Gillingham travel to Walsall looking to build on last weekend’s win over MK Dons and cement their top three place in League Two with what would be their first away win since winning at Crawley Town back in mid-August. 

Speaking to KSN this week, striker Tom Nichols explained how the players have coped with losing Neil Harris during the season; he told us, “I suppose if a manager is replaced and a new man comes in pre-season, you have the run up to the start of the season to work on their methods and so on.

“But going in the season, it is not particularly ideal, but we played really well the other day against the Dons, and we do have a good squad of players, so I do not think there will be too much change until the new boss comes in.” 

“We are trying to play through the thirds a bit more under Keith as you have been able to see in the games. There has been a slight tweak in the style of play as he has not come in and gone polar opposite.

“He’s just tried to tweak things here and there, we just want to try and win games and get promoted! Everyone wants to play the beautiful game and play a thousand passes, but sometimes that just is not realistic.”  

“We have all seen the rumours and anyone who says they have not, is lying, you have just got to try your best not to think about things too much as at the moment they are just rumours as someone might be the favourite one minute and then we get someone completely different.

“You just do not know and there’s no point worrying about that, we have just got to get on with our jobs and wait and see who does eventually come in.” 

Nichols ended our chat by confirming the story that had emerged earlier this week about an “incident” that happened as Scott Malone had put the Gills 2-0 up against the Dons after being set up by Nichols, who said, “After we scored I was celebrating with the boys in front of the Rainham End with my arms out and felt something hit me on the forehead and I looked down and thought it was a hot-dog but turned out to be a “cheese pie”!

“It was just sitting there on the floor in front of me and some of it was in my hair…” and Nichols then added with a huge grin on his face, “you might expect that from the away fans, but not at the Rainham End, I guess it was a great goal at the end of the day!” 

“It was not what I expected, and I do not know why I did not eat it to be honest! A first for me in football.”