Headley: Rip it up and start again - Part 1

The start of the slide was largely due to the shocking injury list, of which more later, but at times this season, the good ship Gillingham has looked completely rudderless. The management have made monumental errors, particularly towards the end of the season, yet they didn't front up when their tactics repeatedly failed. The captain of the team has consistently failed to show the on-field leadership required - and his performances have failed to justify selection, let alone the captaincy.

Defensively, we've been leaking sloppy goals through poor defending and a host of individual errors, while the forward line has looked toothless throughout the season. So much so, that it hasn't taken long for our newest outfield signing, Patrick Agyemang, to climb to the top of the Gills goalscoring charts - despite only being at the club for a few months. Until Agyemang's arrival, the top scorers at the club were Danny Spiller, a midfielder in his first full season as an established first-teamer, plus Marlon King and Paul Shaw, who both left the club midseason.

The overall conclusion I've come to after the year we've just had is simple. We were VERY lucky to survive - and we need to start afresh if we're to avoid being caught in a similar situation again. The team has to be taken apart and the club should start with a clean sheet of paper. There will be casualties in the process, but the time has come to move on. Here are my thoughts on how the club should move forward.

Andy has been a talisman for this football club for many years, but now is the time for him to call an end to his playing days and concentrate on the coaching side of the game. He could still register as a player to cover in the event of emergency, but he should now form part of the coaching staff under a new, experienced manager. The medium-term plan will be to promote Hess back to the manager's seat, but at present he needs to develop his coaching skills and tactical nous. His motivational skills will be important - and hopefully over the next couple of seasons he will develop into the sort of manager who can really take the club forward.

Whether people like it or not, Paul Scally took a cheap option by appointing Hessenthaler as manager following the departure of Peter Taylor. Unfortunately the gamble hasn't really paid off. Hessenthaler's lack of connections within the game, plus his lack of tactical awareness have seen the club fail to consolidate after a couple of good seasons. The club desperately needs an old head at the helm. The new incumbent will doubtless cost more than Hess did, but it will be money well spent if the new man can push the club back up the table and towards the playoffs. At times last season the management has looked shockingly poor tactically and the players have also looked hopelessly off form, particularly in defence, where we have looked abysmal throughout the season. This may be due to a number of factors, but an experienced manager will help raise the general standard of play in the team, while hopefully improving the tactical nous of the existing coaching staff. The club obviously needs a bit of a clear out in the summer, and this will only happen with a new gaffer. They say familiarity breeds contempt - and the duo of Hessenthaler and Wayne Jones has been at the club for a long time now. Both Hess and Jones could still remain in a coaching capacity, but the club definitely needs a quality manager to keep the players on their toes. Another, more likely, option is for Hessenthaler to remain as manager, with the club bringing in an experienced assistant to help him.

Paul Smith has given his all for the Gillingham cause in his Priestfield career, but now is the time to replace him. His speed of thought as well as his speed of foot, have sadly departed and he is now a shadow of his former self. He no longer warrants a place in the first team so the club will need a new skipper. The perfect man to replace Smith, both in midfield and as captain, is Alan Pouton. His spirit and competitiveness mirrors that of the last decent captain the club had, Andy Hessenthaler, and the former Grimsby man would be the ideal choice as Gillingham's captain for season 2004/2005.

The sheer number of injuries sustained last season showed that there clearly needs to be a change in the training methods and facilities at GFC. The club have already made moves in that area, employing a full-time physio as well as a specialist fitness coach. The effects of these two additions could be seen as early as the start of next season - and over time they may prove to be two of the best signings the club has made in recent seasons. The training pitch at Beechings Cross is clearly not up to standard - and the club should look to find an alternative facility as soon as possible. Training ground injuries crippled the side last season. We can't afford for a crap pitch to cost us dear this time around.

There are now players at the club who, whatever their achievements in the past, are no longer worthy of a place in the Gills squad. The squad for 2004/2005 needs a shake up, so a few players will need to be sent on their way. There are other players who have performed way below par over the last season or two, who can still be valuable squad players, if not necessarily guaranteed first-teamers.

Even more important is the recruitment of the next generation of Gills stars. The players need to be affordable to a hard-up Nationwide League club like GFC, but have the necessary ability and desire to wear the blue of Gillingham Football Club. I'll go through the playing staff 'ins' and 'outs' in part 2 of this feature...