End of another season for the Gills
Ben Hopkins on what needs to come next for the struggling Gills.
Praise the lord, for Gillingham’s tremendously disappointing season is over, and Operation Rebuild It Better is already underway. Ben Hopkins looks at the latest developments at Priestfield...
All change!
The season ended on a relative high, when an injury time goal from Garath McCleary secured a 1-0 win versus Shrewsbury. Stuttering at 17th place on a budget that’s surely towards the upper reaches of the division was nonetheless a dire outcome, so it was no surprise that Gillingham’s retained list was announced over the following morning’s breakfast.
It’s always a little distracting to watch a bloodbath when you’re munching on cornflakes, but it certainly wasn’t unexpected. The departures fall broadly into three categories: those who delivered very little relative to expectations; those who have repeatedly struggled with injuries; and those who barely had a chance to begin with.
You could perhaps make a case for keeping Conor Masterson, but being one of the club’s stronger defenders becomes irrelevant when he only managed twelve appearances all season. Likewise for Glenn Morris, who even at the age of 42 would be a decent enough second choice keeper for another year. And perhaps even for Max Clark: a target for the boo boys and admittedly at times lacking both pace and strength, but able to weigh in with some much-needed assists and the goal of the season. But Elliott Nevitt, Josh Andrews, Aaron Rowe and others? Their moments of inspiration have been as rare as a dodo on Darnley Road.
