think we're just struggling for confidence at the moment. We have the joint 2nd top scorer in the league and several players starting to come back from injury. Things will hopefully start to pick up now and I see us climbing a bit higher up the table over the remainder of the season.

Jay Wilson - Mid lower table but ... you never know!

Finley - I believe we can finish around 11th-14th as we have a team that we know are too good to be on the position we are now.

Richard - I'm going to stick with my original prediction of 16th. But there's a part of me thinking we are in a relegation battle. I'll leave it at that.

Dan - I said about 12 at the start I still think 12-15th

Ann - I think Gillingham will finish around 10th.

Gills In The Blood - I said in the summer I was confident with this squad we would end up in the safety of mid table, so I will have to stick to my 11th placed prediction. As I have already stated, it’s the defensive side of things where we need to improve, and if we do that we will be absolutely fine.

Emlyn Timmons - 15th

Richard Gransden - Unfortunately 21st unless something changes.

Loonpotter - I think we'll finish between 9th and 12th.

Ben - I said at the start of the season I would be more than happy with mid-table. Still achievable and I believe we can finish mid-table.

Jonathan - Couple of places above relegation zone. Safe before the final day.

Rob - Just outside the relegation zone. Just. Hopefully we'll go on a run like last year and we'll be comfortable with a few games to go.

f77Mark - Bottom half above relegation.

Luke - Can't remember my previous prediction but I will say in the top 24.

Matthew - I thinks at the end of the season realistically we can hopefully achieve mid table finish but it will be a big ask for the squad we have and to keep our important players fit.

Malcolm - My mind hasn’t changed. Lower mid table.

gfclouis - I hope we stay up, I think we’ll finish 16th.

Diane - On the form we are playing at the moment, i would say mid table.

Robert - At the start of the season I was very confident for a top half finish. But now I believe we will finish around 18th, a couple of places above relegation.

ForzaGills - I’d like to think top half if we can keep players fit. I’ll go for 14th.

Gills Debate - At the start of the season I had 11th down as my prediction, but I’ll go a little lower than that now. I personally think that this squad is better than one that should be spending the majority of the season in, or just outside of, the relegation places but we’re obviously down in 18th at the moment and they say that the table starts to take place after 10 games. I’ll go with 14th now.

Lewis - I think we’ll finish where we finish every year - somewhere between 14th and 18th. We don’t know what the season holds yet - the old cycle of sacking the manager and getting someone in to save us could again repeat itself. We’re not good enough to challenge the play offs but I think we’re too good to go down. Mid table mediocrity awaits again.

Dave - I think we will finish lower mid table so between 15th and where we are now.

Stephen - I think we will have a season of struggle going on the 15 games so far, I hope we can have some good runs, but I would say just above the water in 19th position.

10. AFTER FIFTEEN LEAGUE GAMES, ARE THERE PLAYERS WHO HAVE PLAYED FOR THE OPPOSITION AND YOU HAVE THOUGHT, THIS PLAYER WOULD BE BRILLIANT FOR GILLINGHAM, AND WHICH PLAYERS (YOU CAN NAME MORE THAN ONE) HAVE YOU SEEN PLAYING FOR THE OPPOSITION HAVE YOU THOUGHT WOULD BE BRILLIANT SIGNINGS FOR GILLINGHAM ???

BQGillsFan - Sunderland obviously had some incredible players. The likes of Max Power and Lynden Gooch were unplayable, but they are also way out of our league. Southend had two players that impressed me. Goalkeeper Matt Oxley was solid once again, as he often is at Priestfield. Dru Yearwood was very impressive, constantly driving at our midfield and defence and not afraid to take a man on. Southend fans seem to rate him highly and I can see why. Whether we can sign these kind of players is a different story though, given our recent track record in the transfer window.

Jay Wilson - Tom Bayliss at Coventry for me when they came down was class.

Finley - One standout player would be Dru Yearwood of Southend United as he has the ability to drive at a defence with pace and also win the ball in the midfield and I think this would complete Gillingham's current midfield.

