Latest / Blood, Sweat & Gills / Brophy's GOAT goal caps off brilliant win | Rochdale 1-4 Gillingham
Transcript
- Simon Head: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Blood Sweat and Jills. I am Simon Head from Jills365. Matt from Jills in the Blood is with me as always, with much to discuss on this week's show. A great deal of it positive, but in the interest of balance and because I want to get out of the way early, I want to talk about the negatives that came out of Saturday's incredible 4-1-away win at Rochdale. It would have been a perfect day, but for one, maybe two. Injuries that could rule some players out. But before we launch into all of that, Matt, first off, how are things? How was the trip home? It must have been euphoric on the coach back. It must have been a a a very cool atmosphere on the way home. Yeah, it was very nice. And ⁓ we've sat here, haven't we, for the last four weeks and said that the performances have been encouraging and if we can just put it all together, that that wins not too far away. But until you actually do put it all together. That win still can sometimes feel quite far away. So to to put it all together as we did a cover away you've not just a 4 1 victory, but for me, the greatest goal I've ever seen live watching any football match as well was ⁓ was great fun. Bumped into an England legend cricket wise as well on the way up. So yeah, quite the day. Free fish and chips on the way back from the famous Wilbur's Lane fish and chip shop. Yeah, so no complaints from me. Slept well Saturday night into Sunday. Very happy man. Did you say free fish and chips? Yes, club are very good, that those that take ⁓ the coach to football, depending on location. So it tends to sort of be your Rochdales, your Fleetwoods, your Crews, your Barrows last year, you get complimentary fish and chips on the way home. So yeah, that went down a right treat. Well that's that's that's not something I'd heard of before. So that's how that's also tells you how long it's been since I've been on a long Gillingham away trip on a coach. But ⁓ no, that's awesome. And I understand it's a it's a solid chippy as well. So ⁓ yes, a good a good day was had by all wearing Gilling and Blue, bar one or two possible exceptions. Let's get the negatives out of the way, Matt, before we before we move on to the before we move on to the good stuff. Fifteen minutes in. We've first off, we've started the game with with a notable change in the midfield. Zek Obiero is in, Robin McKenzie is out. And we talked about Robbie McKenzie and his potential fitness levels going in. I think it was something that Gareth Ainsworth had sort of alluded to in his pre match interviews with the press as well. And Obiero goes straight in. And it's worth mentioning this is not a Zek Obiero who's come in stone cold, having not played any football or has just come off a long injury or any of that sort of stuff. He's been in the Late Norrient first team squad for the start of the season. He I think he's been on the pitch. He's he's had a couple of he's certainly been on the bench. So he's ready. He's not undercooked. He's not any of that. And he has a he has a an awkward an awkward fall and it looks like he's done his hamstring and it the fact he went off on a stretcher is always a bit of an alarming sight to to see. You were there obviously at the time. What was your reaction and what was your assessment of what you saw from that injury? Obviously and obviously the atmosphere within the within the crowd sort of fifteen minutes, seventeen minutes into his debut, and then he goes down with what looks like a not insignificant injury. Well Yeah, everything that you've said, i i I'll agree with. So I'm not gonna say the same things to and waste anybody's time. But yeah, of course you're you're in the crowd and I think we're at the point now, Sai, where we're almost just laughing in the face of adversity a little bit because it was just a sense of like this surely can't be happening again. And like you mentioned, it's not ⁓ it's not a player that's come in like an Eli King, dare I say, who's coming off the back of a significant layoff. This is a player that's started a league game, I believe, for later nor into this season and and certainly played in the cup fixtures. So he's had a good bank of minutes. I think I said it at half time on the match day vlog to Ollie. Like, how many black cats or do we continually keep running over? Because it it just looked another freak one for me. He'd done really well in the phase of play, got his body between the player and the ball. There's a bit of a nudge in the back. Yeah, and he sort of bounces and then doesn't get up. And then you think, Okay, it can't be cramped because you're like you say, you're fifteen minutes in. Then you see him get up, sort of head in hands, looks very very fed up at best. Yeah, and they sort of got him up with the aid of of one or two of the medical staff and he s he sort of walked to the back of the pitch, like the far end from where we was behind the goal and and then he didn't move. And then you see the stretcher come out from the tunnel and walked all the way round and he was, yeah, carried off on a stretcher, unfortunately. So doesn't say tweak, unfortunately to me, that says potentially a tear, which probably rules him out for most of the first half of the season, unfortunately. But The negative and and you know, whatever they say is one man's trash is another man's treasure and we got to see Eli King. So that was the massive silver lining and and and just a word on him, what a performance from the lad, 'cause he was absolutely sensational for a bloke that's played twelve minutes and twelve mups. That was a phenomenal performance and Yeah, he's miles above the level based on eighty minutes, I'm gonna say that straight away. Yeah, what I saw of of of him was the first thing you see and I you kind of saw a little bit of it with Liam Gordon. The game just seems slower to them. They seem they seem they just seem to be able to read the game. They know what's happening almost before it happens. And they just seem to have that extra split second of thinking time where it's that's the difference between the people who are play higher up and the people that like the game just mentally the game is down for people. It's easier for them to make decisions. And his delivery was spot on so often. And ⁓ we'll talk about that for for our third goal a little bit later on. And ⁓ you know, that that was a big positive to come out of the game. What was your assessment on the Will Goodwin substitution? 