Martin up for Rotherham clash at Priestfield
Martin Allen insists his players will be ready for today’s game against Rotherham but says everyone, on and off the field, will need to be at their best to gain a result.
The Gills drew 2-2 against Fleetwood on Saturday while Rotherham enjoyed a 1-0 win over AFC Wimbledon at New York Stadium on Good Friday, and despite the quick turnaround, Martin is adamant his team will rise to the occasion.
“It’s another game and we will prepare in exactly the same way,” Martin said. “They have had an extra 24 hours but that won’t affect us. We’ll bring fresh players in for Monday’s game and go about our business as we do every game.
“We’ll concentrate on our play and the way we play – there will be a big crowd.
“It’s my responsibility to help our players put on the best performance possible from the very first minute, I saw them play at Oxford the other week and they were 4-0 up at half time so they are dangerous.
“They have good players and we have got to be right on it from the first moment.
“We are taking on a big team, a good team. Everyone from the players, the staff and the supporters - we will have to be on our game on and off the field because they are dangerous, and we will be ready.”
Martin, like midfielder Charlie Allen, took time out to praise striker Adam Birchall who put in a solid performance against Fleetwood and he is pleased with the striker’s progress.
He added: “He has trained hard and at times there has been an element of disappointment for him and I don’t like leaving him out because he’s a great lad and a great person.
“I saw him play at Dagenham on Tuesday [in the club’s reserve game] and I thought he had a great attitude and some swagger and that little bit of arrogance and I knew Tuesday I was going to play him.
“Callum Davies and Charlie Lee were superb Tuesday aswell, it’s such a shame Charlie wasn’t able to play Saturday but hopefully he will be available for Rotherham.
“No one gets dropped at our club. We give other people the chance to play and they are all treated exactly the same; they can all do exactly the same jobs in any position.
“They have all got different top qualities and things they need to work on. I made those changes on Thursday morning as utter respect to all of the team-mates in the squad that they can go out and play for what, I thought, was a superb hour.
“They are a credit to themselves and for the football club. I’m very proud of them, they keep going, they train hard and I don’t really have a go at them ever.”