Richard - Quite a few. I gather Tom Elliot is not setting the world on fire at Millwall. He could do a job for us.

Dan - I don't go on signing old signings but marquis would be good with eaves both have good work rate.

Ann - Hard one fuller definitely stands out having played for Wimbledon, definitely good signing and to have josh wright back would be amazing.

Gills In The Blood - There are plenty in this division, but in terms of wages and fee are probably out of our reach. Max Power of Sunderland was first class, as were plenty of his team mates. Peterborough have plenty going forward with the likes of Matt Godden and Siriki Dembélé in their ranks. John Marquis of Doncaster would be a great addition, but one who may not be so obvious is Timothéé Dieng of Southend. I mentioned him as a potential target back in the summer, and I think he shields his back four very well. He holds his position well and keeps things simple and ticking over. A player you don’t always notice because he goes about his business quietly and efficiently.

Emlyn Timmons - Too many to mention, obvious ones Cattermole and Maja (Sunderland).

Richard Gransden - Haven't been to every game so difficult to answer. We haven't played them but Brennan Dickenson would have been good for us this year. Done well for Colchester and we should never have let him go.

Loonpotter - Any opposition players I've particularly liked, I know would be very unlikely to ever come to Gillingham.. I'm quite a fan of Jack Payne.

Ben - The player that stands out for me I can think of is Ferrier of Walsall thought he was brilliant for them when we played them away and tore us apart that day. He is one I wouldn't mind in Gillingham's team for sure.

Jonathan - I think League One is a tough league to get out of - young players with a lot to prove old players with nothing to prove but the quality to have played higher. You could find a player from pretty much any team that would benefit.

Rob - I'm never great at spotting opposition players, but Bradford's number 10 stood out for me as a player with real quality.

f77Mark - Not any that outstanding to be honest, one or two little cameos, like the Plymouth Striker Freddie Ladapo, if our injured players return & stay fit we should be ok till January, then maybe a Premiership loanee or two.

Luke - I've not been able to get to too many games but I really liked the look of Honeyman for Sunderland. Dictated the first half from midfield and had a good range of passing and creativity. Someone like that would be very nice in a Gills side, albeit he's probably a bit too expensive for us.

Matthew - Shaun Whalley from Shrewsbury when we played them away back in September he made us look silly in the first half, so he would be a great fit in our side.

Malcolm - I almost think this is pointless!! We don’t have the funds to attract anyone from other clubs to us!! (Laughs, Humour)

gfclouis - I liked Liam Trotter and Tom Soares from AFC Wimbledon, I think we need more physicality in the midfield. I thought Siriki Dembele from Peterborough is a very good winger.

Diane - I have seen good players, but cannot name them now unfortunately.

Robert - I think Matthew Clarke for Pompey would be a dream addition to the Gills defence but I’m not holding out for this one.

ForzaGills - Dru Yearwood was brilliant for Southend and he looks like a real talent at just 18 years old. Tom Bayliss looked classy in midfield for Coventry and I thought Deji Oshilaja was solid at the back for Wimbledon (shame we sold him).

Gills Debate - I think there have been a few players that have really stood out to me who have played in the forward positions for their respective teams. Kieffer Moore and John Marquis are two strikers, who are perhaps not too dissimilar to Eaves, that impressed me with the threat that they carried and the way in which they moved our defence around in our games against Barnsley and Doncaster Rovers respectively. In the wide areas, I thought that Siriki Dembele was a massive threat for Peterborough in our home game against them. I’m sure that there have been some impressive defensive opposition players so far this season, but I personally find it easier to recall those that have played in attacking areas, so I’ll leave it at Moore, Marquis and Dembele!

Lewis - I think one always looks at the good teams and wants their players. The likes of Matt Godden and Ryan Tafazolli of Peterborough were excellent, the likes of Ronan Curtis played well for Portsmouth despite being on the losing side, and Freddie Ladapo (who used to play for Margate) played well for Plymouth when we lost there. One player I really like is Jodi Jones of Coventry, but unfortunately he didn’t come back from a serious injury in time to face us.