'Cause I'm I looked at it and it was hard to see specifically whether there was a an an an injury or whether he's just had a bit of a tweak and Ainsworth just making sure that he he's being double safe, basically, and also knowing how many substitution windows he's got. Maybe he was just playing super safe, especially given what you already knew about Obiero having to come off. Was he just erring on the side of caution with Will Goodwin, do you think, or do you think we could be, you know, is is this another player who's gonna be on the on the on the not not able to playlist for a while? 'Cause it it wasn't obvious at the time, was it? No, well I think because it seemed to happen at a very similar time to the Obiero one. Obviously everyone's concentrating on on Obiero and he's at the other end of the pitch in our defensive third. And it seems a couple of people in the ground said they thought Will just took a kick, which was just causing some discomfort. So let's hope and and keep all our fingers crossed that it is just a a precautionary measure and we and we get him back for next Saturday or dare I say it the Saturday after. But yeah, it it's not ideal because we've had so many injury problems already and because of the fact that that we signed Will Goodwin. And we know he has had his own injury problems, but we were lucky enough to bump into the the squad at the services on the way back. They pulled into the same service station as us and and he seemed to be walking okay. I'm not gonna say that meandering around Peterborough services at ten thirty at night means that he's gonna be absolutely fine for Saturday afternoon for Trammere, of course. But there didn't seem to be like a significant hobble. There was nothing in the way of protective boot or anything like that around any sort of obvious problem. But If it's a muscle tweak, then there probably wouldn't be. So I wouldn't want to surmise too much. So yeah. Fingers crossed that it was just a precaution. And like you say, Gareth might have just gone, right, we've got this window. We've got one coming off. Let's just be ultra careful, get ⁓ off at the same time. We're not going waste two two windows then rather than just the one window. Yeah. I guess we'll find out a bit more about two PM on Saturday when the team sheet comes out. You know, even even if he's on the bench, then at least we know that whatever it was is not anything massively serious, but especially as I felt like him and Hayo I thought, you know, we're starting to build up a little bit of a a little bit of a a ⁓ an understanding on the pitch. And I think a runner games together will really help the pair of them. And to see him get a goal would be would probably be the next sort of checkbox I'd like to see ticked for in terms of the team moving forward. But ⁓ but yeah, fingers crossed it's nothing too serious for Will Goodwin. Sadly for for Zekobiero, it looks like we might be without him For a reasonable length of time. That's the negatives out of the way. Let's talk about the positives. And there there were lots. You've already touched on on Eli King's performance. But let's just go through these goals in chronological order first and just sort of tell the story of this game because it was a remarkable game of football to watch. I mean, it was a pretty it's a pretty even start to the game. I think at half time, your your message to to the voice notes pod, or it might have been straight after the goal where you were like, Do we deserve to be in front? I don't know, but we'll take it sort of thing. Obviously things subsequently progressed from that and the win was certainly deserved, but it was a pretty even game up until about half hour and then Brophy produced party piece number one, which I think would have been a goal of the month contender on its own, but for what happened later in the game. I mean, Yeah, it's incredible that a goal of that quality is barely getting a look in because of what happened later in the game. But what what a signing he's already looking for us. Like like we we've talked about him on the pod already, and he's got this versatility. He can play down the left, he can play in sort of the ten role. How was he how was he used during the course of this game? And and I mean, what kind of signing have we got here, Matt? He looks like a he looks absolute mustard, doesn't he? Well You saw my post Saturday night in Jest where I tagged Cambridge United and said, Can they please pass on their thanks to Neil Harris for not offering him a new contract? It's an astonishing signing on a free transfer. If if Cambridge, even at League One level, have managed to find someone of equal or better ability and it's not cost them a fee like Brofi hasn't cost us a fee, then fair play to their recruitment staff. He is and I think I said it in pre season, he will be our player of the season. And I've seen nothing since then. To change my mind a little bit. He's already won goal of the season. He's already got runner up. He's probably one goal of the season in League Two. That goal is just that good. I know I'm jumping the gun, but James Brofe is a phenomenal footballer for the level. And like you said about Eli King, he's another player that he just seems, and I know I'm repeating myself, he just seems to have extra time when the ball's at his feet. Get