If you asked Gillingham supporters in February whether they wanted the season to end, the majority of them probably would have snapped your hand off.
But the arrival of Gareth Ainsworth, who oversaw 9 of the Gills’ impressive unbeaten run of 12 between March and May, has put those same supporters in a cautiously optimistic mood.
Now, Ainsworth has the tough task of trimming down a sizeable squad in the summer, something which he has said he is keen to do. This means that Gillingham fans should not expect a whole host of signings in the off-season, with Ainsworth instead focusing on getting the right characters and mentality in the squad and trying to put right the wrongs of previous windows.
A number of EFL clubs have already released their retained lists, which has left supporters (myself included) casually browsing to take a look at who we might be in the market for. However, until the retained list is made public, it’s all just window shopping and nothing more.
First things first, getting the squad balance right is the key thing at the moment. Gillingham had over 30 senior players on the books (including loanees) which Ainsworth instantly recognised was too many to manage at this level. The former Wycombe, QPR & Shrewsbury manager said that he was used to working with smaller squads and would be something that would need to be addressed in the summer.
During the week, supporters were told by Managing Director, Joe Comper, that a few more conversations needed to be had before Gillingham could release their retained list. Helpful transparency, and a real indication that the club are already working hard behind the scenes to address fans’ optimism.
Gillingham have massively underachieved in the last couple of seasons, and the players have taken a huge chunk of the blame for that. The likes of Jack Nolan, Elliot Nevitt and Aaron Rowe all had stellar seasons for other clubs in League Two in 23/24, but have all largely underperformed by comparison this time out.
Alongside those, Bradley Dack continues to divide opinion amongst the fanbase as to whether he is deserving of a new contract. There are also bound to be some potential surprises in there too, although a handful of players have played themselves back into contention since the manager arrived.
So Ainsworth has said he wants quality and not quantity, and that Gillingham fans should not expect a huge number of arrivals in the summer.
Underwhelming news for some Gills fans I’m sure, but understandable.
Anyway, two massive pieces of business have already been done. Veteran stopper Glenn Morris has been taken on for another year, whilst Robbie McKenzie remains at the club for the next two. Arguably the two most important contract renewals being completed early doors shows a massive sign of intent from Ainsworth, who indicates that he is happy with the majority of players here, with a desire to introduce a different mentality.
So, supporters wanting a complete overhaul of the playing squad are bound to be a little disappointed by Gareth’s admission.
However, Gills fans can expect to see a very different team when the League Two season gets back underway in August.
