Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

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New Manager - can he keep the wins coming?

Gills Win
1
7%
Town Win
12
80%
Draw
2
13%
 
Total votes: 15

JOHN DEERE
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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by JOHN DEERE » Sat Mar 06, 2021 7:38 pm

On the plus side, Portsmouth were hammered and we are still within striking distance of the top six. Also, Cook's comments were excellent. He will now have a clear idea of the scale of the task ahead and will, no doubt, soon be making decisions about who he can rely on and who needs to be shown the door.

I expect it will take about four games for him to have a real impact. There is still every hope of making the playoffs. I believe we will.

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by hallamblue » Sat Mar 06, 2021 7:58 pm

In many ways losing today could well focus his mind to the task in hand, and it will have told him a bit about some of the players , hopefully.

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by hallamblue » Sat Mar 06, 2021 8:05 pm

number 9 wrote:
Sat Mar 06, 2021 5:56 pm
“We have too many players. You can’t coach too many players, you can’t have too many players happy, so certainly going forwards, we’ll lick our wounds from today and we’ll look forward to the Lincoln game on Tuesday night.”
Interesting statement from Cook.
Do you know 8mthought that when they showed his only training session with them. It was like Piccadilly Circus, there were that many players 8n the squad. I was always amazed Lambert didn’t clear the decks when he came in . I think that was half his problem last season - far too many players...hence the rotation system as he tried to be “ fair “ to the, all and keep players happy. Which is not good management.

Massive clear out on the cards in the summer. PC has already alluded to that in his first interview. These players are playing for there Town careers.....so today’s performance was not only unacceptable, it was also disappointing from their perspective bordering on unprofessional. They need to buck their ideas , and fast.

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Ricco
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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by Ricco » Sat Mar 06, 2021 10:55 pm

Agreed, your better off with 20 players on £10k a week then 40 players on £5k a week, you get better quality, has been a problem for a long time at the club, too many mediocre players.

Likewise I'm surprised Lambert wasn't more aggressive in addressing that, but perhaps injuries play on the mind, if you have so many injury prone players, you need spares.

Evans' fault for buying cheap crocks thinking he'd got bargains on the cheap.

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by hallamblue » Sat Mar 06, 2021 11:26 pm

Thing is though Evans will have bought the players identified to him by the manager ( at that time). This would have been McCarthy & Hurst. Lambert failed to prune that bloated squad when he took over. I think mainly because he actually isn't very good at making decisions and man managing.... as we now all know, (well, Ive learned anyway)!

PC wont have any qualms about pulling the rug this summer. I'm expecting at 50% of the current squad to get the heave ho. If we don't make play offs this season, so beit . WE have a decent manager now hopefully, and he needs to mold the squad to his specifications: which he will.

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by number 9 » Sat Mar 06, 2021 11:28 pm

I don’t think cheap crocs are the problem at the moment; it’s inconsistent and underperforming academy grads who are bringing the club down. Unfortunately, this is where we are. A few loan players won’t solve anything, and let’s face it we’re not gonna attract the pick of the bunch for now at least. So, coaching and man management is even more important. This is something Lambert proved he wasn’t capable of doing. Cook has proven he can motivate players of all shapes and sizes to achieve success. Let’s see if he can do the same for us.

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by number 9 » Sun Mar 07, 2021 12:11 am

marko69 wrote:
Sat Mar 06, 2021 3:45 pm
Tiredness is causing Norwoods fouls this half. He's been very good for 65 minutes. Cannot deny that. He's been in positions but the midfield are f**king headless chickens and the defence are nursery school BEFORE primary One, Toto aside.

Big job Cook has on his hands.
Norwood probably said just a small chips with the double quarter pounder please. I have a football match to play. And I know you’re probably thinking what on earth are you talking about number 9? Well, as a metaphor that’s what’s wrong with the players. They’ve been cruising along way too long...and it’s Cook’s job to change the paradigm.

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by hallamblue » Sun Mar 07, 2021 12:21 am

And he will #9 ..... and he will.

He’s got a free hit with this season I’d say ( and we do have a real chance of making play offs if we can get back on track quickly.) we only have a couple of top 6 sides left to play I think then the rest are mid table if lower .

He’s in a very fortunate position really because close to 50% of this squad are out of contract . Most will be gone, and even those in contract could be shown the door too . This leave him free to recruit his targets . I see Josh Windass is already being mentioned ( probably all his ex Wigan players will be mentioned over the summer lol ). But it’s something to look forward to in many ways I guess .

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by ashfordblue » Sun Mar 07, 2021 1:46 am

Liz: I have said for a long time that this squad is far too large to manage correctly, I think the maximum number of the squad should be 17 max, plus bringing up the under 23's as and when required, the wind of change has come upon us, and like a new broom it will sweep clean and get rid us of the chafe.

It will take Paul Cook the rest of this season to sort out who goes and who he retains, and who he will bring in or up from the youth squad, he knows there is some very promising young guys coming through and he will utilise these with experience to build a promotion achieving squad, similar to Sir Bobby's days here, it took time, but he achieved his goal over the first 3 seasons to mould and blend a winning squad of players, as did Burley and Joe Royale.

I still think by the time next season arrives we will also have new owners, as all the requirements are in place ready to go, and I want Evans gone as his tenor has been a disaster, and the longer he stays the worse it will get.

