Headley: The man who's coming in from the cold

Pouton: Ready for a fair chance under Cooper

Barry Ashby, Paul Smith and Nicky Southall formed a major part of our most successful side ever – and fans should always remember them fondly for their contribution to a golden era in Gillingham’s history, but while they have been among the most popular players at our club in recent years, there’s no escaping the fact that their time was up.

Under the management of Neale Cooper, Gillingham are now looking to the future – and a younger, hungrier side. A culture of complacency was probably the single biggest factor behind Gillingham’s relegation last season – and it was this attitude, where a number of players, including the old guard, were under no pressure for their positions and were virtually guaranteed selection, that drained the competitiveness and determination from the team.

When Stan Ternent arrived and the Gills knew they needed to really dig deep to try and turn things around, we saw an improvement, not just in results, but most notably in the effort being put in by players. For the first time in two seasons, players were being pushed to the limit – and the results began to improve. But that only served to illustrate how lackadaisical the team was towards the end of Hessenthaler’s time as manager.

Now, with Cooper at the helm and the old guard largely gone, the playing field is level for all players. The favouritism that contributed so heavily to our downfall is now gone – and players now know that they all have a fair chance of breaking into the first team and staking a claim to a regular place in the side. Players who may have been disillusioned or frozen out under the previous managers will all have a point to prove – and as a total newcomer to the club, Cooper can take a completely objective view of the players at his disposal. The result will be a team picked on merit, rather than reputation – and that will only serve to help our cause.

‘New Gillingham’ will also be dumping the old antiquated tactics adopted by Hessenthaler and Ternent and will go into this season attempting to play in a revolutionary style. That’s right, Cooper wants us to pass the ball! That will immediately bring the best out of our midfielders, who spent most of last seasons chasing up and down the pitch, craning their necks as they chase yet another aimless hoof upfield. The likes of Matty Jarvis, Danny Spiller and Alan Pouton could well figure heavily under the new manager – and for Pouton in particular, Cooper’s arrival represents his first genuinely fair chance at first-team football.

A tough-tackling, passing midfielder, Pouton arrived injured and was played when not fully match fit, which didn’t help his cause at all. As a result, he was effectively frozen out of first team affairs when he did get fit – and it looked increasingly likely that the likeable Geordie would be leaving the club for pastures new. Stuck out in the cold at Gillingham, one man gave Pouton a lifeline – Neale Cooper.

Pouton went on loan to Cooper’s Hartlepool and immediately impressed as a lynchpin in the centre of the midfield in Cooper’s lively passing side. Pouton eventually returned to Gillingham after the club refused to let Cooper keep him for another month – and unsurprisingly, Pouton’s return to the side saw him show some real promise in a handful of solid performances. However, he was soon left out of the side once again – and he has barely figured since.

Pouton is both a strong leader and a strong player. Labelled as the Roy Keane of the Nationwide League during his time at Grimsby, where he is still revered as a Mariners legend, Pouton was rated as one of the best midfielders outside the Premiership. However, his move to Gillingham saw his career hit the buffers – and as far as the Gills fanbase is concerned, the jury is still out on Pouton. We’ve certainly not seen the best of him so far, that’s for sure. However, I’ve seen plenty of Pouton to suggest that he can and will be a big player for us, starting this season. Under Hessenthaler, Pouton was seen as a no more than a backup for Paul Smith, when in fact he has far more to his game than the ageing skipper. Left out in the cold, Pouton’s time at Priestfield has stifled his abilities so far – but the arrival of Neale Cooper could see the rejuvenation of Alan Pouton.

Having seen him play a few times for Grimsby and taking into account that he’s been highly rated by the fans of every club he’s played for, with the notable exception of Gillingham, I’m convinced that we’ll see the best of him under Cooper this season. Favouritism, injury and long-ball tactics meant Pouton never had a genuine chance to establish himself. With a manager who rates him highly – and a new style of play that suits his play to a tee, this season could be the making of Alan Pouton as a Gills player.

Personally, I think he’s one of about two or three genuine contenders for the captain’s armband this season – and I expect him figure heavily in Cooper’s first-team selections this season. He’s certainly one of the first names on my team sheet for the coming campaign – and to those who’ve not been impressed with what they've seen of Pouton at Gillingham so far I say this: give him a chance. Back him like you used to back Smith and Ashby and I’m sure you’ll see the real Alan Pouton this season.