Dave - Despite his team getting gubbed last week, I’d love to see Jack Payne of Bradford. A stylish play maker is what we are crying out for.

Stephen - Matt Godden looks a decent player for Peterborough United, Sunderland have about 10 that I thought looked very good! Cattermole and Maja really stood out against us, as did Max Power.

11. IF YOU WERE TO GIVE GILLINGHAM A MARK OUT OF TEN, TEN BEING THE HIGHEST AND ZERO BEING THE LOWEST, WHAT MARK OUT OF TEN WOULD YOU GIVE GILLINGHAM AT THIS STAGE OF THE SEASON ???

BQGillsFan - I can only go as high as a 4. Gillingham aren't where we want to be and having won our first 2 games, fans would have expected to be higher than where we are now. But there are signs of a good team every now and again and I think we will be safe come game 46. UP THE GILLS!

Jay Wilson - On our day we have played some brilliant football but we have also been shocking at times!!!

Finley - I would give Gillingham a 5 out of 10 as we have at times shown how good we really can be but then at others we have shown that we can be the complete opposite as well.

Richard - Taking everything into consideration 4.

Dan - 5 average plenty of room for improvement.

Ann - mark out of ten would have give would be a 3, not good start disappointing but hasn't been helped with injuries.

Gills In The Blood - I will go for a could do better six out of ten. Sometimes I’ve watched us and been really impressed - Burton, Sunderland, at times versus Peterborough, Pompey, second half versus Bradford - and then on other occasions - Coventry for 70 minutes, Wimbledon, defensively versus Peterborough, second half versus Southend - I’ve actually wondered how the same group of players can look so inept and disjointed.

Emlyn Timmons - 5/10.

Richard Gransden - 3/10

Loonpotter - I'd give them s 4 out of 10.

Ben - I'll say 4 or 5, a good start to the season but hit bad form. After a win on Saturday, if we can get back to good form and a solid finish, can't see why it can't be a 7 at least or maybe more.

Jonathan - 4.5

Rob - Probably a 4 or 5. I hoped we'd be midtable, but we're not and we're in dangerous waters. We have to keep ourselves afloat but without change at the top we'll always be treading water.

f77Mark - I’d give a 5 so far.

Luke - 4/10 based on the wins we've amassed and the wins we should have, very much a "improvement required”.

Matthew - I would give Gillingham a three at the moment as there is still big improvements to be made and we have some thought fixtures coming up.

Malcolm - A solid 5. Some sublime goals and lots of attacking potential pulling up the score to halfway but some abject performances and a lack of points on the board meaning it can’t possibly be any higher.

gfclouis - I’d give it a 3/10 so far.

Diane - I would say 4/5.

Robert - I would give Gillingham a 4. Well below potential for the players we have but a few glimpses of what we can do (Pompey and Bradford come to mind).

ForzaGills - I’ll be generous and give a 6 out of 10. There have been times this season where we’ve been 8 or 9 out of 10, but then plenty of times where we’ve been 3 or 4 out of 10. The signs are promising though and I have doubt that we’re more capable than we’ve shown so far.

Gills Debate - )I’ll go for a 5.5. We’re a little bit lower down the table than I was hoping for at this moment in time, and there have been some disappointing results and performances, but it’s certainly not been a complete disaster so far and I think that in certain games we have seen the potential/quality that this squad does possess.

Lewis - Meh, 4? I think the season promised so much at the start but it feels it’s already died out. We lost a lot and I travelled a long way watching those losses and poor performances which was a bit crap. There have been good memories though, such as Accrington away, Portsmouth away and Bradford at home. It’s been fine, but below average.

Dave - A 5 out of 10 for performances at home and 7 away so overall 6.

Stephen - I would give Gills a 4/10 so far, We have had more bad results than good, but there is plenty of room for improvement.

12. AND FINALLY, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WISH TO ADD (EXAMPLE: IS THERE SOMETHING I HAVE NOT COVERED IN THE ELEVEN QUESTIONS ASKED ABOVE YOU WANT TO EXPAND UPON) ???

