Gillingham: Doncaster Rovers defeat reveals three issues for John Coleman to solve | OneFootball

With defensive shortcomings, issues in midfield and a lack of goals, there's plenty for new Gills boss John Coleman to address at Priestfield.

The arrival of John Coleman at Priestfield was never going to transform things overnight, but after Gillingham’s latest defeat – a 1-0 home reverse against Doncaster Rovers – the new boss has had the chance to see for himself just where things need urgent attention.

The January transfer window is open, and changes have already been made, with the loan arrival of Asher Agbinone and permanent signing of Nelson Khumbeni helping bring some freshness to the squad.

But those signings alone are unlikely to be enough to turn Gills' form around after another disappointing campaign so far this season. Coleman has a job on his hands, and there are three key issues with the current squad that he’ll need to address as quickly as possible to transform the team’s fortunes.

Gillingham are lacking quality full-back play

The team is in desperate need of two legitimate full-backs. On the left, Max Clark has struggled for form and has been too easily beaten in one-on-one situations, while on the right, Remeao Hutton has been arguably the most disappointing signing the club has made in recent seasons, with little evidence of the crossing ability and creativity he was hailed for upon his arrival at the club.

It’s possible that Coleman may be able to turn their form and confidence around, but even if those players are to remain a part of the first-team picture at Gillingham, competition is needed to make sure they can either be replaced in the starting XI or pushed to perform better and retain their places in the side.

One option could be to permanently move Robbie McKenzie to a full-back role, and the arrival of Khumbeni in midfield may facilitate that, but new full-back arrivals should be high up on Gillingham’s transfer wishlist.

Central midfield remains an issue at Priestfield

One of the biggest criticisms of Gillingham over recent years is a lack of a strong spine through the side, and a soft centre in the middle of the park, in particular. We’ve had individual performers from time to time, but never a solid, reliable central midfield unit that forms the beating heart of the side.

The summer arrival of Armani Little has brought some much-needed zest, and a little bit of nastiness, to Gillingham’s midfield, but the consistent misuse of McKenzie regularly leaves the team weakened in a key area.

The pairing of McKenzie and Little has proved to be Gillingham’s best central midfield pairing so far this season, but whenever there is a need elsewhere on the pitch, McKenzie is sacrificed to fill in elsewhere. His versatility is undoubtedly an asset to the team, but it’s left us weakened in the most important area of the pitch.

The arrival of central midfielder Khumbeni from Bolton Wanders will provide another option, which may free up McKenzie to strengthen the side elsewhere, possibly at full-back, but establishing a consistent midfield tandem will be crucial to steadying the ship in the coming weeks.

John Coleman needs to solve goalscoring drought

Ultimately, everything should be geared towards one thing – scoring goals. For several seasons it’s been a problem that a succession of Gillingham managers have failed to address, and Coleman has already made it clear that he wants to see attacking, goalscoring football from his team.

A number of issues need addressing to fix this, however. Confidence is clearly on the floor. Gills aren’t creating enough chances, having enough shots or even getting balls into the box often enough. With time running out against Doncaster last weekend, the players were still seemingly unwilling to get the ball forward quickly and deliver balls into the box.

Too often, Gillingham’s opposition defenders aren’t being asked to do enough defending. At League One level, if you put defenders under pressure often enough, they will make mistakes, and in recent seasons Gills have consistently failed to put opposition defences under enough pressure.

That needs to change under Coleman, with a higher, more concerted press when the opposition has the ball and more commitment to getting bodies forward when they are attacking.

A return to a 4-4-2 formation, with a legitimate strike partnership up front, could be the solution. Too often the lone striker – usually Elliott Nevitt – is working tirelessly chasing lost causes, with little to no support. Given the combination of his isolation and a lack of service, it should come as no surprise that he’s struggled to find the net consistently so far. However, put a natural centre-forward alongside him as a legitimate strike partner and that could very quickly change.

There’s much for Gills boss Coleman to ponder, and with so many issues to address, he’ll need to prioritise what he looks to fix first. But with his experience in the game and his reputation for playing attacking football, there’s still hope that Gillingham can finish the season more positively.