[ 3 Apr 15 ] Gills v Fleetwood Match Thread

[Garawa]

We have played this week's opponents (Crawley and Fleetwood) 13 times in total but will play our next (Leyton Orient) for the 70th time on Monday.

We've never beaten Fleetwood in the 3 games we have met. The only game at Priestfield ended 2-2 in 2012. The only players that remain from the squad that day are Stuart Nelson, Joe Martin and Callum Davies.

Fleetwood have conceded 19 goals in both the middle and final thirds of league games this season but only 6 in the opening third.

The Gills have so far this season drawn 1 and lost 4 of the 5 matches played against last season's League 2 promoted sides.

After 6 away defeats in a row, Fleetwood have since lost 4 from 11 and are unbeaten in their last 2 away trips.

Before today Fleetwood had scored 40 goals in the league just 8 more than the Gills managed at home.

3:00
Kick-Off

3:18
GOAL! Gillingham 0-1 Fleetwood.

3:21
The Gills have now scored first at Priestfield in the league 7 times and won 6 but conceded first 12 times (winning 2 and losing 5 of the previous 11).

3:46
Half-time: 0-1

4:53
Full-time: 0-1

Referee: Brendan Malone
Attendance: 7,961 (101)
.

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

There is not much between the two sides with them only 2 points ahead of us.It would be nice to get another win to put us on 54 points and safe completely.It is kids for a quid so the attendance will be high,lets hope we get a good performance.

[fan_of_mulligan]

I think Gillingham will line up as follows.......................

---------------------------------G.Morris--------------------------------------
Hoyte----------------Egan-------------------Ehmer----------------------Bell
--------------------A.Morris-------------------Loft-----------------------------
McGlashan---------------------Dack-------------------------------------Norris
--------------------------------McDonald--------------------------------------

Subs: Nelson (GK), Legge, Hessenthaler, Pritchard, Galbraith, Dickenson, Marquis

I think Justin Edinburgh will stick with the 4.2.3.1 formation that Gillingham line up with against Crawley Town Last Saturday, the only difference in my predicted starting eleven is that Cody McDonald will take John Marquis's spot in the starting line up as Luke Norris is expected to start every game for Gillingham between now and the end of the season and we're going to see what the 21 year old striker can do when he is given a extended run in the first team.

Jermaine McGlashan showed that he can play for ninety minutes against Crawley Town, but will Justin Edinburgh start Jermaine McGlashan again or name on the substitutes bench ??? I have gone with naming Jermaine McGlashan in the starting eleven, because I think McGlashan will be named on the bench for The Leyton Orient Game on Easter Monday.

Hopefully Gillingham can end the season with a excellent run of performances and results at Priestfield Stadium, but Fleetwood Town, Bradford City, Rochdale and Notts County are all going to be difficult matches, eight points from those four home matches will be a respectable points tally and if we can a few draws away from home, then I am confidant that Gillingham can get over sixty points this season - COME ON THE GILLS!!!!!!!!!

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

Justin Edinburgh is likely to name two different sides for both of the Easter games.So players like McGlashan may start tomorrow,but be on the bench on Monday.

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/spor ... ges-34387/

[Garawa]

An apology for a game from both sides, typically in front of one of our largest gates as usual. No desire, no fight, no anything and its always worse after a strong win away from home at this stage of the season. I guess there isn't a lot to play for but with pressure off there was a chance to showboat and go into next season on a high. What that first was I don't know and neither did JE it seems as he sent them back out after 10 minutes to warm up again!

I understand he wants to try out some players which is fine but there were some weird choices. Like for example taking off John Egan and replacing him with Leon Legge. And you ask? As a striker! Marquis had been subbed and chasing a goal we went with Cody, Dickenson and Legge!
Norris I felt could do well if he had a run. He is getting one now but looked well off sorts and is not making the mark he really ought to for someone with his speed and power, perhaps he is not suited to the lone wolf role in a 4-2-3-1 although he soon swopped places with Marquis as he did at Crawley.
Loft is back to normal. After a couple of good games he was again giving the ball away constantly and blaming it on all his team-mates being in the wrong place! I'm not really sure where our options are with these as they are under contract and I doubt will be purchased in the summer.

It is fast becoming the away games where the points are being earned from. Next up Bradford will be a much more difficult task unless it those more challenging games we find easier to win!

[fan_of_mulligan]

Poor Team Selection, Poor Substitutes, Poor Decision Making, Poor Performance, Poor Result and the goal we conceded was very poor as well - and any talk about Gillingham challenging for the playoffs is over for this season, I couldn't see Gillingham seriously challenging for the playoffs this season, but I would of used the playoffs to try and push Gillingham to end as high as we possibly can in League One, because a top half / top ten finish in League One would be a incredible achievement considering where Gillingham were in The League One Table in January.

Justin Edinburgh has to be criticised for his team selection and substitutions today, starting Luke Norris as the lone centre forward with John Marquis as a left winger in a unbalanced 4.2.3.1 formation wasn't unexpected as Justin Edinburgh stuck with the team that won 2-1 against Crawley Town the week before, but the substitutions were very strange, taking off John Marquis for Brennan Dickenson and John Egan off for Leon Legge was like for like, Justin Edinburgh was very reluctant to substitute Aaron Morris when it was clear that two defensive holding midfielders was pointless when we were 1-0 down.

