Martin Allen delivers his thoughts following 3-2 win at Stonebridge Road
Gills boss Martin Allen praised the performance of his side during the first half against Ebbsfleet on Saturday, and says he is pleased with the way things are progressing as the new season draws closer.
Danny Kedwell (2) and Ben Strevens scored the goals in a 3-2 win at Stonebridge Road, and following the game the manager said he was happy with the way his side applied themselves, particularly during the first 45 minutes.
He said: “I thought in the first half we were absolutely outstanding – it was a top quality first half performance. We started the second half a little bit slower, we failed to match the tempo that we played at in the first half with our quick passing.
“We managed to get it back again which is very good and testament to the players’ character and strength of mind that they can get it back and I thought the second half was a test.
“The game should have been well out the way, but they changed their system in the second half and that gave us a few problems so it’s up to us now to learn how to adapt when other teams do, and they will change, their systems to play against us because we are good.
“They will have to adapt to that and we will gave to be tactically aware ourselves but we are all learning because we are only just starting together.
“It was our first 90 minutes so perhaps you could expect it to be a little fatigued, but overall very good.”
Allen said since he has been at the club the squad have taken to things well, but now he wants to ensure all members of the first team have 90 minutes under their belts before the start of the season.
He said: “The players have been very receptive to what we are trying to achieve and I thought the first half was good to watch with good penetration in the right areas - we should have had more goals.
“That’s their first 90 [minutes] today – we made a couple of changes but we wanted to win the game and keep in the habit. The players that didn’t play will play at Dover so we will have a new team to play there on Tuesday and they will get 90 minutes, so its work in progress.
“Everybody in the squad will know how we want them to play – the same formation and the same style and a lot of the players who played today will be down there watching with a lot of the youth team being subs.
“Everybody will stay together in the group for these games and we are coming along nicely.”
The manager conceded that he has not yet decided who will be in his first 11 come the first competitive game of the new campaign away at Bristol City in the first round of the Capital One Trophy, and hinted that new signings are not far away.
He said: “There are places up for grabs and we are hoping in the next couple of weeks to sign some players and there was a trialist in today so we are hoping to bring in maybe five players. We will have to see how the finances are with the Chairman and see what we can do.
“Hopefully we’ll be having those meetings early next week. We have a decent squad, we have some good young players behind this little group – if we don’t get them we get on with what we have got with no moaning and no whinging but we’ll see what Andy, the Chairman and myself can come up with.”