Gills Manager wants a few more players to complete squad
Martin Allen admits that he is still on the hunt for new players and is hoping to have some fresh faces in before the start of the new season.
The manager made four signings on Friday with Tommy Forecast, Stuart Nelson, Charlie Allen and Ben Strevens all signing contracts, but he still believes the first 11 can be improved if his targets can be captured.
He said: “The chairman is ambitious, so he, Andy Hessenthaler and I are working together all the time to get some more players in. I respect them and am working alongside them, but I work for them and they’ve been really good to me in my time here.
“I’ll talk to the chairman, he’s on holiday at the moment but I’m in touch with him 45 times a day.
“They let me get on with my job; I have been given the bottom line on transfers which is a bonus. They have their opinion, thankfully we are singing off the same song sheet, but they let me get on with it because at the end of the day it is my responsibility.”
“There were a lot [of players] that left at the end of last season that need replacing. We need to improve the gap between good young players and the first team - we are looking for a couple but it will be up to the chairman, it’s his money.”
“James Russell, Schoey [James Schofield] and Carl [Muggleton] have been training the players most of the time and I have been working on trying to get some players in.
“Forecast is another one to join our squad from Southampton and hopefully they will all be together by the end of next week, with hopefully one or two others.
“We all know what my job is – to get the best team that we can possibly get together.”
Allen briefly summed up the qualities that his other three signings have, and dismissed claims that he had already chosen his captain for the new season with Charlie Lee wearing the armband against Dartford at Princes Park.
He said: “Stuart Nelson, I know what he can do, and Charlie [Allen], he’s full of energy, full of running, played his part in the goal, he made the run from the six yard box, that’s what he can give you.
“He’s not a one paced average central midfield player.
“Well we hadn’t picked a captain and Charlie was by the door,” he said. “There are still some more players to come in and hopefully they will have strong character and personality to help our team and will come into consideration for that job.”