We just need to be patient and watch the show begin.

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by ashfordblue » Sun Mar 07, 2021 1:46 am

oops :lol: nearly done a double show ??

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by Tangfastic » Sun Mar 07, 2021 7:48 am

That was pretty chastening and a big let down after a week or two of positivity. And we can’t get any satisfaction now from blaming Lambo.

Cook’s got his work cut out. He’s working with someone else’s squad of players and I don’t think he’ll get the best out of this team until he can bring his own players in. We all know it’s a bloated squad. How we got so many players is down to Lambert and Evans. Too many injury-prone and mediocre players and when things aren’t working - we just bring in more... and then more. And we can’t offload as they’re either injured or not good enough that anyone wants them and they’d prefer to sit on their contracts here. Not the healthiest situation to try and get a competitive, hungry squad fit and firing.
And here’s where I think Evans isn’t the evil Blofeld-type character that people portray him as - he pays for this bunch of under-performing players week in, week out. He’s just crap at running a football club. He isn’t the type that asset-strips a club - he’s the opposite, but brings in more players to add to the wage-bill and yet add nothing to the value of the club.

I’m giving Cook a free hit for this season. We could well stumble into the play-offs, but we need to get rid of so many players whichever league we’re in. Personally, I think we might be better off starting again in League One next season as it’s better to rebuild in League One than in the Championship.

The thing is - Cook’s preferred formation isn’t too different than from Lambert’s. He likes 4-2-3-1 and is apparently even more stubborn than Lambert in sticking to it. But this squad of players don’t look comfortable in playing this style. Early days and it would be crazy to over-react. Yesterday’s performance was really a reality check for Cook to the job he has to do.

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by Dubai Blue » Sun Mar 07, 2021 8:46 am

We have short memories if we think the squad is too big. Only a couple of months ago we had, was it, 10 first teamers out injured? And we needed the likes of Brett McGavin, Aaron Drinan and Jack Lankester to be in the squad just to fill out the team sheet.

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by hallamblue » Sun Mar 07, 2021 10:13 am

You’d hope we would finally be past all that rubbish wouldn’t you DB. :D

So are you saying ITFC will forever need to have a squad of 40-45 players?

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by hallamblue » Sun Mar 07, 2021 10:19 am

ashfordblue wrote:
Sun Mar 07, 2021 1:46 am
oops :lol: nearly done a double show ??
Lol pity the boys in blue don’t show.... :lol:

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by Dubai Blue » Sun Mar 07, 2021 12:17 pm

hallamblue wrote:
Sun Mar 07, 2021 10:13 am
You’d hope we would finally be past all that rubbish wouldn’t you DB. :D

So are you saying ITFC will forever need to have a squad of 40-45 players?
Noooo but life can throw you curve balls as we have found out this season.

Anyway we have to trust PC to do the right thing and for sure he's better qualified than me :D

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by marko69 » Sun Mar 07, 2021 2:34 pm

Magilton sacked.

Need to wait until Keane gets his own players.

Keane out.

Need to wait until Jewell gets his own players

Jewell out

Need to wait until McCarthy gets his own players

McCarthy out

Need to wait until Hurst gets his own players

Hurst out.

Need to wait until Lambert gets his own players.

Lambert out.

Need to wait until Cook gets his own players.

(12 years recent history above)

Well. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ No one hold their breath or you will actually physically die from suffocation.

Absolute fkn shyte show from a once proud football club. Very embarrassing indeed.

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by Bluemike » Sun Mar 07, 2021 2:42 pm

Yep agree, the secret is appointing a decent manager who knows a good player when he sees one knows what positions need strengthening and knows how to interlock said players into the side/system, I believe we have that person, none of the others could do it.

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by marko69 » Sun Mar 07, 2021 2:55 pm

Fkn hell :shock: REALLY?

All of them done it. At other clubs. Even Jewell.

The point of my post wasn’t a dig at Cook. Was a dig at someone else. We all know who.

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by Bluemike » Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:04 pm

I meant couldn't do it here.

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by marko69 » Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:13 pm

I hate being negative because I’m predominantly a positive person...... but at this moment in time, I feel it’s only a matter of time before Cook thinks he’s farting against thunder.

BUT....... these are football players, regardless if they’re HIS. I personally can’t be arsed waiting until AUGUST to see what he “can do”.

He’s got 15 big games with pro football players to AT LEAST show the fans something of what he can do at ITFC.
After reading more in depth about Cooks past.... I’m expecting a fair few wins amongst those 15 games.

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by Steve and Jo » Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:32 pm

marko69 wrote:
Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:13 pm
I hate being negative because I’m predominantly a positive person...... but at this moment in time, I feel it’s only a matter of time before Cook thinks he’s farting against thunder.

BUT....... these are football players, regardless if they’re HIS. I personally can’t be arsed waiting until AUGUST to see what he “can do”.

He’s got 15 big games with pro football players to AT LEAST show the fans something of what he can do at ITFC.
After reading more in depth about Cooks past.... I’m expecting a fair few wins amongst those 15 games.
It's not being negative Marko, it's being realistic and truthful

For what it's worth I 100% agree with you

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Re: Gillingham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread

Post by Bluemike » Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:35 pm

I completely agree too

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