Justin Edinburgh should of taken off Aaron Morris for Brennan Dickenson and Luke Norris subbed off for Cody McDonald, then play Jermaine McGlashan and Brennan Dickenson on both flanks with Cody McDonald and John Marquis up top with Bradley Dack playing behind the two strikers, the front four also should of been instructed to press high and force Fleetwood Town's Defence into rushed or hurried clearances, because charging down lost causes and Gillingham being on the front-foot only really happened in the final ten minutes of the match today when things were getting desperate.

The 4.2.3.1 Formation can work and the formation can work exceptionally well, but you need pacey wingers on both flanks and plenty of movement off the ball to make this formation work, if Justin Edinburgh wants to persist with this formation then Brennan Dickenson has to start on the left with Jermaine McGlashan on the right, I would prefer switching back to the 4.4.2 diamond midfield formation and playing Cody McDonald and John Marquis up-front, I think Luke Norris is a hard working striker with plenty of potential and ability, but after starting the last three matches I think Luke Norris needs to be named among the substitutes bench and that Cody McDonald should play alongside John Marquis between now until the end of the season.

Whenever Gillingham get a massive attendance at Priestfield Stadium (7,961 today) we lose in-front of a big attendance, a win today was not only essential in ensuring that Gillingham will be in League One for The 2015 / 2016 Season or that Gillingham can still challenge for the playoffs or end in a top half / top ten position in League One, but a win today would of been a great opportunity to encourage the casual supporter to come to more Gillingham Matches or buy A Season Ticket for Next Season, I think that's what hurt the most about today's defeat, Fleetwood Town at home was a audition for Gillingham Football Club to show-case themselves to the casual supporter and we have failed that audition badly today, a win against Fleetwood Town might have encouraged supporters to buy tickets for The Bradford City, Rochdale and Notts County Matches, but these matches will probably drop back to The usual 4,800 attendances that we have been seen at home matches this season.

Fleetwood Town's Time Wasting, checking the ball wasn't flat for every goal-kick, throw on, corner kick and free kick was very frustrating, but Fleetwood Town had a game-plan and they came to Gillingham with every intention of picking up a point, in the last four home matches the opposition has scored the opening goal, against Colchester United and Doncaster Rovers Gillingham fought back to earn a point, but against Barnsley and Fleetwood Town, Gillingham have lost 1-0 and this is something we have got to work on when we do go behind and the opposition sit deep, play for time and slow the game right down - however I also think that 1-0 flattered Gillingham to some degree because Fleetwood Town created several goal-scoring opportunities and they could and perhaps should of gone in at half time 2-0.

Leyton Orient for me is now a must win game, if Gillingham do win at Brisbane Road on Monday then Gillingham will move nine points clear of Leyton Orient with five matches to play, should Leyton Orient win then they are just three points behind Gillingham and we're looking over our shoulder at the relegation zone, team selection can no longer be about looking at players for next season, Justin Edinburgh has to name his strongest team and make sure that his tactics are spot on against Leyton Orient, because his tactics and substitutions were appalling today.

[Kent_UckyFriedGills]

It didn`t sound exciting,and the atmosphere backed that up.It seemed like we picked the wrong Team,and struggled in attacking areas.I can`t remember us testing their keeper other than Aaron Morris`s late chance.Frustrating that we once again play poorly in front of a big crowd when it is kids for a quid.Luckily we have a game on Easter Monday to try and put it right.Cody should start with Marquis in my opinion.

I wouldn`t say it is a must win FOM as we`re on 51 points which only a few Teams have gone down on.We would have to lose all remaining six games and even then may still stay up.I think we will be fine for safety,but it would be nice to finish on a high with getting near the top half.

[Rimshot]

One win in six games says it all really. Going nowhere.

[gillsfan1066]

You have a new manager thats going to be doing the NEW BROOM SWEEPS CLEAN bit in the summer, Scally has told him he has two years to get this right and get us promoted or he is gone,out the door,down the road,on yer bike.
I think it's a pretty good bet Marquis will be gone over the summer, so whats the point of playing him now, were safe from relegation bar a complete melt down and everyone else in the league suddenly playing like European Cup Winners (and I hope Orient stay up,I kind of feel sorry for them) ,lol, ??
I think we will pick up a point on Monday, and end up on the 57 /58 point mark for the season, with next years team the sorted out by mid May, old players let go, new players bought in, a nice TOUGH pre season schedule, not the dam tomato cans we played last year, and then hopefully 2015/16 will give us a run at the big time, couple of nice draws in the cup that doesn't include any ******* team from Bristol, and a Kent Cup win to round off the 2015/16 season and make the love of my life Ms.FOM happy.

[Garawa]

I think we are safe. It's not just the points available but the ability of the sides to get them. As many still have to play each other it isn't really possible. Crewe are still yet to face Leyton Orient and Coventry whilst they must also still play Notts County. Colchester also have games against fellow strugglers and throw in a trip to Bristol City as well makes the points very hard to achieve without relegating a side around the drop instead of a side around where we are.

The whole game felt like a last game of the season nothing to play for one. How we can do so well against Crawley away and then flop at home I don't know. Fleetwood's time wasting was obscene, I have never see that degree even when playing a side fighting for their lives! They seem to come with tactics to convince the ref. We swopped the ball even before they kicked off the match, then wanted it swopped again but the ref said no. After that every time it went out they were testing it as if to say "see we told you". I could understand it at the end of the game but we hadn't even got half way through the first half. They didn't want to take any throw ins. Ball goes out next to one of their players, without touching it he walks away to leave it for a team-mate who stops and has a chat to his boss instead. It made the game awful to watch and the tactic to slow down our flair players worked. If that's what it's like watching Fleetwood then I would choose anything instead!