Headley: There can only be one verdict: not good enough
After a bad performance at Stoke we were told the team were working on their problems. We then saw an abject performance in the Carling Cup against an under-strength Northampton side.
Hessenthaler responded by saying that he isn't prepared to go through another season like the last one, and said he wanted a response from his players. Well, that response was appalling.
Firstly, the team selection. Cox, Ashby and Smith were all selected, despite being among the three worst players on Tuesday night. All three turned in disgracefully inept performances again tonight. Ian Cox was abysmal as a right back, while Smith turned in yet another non-entity of a performance. Ashby, meanwhile, spent the majority of the game hoofing the ball back to the opposition.
The manager also deemed to play himself. His 'partnership' with Smith in the centre of the midfield was nothing short of useless. He's supposed to be our captain. We saw absolutely no leadership from him. Iwan Roberts was the only player on the pitch showing any sort of leadership at all. Our best midfield player, Danny Spiller, was forced into a wide role and his effectiveness was drastically reduced. The net result was a non-existent midfield.
Up front, Iwan Roberts worked his socks off with virtually no service whatsoever. Darren Byfield's constant running offside (the linesman wasn't as wrong as the crowd reactions would have had you believe) meant he ended our attacks almost before they began. Our only effective attacking player was the youngster Matty Jarvis - and guess what? He was taken off! Of course he was - we always take off our best players. It's yet another example of the mind-blowing stupidity of our management at times. The Rainham End responded with, a chorus of 'You don't know what you're doing' which said it all, really.
If we are to believe the rhetoric from the management, then the players were given a rocket after both the Stoke and the Northampton games, yet they turn in the performance we saw tonight. QPR were arguably the worst side we've faced at Priestfield this season (including Northampton) yet we lost. Yes, the goal was a handball, but we never looked like scoring. Their goalkeeper made no saves whatsoever in the second half. If I was a Sky executive, I'd feel I had an excellent case for asking for my match fee back from the club. After all, the team failed to compete, failed to perform and failed to provide anything vaguely resembling entertainment. Only Iwan Roberts' humourous banter with the Medway Stand early in the first half raised anything resembling a smile from the fans.
After last season and now the performance of the side this time round, I can come to two conclusions:
1.) There are a number of players who aren't good enough to wear the blue shirt of Gillingham Football Club - and they always get selected.
2.) The manager is incapable of making sound team selection, incapable of employing effective tactics, incapable of playing at Division One level - and perhaps incapable of managing our club to an acceptable level.
The clock is ticking on Hessenthaler's managerial career at Gillingham. The fans can all see the problems, so why can't the management? If they can, why can't they do anything about it? Something needs to be done, or we won't be so lucky this season.