We’ve sat and stared at our computer screens, watched Sky Sports News and gazed at Teletext during the summer, willing the club to bring us news of some new players. We’ve seen four senior first-teamers leave the club already – and if you believe the rumours, there could be another three or four on their way soon, too. It was getting to the point where we began to wonder whether we’d actually have a squad to take into the new season.But now it’s started.
With the capture of Dundee United goalkeeper Tony Bullock on a Bosman free transfer, Neale Cooper has started the process of rebuilding the team – and while there’s some logic to starting from the back, some have questioned the necessity of another keeper, seeing as we already had four on our books.
However, Bullock’s signing could be the catalyst for a summer of complete regeneration for the Gills squad. We all know the new gaffer has a transfer budget of approximately naff all, so it may be he has to sell in order to buy. He’ll be scouring the market for quality free transfers to add to the squad, of course, but if he wants that extra bit of quality, particularly up front, he may have to stump up some readies for the privilege – and that’s where the signing of Bullock begins to make some sense.
With the new keeper at the club, it gives us the cover necessary to sell off one of our most prized assets, Welsh under-21 stopper Jason Brown. With Ipswich in the market for a keeper after losing Kelvin Davies and subsequently failing to secure the signing of Mike Pollitt from Rotherham, Joe Royle could well be an interested party should Brown become available.
Ironically, their rivals for his signature could well come from just up the road. Norwich look set to lose Robert Green to Portsmouth for around £2.5million – and rumours of Nigel Worthington’s interest in Brown have already surfaced, with a £500k bid suggested. If Brown was sold (he’d probably fetch between £100k-£200k – any more would be a huge bonus), then the money we garnered from the transfer could be ploughed straight back into the side – and it may be chairman Paul Scally has made this agreement with Cooper, which would perfectly explain why he chose to sign a fifth goalkeeper for the club. Taken in isolation, signing Bullock looks like an unnecessary move, but keep your eyes open over the next five or six days – there may well be a development or two in the pipeline
Bullock’s signing brings one player to the club, but we’ve already lost four first-team outfield players. The gaffer’s attention will now turn to matters in the outfield. We currently have five defenders on our books. One of those is rookie Mark Cornielle, while of the other four, Barry Ashby and Ian Cox have yet to agree new deals at the club – and as mentioned earlier, could be on their way out of the club if rumours are to be believed. That leaves us with Chris Hope and Leon Johnson. So clearly defenders will be high on Cooper’s summer shopping list.
The midfield is one area where Cooper may be reasonably satisfied with what he already has. He was impressed enough with Alan Pouton to sign him on loan last season, then try to extend his loan after a successful stint at Hartlepool. There was even talk of a transfer deal, but that was scuppered by his recall to Priestfield. Danny Spiller is a player of energy and talent, and after a nightmare season, he will be desperate to re-establish himself in the Gills first team. Michael Flynn was a revelation after arriving from Wigan – and would benefit from a central role this season after being confined to a wide role towards the end of last season. Then there’s Andrew Crofts, who was Gillingham’s young player of the year last season. He looks ready for a regular first-team place. Matty Jarvis is a tricky winger – and Cooper has said he wants width next season, so he could benefit from the new gaffer’s new tactics. Then there’s the experience and commitment of Mark Saunders, who looks set to be offered a short-term contract after a tireless summer recovering from a horrific broken leg last season.
That leaves Paul Smith. He’s out of contract and, rumour has it, not too impressed at the contract offer made to him recently. When you consider the players we already have contracted at the club, it does beg the question, do we really need him? I’d suggest not, but whether he stays or goes will ultimately be his decision. He’s been offered a deal (as far as we are aware), it’s now up to him to accept it or not. There doesn’t seem to be a big queue of Championship clubs looking at snapping him up, so he may bite the bullet and re-sign, but in truth, we’re amply served in midfield areas by the players we already have. All we do need in midfield is another wide man – and Cooper may well be in discussions with one as you read this.
Up front, we have one striker who seems certain to start the season as our number one forward. Darius Henderson was the only striker to show any consistency last season – and he showed he is more than capable of hitting the back of the net at League One level during his loan stint at Swindon Town. He scored seven goals in six games, including a hat-trick…against Neale Cooper’s Hartlepool United side.
The problem we have is, who will partner him? Darren Byfield has the ability to be a real hit at this level, but his prima-donna temperament and lazy attitude on the pitch let him down badly. He’s reportedly attracting interest from Walsall and Oldham – and Cooper may be tempted to cash in on the moody striker. With Mama Sidibe gone, we are bereft of options, so I’d expect Cooper to splash the cash in an attempt to bring a quality finisher to the club. Strikers don’t come cheap – and many of the best out-of-contract players may be out of our wage range, so paying a couple of hundred grand for a striker may prove to be the most prudent move. Adam Boyd was a big hit at Cooper’s former club, Hartlepool, last season – and could be one player in the gaffer’s sights, but there are plenty of other possibles out there. It’ll be interesting to see what sort of player he’ll look for to partner the battering-ram Henderson.
So, with one striker, at least two defenders and a wide midfielder sure to be on the manager’s wish list, we should expect a few more arrivals at Priestfield in the next week or two. Cooper’s comments that he was already talking to 7 or 8 players already are certainly hugely encouraging. It’s not going to happen overnight, but the rebuilding process has already started – and by the time we bring the curtain up on the new season on August 6th, we may well be seeing a completely new Gills side trotting out onto the Priestfield turf.
With a new gaffer, a new team and a new philosophy of playing, it’s all change at Priestfield. After two seasons of depressing football, hopefully it’ll be a change for the better.