BQGillsFan - Nothing To Add.

Jay Wilson - Up The Gills!!!

Finley - Nothing else to add mate. Cheers for the questions.

Richard - With a club of our size and status it always going to be a roller-coaster. But that makes it interesting and why we love the club. My only prayer is we avoid League 2.

Dan - No just wanted to say thanks for the involvement and up the gills hope for a better 30 games.

Ann - Nothing to add hope that helps, Lee.

Gills In The Blood - After his display versus Bradford, I am hoping that this could be the start of something special for Darren Oldaker, but I want to say that us as fans may have to bare with him. He will make mistakes due to his age and the way he plays the game, but without getting too carried away last Saturday was a very promising start and a clear indication of his natural ability. It’s up to him now.

Emlyn Timmons - Nothing To Add.

Richard Gransden - Would like to see the Gills change something regarding tickets. Charging higher prices hasn't worked so why not try more cheaper options for games - get more people in who will buy more teas, programmes, beers etc. Attendances aren't improving so try something different.

Loonpotter - I would add... if players can't be bothered, if players don't have the ability required on any given day or perhaps aren't performing to the expected standard...and it doesn't matter who they are... the manager shouldn't be afraid to try the youth or fringe players... if players aren't doing their job there is nothing to lose... be brave, be decisive... when something isn't working anyway, take a risk…

Ben - Nothing To Add.

Jonathan - Gillingham fans need to wake up and realize that we are NOT A championship club, we’re not a rich club. We are a club surviving, paying our bills, making slow forward steps.

I truly wish fans really knew what goes into the costs and bills of a League One club -some literally have no clue, run around spouting junk that is of no benefit to the club. Would we be here now if it wasn’t for our Chairman? Probably not. So let’s actually SUPPORT the club, do what we can as individuals to show that support.

Rob - Not particularly. It's interesting to see that some people have seriously started protesting the ownership and the whole saga with the new pitch was bizarre. Let's hope the rest of the season we are focussing on the on-pitch events and not anything off the field.

f77Mark - Decent home form/pitch, summer signings staying injury free & re evaluate in January.

Luke - More people need to get behind the boys when we're at home. Let's stick together and stick with them. Up the Gills.

Matthew - I don’t know if this is what others have said to me at the ground but I like the fact that if players don’t want to be at this football club and don’t have the work ethic then I agree with what Lovell is doing is to send them away.

Malcolm - Following on from question 10, we have just spent £500,000 on a new pitch...obviously this is an investment for a number of years, but shows we have (or perhaps had) some money in the coffers. I do wonder where money from sell on clauses from Egan, Gazzaniga etc have gone. I’m not a Scally basher as i generally think he’s been better for our club than bad, however think Lovs will need a little more help in the transfer market if we aren’t going to be flirting with relegation again come March.

gfclouis - Nothing To Add.

Diane - Only that Steve Lovell is doing very well with the budget he has, especially as League 1 now has some very good teams in it, all with a much higher player budget than Gills.

Robert - Bring Nash back from loan and give him a shot. I would much rather see Mbo go out on loan to gain the experience than Liam Nash who we know can square goals a lower levels already. Frustrates me not even seeing him on the bench when we are short of strikers, especially now Wilkinson has gone (He’s too good for Dagenham and Redbridge).

ForzaGills - Nothing to add thanks Lee, hope all goes well with the blog! Up the Gills!

Gills Debate - Nothing more to add.

Lewis - I just wanted to thank Lee for asking me to be on his blog, and I hope I was of help. Let’s hope for a good season. Up the Gills!

Dave - Nothing To Add.

Stephen - Now the pitch has been laid, I hope we get our passing game going and entertain the fans. Also winning matches, We need to get the fans back through the turnstiles, as the crowds have been poor for many reasons.

Once again, thank you to everyone for participating in this blog, let’s hope that Gillingham’s 4-0 home win against Bradford City can be the start of a decent unbeaten run for The Gills and Gillingham start to move in the right direction and start climbing The League One Table - COME ON THE GILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#Gillingham #Supporters #LeagueOne

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