Steve Lovell was in a buoyant mood ahead of his side’s return to the Medway Priestfield Stadium on Saturday as the Gills bid to follow up last weekend’s incredible win at leaders Portsmouth.
The Gills boss told the assembled media this week, “We went through a bad batch of results, but fair play to the players, we worked hard to get through that and it was very important to get that result last Saturday and hopefully we can take it on from there.”
“I said before the Shrewsbury game that there were a few people not doing their jobs and what they were meant to do. It’s a team effort and when we work on tactics and the way that you want to do all week in training, it is frustrating when one or two let you down.”
“At Shrewsbury, a couple of them did exactly what they wanted to do, but on Saturday it was exactly the opposite – everyone did what we worked on and tactically we got it right and scored a couple of good goals and deserved the victory.”
“We then only played four of the Saturday side in midweek against the young Spurs side – it was a game that we had to play and gave some of the other boys a run out as well. It was a game we wanted to win – it could have gone either way; they took their goals very well and we didn’t take our chances when they came along.”
The Gills return home this weekend for the 117th game in their rivalry with the Shrimpers from Southend knowing that the Essex side’s 4-0 win the last time the two sides met was their first win in ten encounters between the two sides.
“We know that Southend will be well organised, and we’ve always had good game against them, except for that last game last season,” Lovell said.
“But it’ll be another tough game as I know Chris (Powell the Southend boss) from our Charlton days and I know the teams that he puts out will be well drilled and strong.”
“I’m looking forward to the game as I do every week – it’ll be a different style of playing again to what we faced against Tottenham on Tuesday and after last Saturday the boys will, I’m certain, be looking to turn in another performance for our home fans. They’re always good games and I think Saturday will be another one and a good game for our supporters.”
Lovell’s team news however wasn’t great. “Brandon Hanlan’s out for a month with a hamstring injury, and we won’t be risking Regan Charles-Cook or Billy Bingham as they’re not quite ready, yet again Josh Parker is away on international duty,” Lovell said ruefully.
Continuing, the Gills boss admitted to looking at the club’s stats this week, “and our attempts on goal aren’t great and that’s something we’ve been working on in training this week about getting players into the box.”
“The bottom line is that we’re not getting enough support in there – it’s alright playing attacking football, but you’ve got to make sure there’s something on the end of it and I feel that it’s something we must improve on. Although we’re scoring goals, the actual chances that we’re creating aren’t great and we need more…”
“So if Tom Eaves carries on doing what he’s doing; if Josh Parker and Connor Wilkinson, Brandon and Elliott List, they’ve got to start producing more goals and they only do that by scoring goals, taking shots and getting in headers and being in the right place at the right time, and that’s something we’ve got to work on in a group.”
“Yes Tom’s got twenty odd goals in the calendar year, which isn’t a bad return, it really isn’t, but I think he can get more; I think he spends a lot of time in areas where he shouldn’t be spending his time, and that’s something that we’ve spent time getting on to him and we will continue to get onto him – he’s got to get himself into the box, he’s got to keep getting himself into the box and that’s where he’ll get his goals.”
“And to be fair in that same period, he’s probably had another four or five disallowed for offside – let’s hope he continues that great potential there on Saturday.”