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Ainsworth looking to strengthen squad
Ainsworth looking to strengthen squad

With Gillingham players returning for pre-season testing next week, boss Gareth Ainsworth is still looking for new blood for his squad before the season opens at the start of August. 

With the new season fixtures due out at the end of next week, the Gills boss has been talking to KSN about the Club’s search for the new players.

“I get fifty or sixty texts a day this time of year from agents and players,” he admitted.

“They say that they are this and they are that and you get videos sent to you as well that you try and watch. Thing is that I have  family as well as most managers do and I try to spend as much time with them as I can as you’ve got ten months of an absolute slog coming up, but as a football manager you barely get any time off and you have to take time away just to recharge batteries and chill, but even then the phone will be on and text messages will be coming through – “Whatsapp” is the worst invention in the World for football managers,” the Gills boss admitted laughing before adding, “I have watched a lot of players on video over the last month and we are trying to get the right ones in.” 

“Absolutely there are “marque” players out there!” Ainsworth conceded. “The Galinsons have put an enormous amount of money into this Club in the last two years and there is no way that we could keep spending like that!”

“It’s not the right way, it’s not the right structure, it’s not the right baseline to run a Football Club! I am totally respectful and we will rein it in a little bit, but Brad and Shannon love this place – all they want is the best for Gillingham Football Club, so I know that they would back me if I really wanted to get someone in and really went for it.”

“But they also trust me never to abuse that relationship as well and I think that that is a really nice place to be because I want to build something here, and you don’t build by just flash-in-the-pan stuff, you build by structure and building an environment, and that is what I want to do so that we can sustain the success when it comes, not to just stand there as a flash-in-the-pan!”

“That’s me and hopefully the fans will understand that – it may take a little bit longer, but it will come, and it will be sustainable rather than up, down and all over the place as that’s not the way that I work!”  

“But what I will say it’s not all about what we bring in, it’s what we do as Gillingham Football Club! What those players gave me in the last nine games of the season have had people coming up to me and saying that it was a different team – that’s a massive compliment for me and hopefully they will continue in that vein.”

“It’s about the coaching and the dynamics of the place rather than just the signings that we bring in. I think you have seen over the last two years just bringing in new signings doesn’t work – there have been a hell of a lot here in that time – I want people who will be bought into Gillingham – just like Bradley Dack – and then we both get success!” 

“People may think it’s quiet and why are we not signing anyone people. I can tell you behind the scenes, it’s been pretty chaotic at times… I have always said, be patient and don’t get involved in a sweat just because other people are signing players, it doesn’t mean that we have to!”

“We will do it the right way and hopefully that first game of the season will show everyone what we have put together!”

“The squad will look very different between now and the second of August as we definitely want to get one or two more over the line in the next couple of weeks and we will see.”

“If we don’t, there will be just a little bit more patience from everyone, but we will get the right ones in. I know what I want, I know the type of player that I want and the dynamic I want in the team.”

“Personality is important, balance is important, location is important – all these discussions you don’t hear in the general press as behind the scenes you have a lot of reasons that you cannot disclose!” 


 
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