his head up. He wants to be progressive all the time. That's what I said about him in my review show on Sunday evening. So he wants to be progressive all the time. He's always looking to be forward thinking. But he's intelligent enough to realise that you don't have to pass forwards for the sake of it. And then he's clever enough to just go, right, okay, we'll go backwards and square, and I'll go and find another pocket of space. And then we'll look forward again. His first goal's Iron Robin, isn't it? Iron Robin made a career out of doing that for for Chelsea, for Holland, for Real Madrid, for Bayern Munich, that left footed effort off the right hand side dipping in and just whipping it in the far corner and it's we saw out he was unlucky against Northampton last weekend, wasn't he, where he skipped inside the bloke in the box and their keeper got a hand up. But yeah, it's a brilliant hit, but it tells you how good the second goal of his is because we've not seen this anywhere on social media apart from probably Gillingham fan content or the Jill's official X account. It's not been put up on IT V Sport, Sky Sports, anywhere because Yeah. We'll get to that one in a minute. But yeah, the first goal, really, really good. And it it settled every one down, I think, after the two injuries. Crowd got up again. Not that we weren't up anyway. And from there I thought we were brilliant. We went through the gears and through gears that we've not had probably for for five years. Yeah, I mean the thing the thing that sort of hits me when I see a player like that scoring a goal like that first one is obviously you've got the euphoria of seeing the goal go in and Gillingham scoring a goal. Even if it goes off someone's backside is cause for celebration, right? But when someone scores a goal of that sort of quality, you've got that sort of double celebration of what a goal and what a player we've got on our hands. You know, this isn't someone we've got on loan for like a year and then we've got to give him back. He's ours. He's our player. We've signed him. He's on a permanent. We got him for nothing. And he is a Gillingham football club contracted player. It's just so exciting to see a player like that being able to produce moments of quality like that. That was goal number one. We then got we then got to half time. Second half started. Jill's previous iterations of Jillingham would probably have started slowly after the break and allowed the opposition to come onto us a little bit and then try and fight their way back into the game, possibly after having conceded on the hour mark. But instead, we were the ones pushing forward. Omar Beckles in the right time at the right place right sorry, right place at the right time to to net the second. Is that the most deserved goal we've had this year in terms of an individual person's performance over the course of the season? Because I think Beckles has been absolutely brilliant in the last two, three games for us. He really has. And to you know, for for him to pop up with a goal, I think is is sort of just desserts for his for his performances. I think so. Yeah. And to an another note, like I say, we bumped into the the playing squad on the way back, Ava asked for a selfie, took the time. Obviously, they're all getting dinner. So you don't want to keep him too long because they want to eat. took the time to have a chat and what I really liked about Omar Beckle Simon on the weekend was what he said to us at the services and that was it's just one game. We don't get carried away. We have to build. So I thought brilliant, that's the right attitude. His reaction to conceding with three minutes to go was punching the floor, frustrated that he'd not got his clean sheet. I think he'd have probably been happier with a clean sheet and we won three nil rather than he gets his goal and we win four one because I think that would have been just reward for him. For Logan Dobbs, for Andy Smith, for Ollie Wright, who we have to remember made a couple of saves at key times. And in fairness, Rochdale did actually come out quite quick second half. I think there was their left back made a really good run down the left hand side. They earned a corner that I think Desarue headed just over. But yeah, certainly from the second goal, which Beckles thoroughly deserved. And it's a striker's finish, by the way. That is a really good finish from a man that's sort of six foot four. In the right place at the right time and probably got his reward and his leveling out from the goal that we conceded against Northampton Town last weekend when his block landed at the feet of the Northampton Town player. He got a little bit of luck, but he still got to stick it away like the Cobblers player last weekend and he did that really well. From there, Rochdale completely collapsed. Mentally, they were all over the show. But we made them do that. So that's not taking anything away from us. We were absolutely brilliant in that second half. The only frustration if we're going back to them negatives was the fact that we didn't keep that shutout. But if you'd said to me at six AM when I was getting on the coach, we're gonna win four ones a day, I'd have said, cheers very much. Yeah, one hundred percent. And it it didn't take long for the third girl to come. Lamine Silla, getting off the mark. It's always good when your strikers get off the mark. And especially someone who has come in on loan and is in in the pecking order, he's probably number three out of three right now. So for him to come on for For Will Goodwin and to you know to get off the mark, attacking across. Replays are kind of inconclusive. It kind of hit him and hit the defender. And I know my good friend Jim Staples, if he's listening, a longtime Jills fan, is currently trying to get Skybet to pay out his bet on Lamine Silla to to scorn because Opter have given it to Silla. ⁓ but s to put but Skybet seemingly don't want to pay out at the moment. So But yeah, no, it it was it was it was a a classic sort of Striker's finish, you know, a good deep ball from Eli King, header back across goal from I think it was Andy Smith. And Seller just got in front of the defender and plants it in the top corner. I mean, that is a natural goal scorer's finish, right? I think so, yeah. And it it's just a shame that it hit the defender because I think it's been given to him because it's going in the other corner. 