Football League World
·28 October 2024
Football League World
·28 October 2024
The Gills' form has dropped off over the last month.
Gillingham FC owner Brad Galinson has backed his team to turn things around after a poor run of form in October.
The predictions of many that Gillingham were going to be one of the strong contenders for promotion from League Two this season was initially validated after their early hot-streak.
18 points from nine games showed just how quickly they hit the ground running with Bonner at the helm, after he was appointed to be the club's new boss in the summer, beating fellow promotion hopefuls Carlisle United, Chesterfield and Notts County along the way.
Gillingham's last win - a 2-0 home victory over Barrow - was their last game of September. In October, they have accrued just one point - the fewest of any team in the division - and that solo addition to their tally came in their final game of the month against Swindon Town, who had not long sacked their manager.
To put it in the bluntest way possible, they have gone from being the league leaders to near enough mid-table in the space of around 30 days.
Part of this downfall can be attributed to a number of injuries that have been suffered by some key players. The likes of Armani Little and Josh Andrews only came back from their respective knocks on Saturday. This slow return to a fully fit squad is what the club's American owner is hoping can inspire a turn in fortune for the Gills.
Galinson, who has been in charge at Priestfield since completing his takeover in December 2022, believes that the disruption caused by the number of injuries his team has suffered has been the catalyst for their current slide down the table, though he stated that things will get back on track.
"Let’s be honest. Mark (Bonner) cannot get a complete team together from week to week," said the American businessman on X.
"We are playing like a mid-table team and we are positioned just where we deserve. Things will change. It is still early in the season and we have our players coming back.
"I still believe that we built the right group and we start to shine and show the fans just what we built. UTG."
Gillingham face a tough run of games over the next few weeks. It starts with a visit from Steve Bruce's Blackpool in the FA Cup this weekend, which is then followed by a game against current League Two table toppers Port Vale in a little under a fortnight's time.
Walsall away is their next league match after that. Matt Sadler has the Sadler's up in second as things stand.
Galinson is a bit of a victim of his own success. When he came in, the Gills were heading towards relegation to the National League. He helped inspire a turnaround that saw them comfortably steer clear of safety, and, soon enough, their attentions turned to the other end of the table.
Even though the backing of the American has brought about promotion hopes, Gillingham have to remember who they are going up against. There are a lot of big hitters in the fourth tier. The aforementioned Vale, Chesterfield, Notts, plus teams like Doncaster Rovers, Bradford City and others make this edition of League Two a very competitive one at the top end.
These changes aren't often brought about overnight. The expectations were set high by a strong start, but the recent form has given the Kent-based club a bit of a reality check. When you're going up against the sort of clubs that the Gills currently are, it's never going to be an easy ride to the top, especially when you consider where they started in the Galinson era.