Manager Steve Evans has called on the Gillingham fans to get right behind their team ahead of their first home game of the season on Saturday.

As Gillingham prepare to start their SKYBet League One home campaign against Nigel Clough’s Burton Albion, boss Steve Evans have been talking to the media this week about his hopes for the home season but started by looking back to the opening day point the Gills secured at Doncaster last weekend.

After getting a point in Yorkshire, the Gills boss admitted, “There’s no arguing that for 45 minutes at Doncaster we were very good and should have put the game to bed. Nothing changes in football and if you don’t take the chances that you create it gives the opposition a chance to come back and that’s what happened.”

“But in the second half Doncaster were better than us. The positives we take is that it’s a new group. The positives we take is that there was some good football played particularly in the first half.”

Talking on Deadline Day in the Premier League and Championship, the Gills boss was asked about any potential arrivals before the weekend; he said, “We said we are work in progress and are working very hard to strengthen the group where we need to strengthen and the Chairman is fully aware of that. We’re not going to sign superstars this year as we cannot afford to do that, but we will sign someone who improves the group.”

“We’re literally waiting by the phone – I’ve watched two or three games this week, We’re only trying to do two or three – it doesn’t sound a lot but it’s the reality that you have to work hard and put the hours in to get the results that you’re after. How close are we? It could happen before the weekend, it could happen after, but with the Premiership and Championship both focusing on their own deadline closing (the League One deadline is at the end of the month) we have to respect that those clubs are focused on their own business rather than ours.”

“With the timing of the window, if we can get one in before Saturday we’d have done well, We have to be focused – we know the positions that we need to strengthen in, we know the type of players who will strengthen the group.”

“There’s no secret that we’ve got three players who will move on and if they want to play football long term, they’ll leave the club. They’re not going to force their way back in as even if we do get injury problems, we’ve got some got youngsters to bring in so I think it will be best for Bradley (Stevenson), Josh (Rees) and DJ (Darren Oldaker) to move on.”

Evans was then asked if he could identify why the Gills suffered twelve home League defeats last season. Smiling, the manager said, “The opposition always scored at least one more goal than Gillingham – that’s what I can put my finger on.”

“Seriously, I’ve said before that I felt sorry for Tomas Holy and Connor and Max as they had teams running at them as the side was very open and that was just from an observation point of view – I came here with Posh (Peterborough) and we scored four!”

“I’d like to think we’re stronger now, we’d like to think that we’ve got better shape and better organised and that’s with a different style from last year. That doesn’t make it right or wrong. You know it is difficult to make your home ground a fortress, but it normally means that if you can and do you get promoted.”

Looking ahead to the weekend, the Gills boss gave his views on what his new look side will face. “Burton are a very well run football club and Nigel is a good friend of mine – they’ve put a good squad of players together and they have high hopes that this will be their year to go back up to the Championship.”

“They were in good form at the end of last season and we’ll set ourselves up correctly and look to win the game and there’s no better place. They will be hard to beat – they’ve got two good strikers, but they’re full of good players and Nigel is the hallmark for Burton – he’s been in and out a couple of times and I’m sure that he will take them back to the Championship, and we’ve got to make sure that we don’t give them any easy point on Saturday to help them!”

Evans then spoke of how the Priestfield faithful can play their part. “I’ve come here before with Rotherham and lost a big game with the Gills and the place was rocking and bouncing and that’s what we’ve got to looking for home games,” Evans declared.

“When the home fans are “at it” the atmosphere is tremendous and makes players want to play. We don’t want the players too relaxed, but we want them in the spirit and the belief that every person sitting in three stands at this ground is right behind them!”

“There will be lapses when we give the ball away, when we go behind – we’re going to be tested at times and that’s when you really find out what supporters are like. I’ve been at Leeds and Rotherham when you go behind and it seems to galvanise everyone, and it was like that here under Hessie and at the start under Justin.”

“So, if we’ve going to get ourselves consistent and heading for top six, it’s going to have to be that all the players at the football club are in this together. And you have to be all together.”

“Perhaps not so much in the last year or so, but a Gillingham away game has always been seen as a tough game, and that’s what we’ve got to achieve those same levels for the supporters and who knows what we can achieve – be loud! Be passionate… and who knows?”