'Cause I think if you look at the replay, his neck muscles are indicating that he's going across the keeper. But we said in the ground, if it's on target, it doesn't matter. It's on target, then you give it to the striker. So For me it's it's Silla's goal as an element of fortune. But he was in the place to create his own bit of fortune and that's what you want to see. He's trying to get across the front of his centre half. He's making the first contact. He's the one that's saying, I'm getting there before you. That'll do him the world of good. Because, like you say, he there is a there will be a natural pecking order and he is probably bottom of the pile at the moment. But that's not because he's not done anything right. That's just because he's the newest one to the club and as we've said that sort of triangle up front generally Hale and Goodwin and Brothy has been really, really encouraging over the first five games. But yeah, if if Silla now starts at the weekend, then got no issue with that at all because him and Hale are both up and running. So like you say, you just want Goodwin to get one now and then they all settle down. Exactly. Exactly. But I mean this this was a like from a Rochdale point of view, this was an absolute horror show for them. Like fifty three minutes is when they concede the second goal. And then after an hour, they're now down to ten men and three one down. Ed Francis with a second yellow card. I think he got booked earlier on for pulling someone back in the middle of field. Gets a yellow card right in front of the referee. It's sort of an absolute no brainer of a challenge. Off he goes. And then it just goes from bad to worse. James Brophy picks up the ball and I'll leave I'll leave it to you. Talk us through how this hap I mean, like the crowd were giving it the Olays first. Mm-hmm. And then They just kept going waiting for him to pass it and he never did. The the next time he lets go of the ball, it's in the back of the net. So like that must have been to just watch that unfold live and in person. I can't I'm struggling to think of a better Jill's goal, I've got to be honest. I I mean there's you can define great goals, can't you, by by sort of by the the ability and the strike and the pureness of the hit or the fact that you've beaten five or six players like Brofi. Or you can say it's you know the significance of a goal like Andy Hessenthaler at Stoke, all their music go getting us back into the playoff semi final, Southall's volley against Sheffield Wednesday in the cup they were Premier League. But for just pure unadulterated single ability from one person, this has got to be right up there. The only other one I can think of in recent years certainly would be Tom Eades at Fratton Park, when he had three perfect touches to to chest it down, flick it over the centre half and then crush that left footed volley into the roof of the net. But I didn't even notice I and this is how good it was and how mesmerised I think we all were. It wasn't until today that I realised that apparently there's fifteen or sixteen passes before this. So not only is it just James Brophy's individual brilliance to just slalom John Barnes esque through Rochdale's defence. And I'm not saying that Rochdale are in any way the same level of ability as Brazil, of course. But yeah, this was a side that has been criticised for not being able to keep the football for a long time and and we were doing that for fun. at the weekend, albeit they've got ten men, I get that. But yeah, I think just it was a mixture of just euphoria and probably disbelief at what we'd just seen. Like I managed to just keep my hand steady recording the final stages of it and just about caught it in camera, hit going in the bottom corner because I think when he did that second drag with his left foot round the last centre half, you're all sort of thinking, well, it was Gillingham fans, you're hoping it goes in. But also as Gilliam fans, you're probably still thinking there's something's just gonna go wrong here, like it's gonna get disallowed for something ridiculous or he's gonna trip over the ball at the last moment. But he didn't. And it was it was brilliant. I just I like I I must have watched it probably a hundred times since and I've not tired of looking at it at all. It's it's a phenomenal piece of skill to just keep going and keep going and keep going some more and then show that composure to to drag it round two people onto his weaker foot. Which I think he alluded to in his post match interview and and slotted past the Kentucky Yeah. If I see a better goal than that anywhere ever, I can't wait. Yeah, it was it was something special and ⁓ Gareth Ainsworth nailed it in his his post fight in ⁓ post fight interview, that's my other job. Post match interview. He ⁓ he likened it to John Barnes at the Maricana and it it those two goals are so similar. If you haven't seen John Barnes's goal at the Mariconai, I'm sure By the time you listen to this, you've probably watched it at some point on YouTube, but it's almost a carbon copy. Like the way he just runs at the defense, the defense kind of parts like the Red Sea. Like if you're the opposition manager, you'd be tearing your hair out of the defending. But the d the defenders are there to be beat. He beats them all and then calmly puts it past the goalkeeper. It was an incredible goal. And as you say, like I'm I was trying to think of goals that that sort of even come close to it and like significance wise I think y you know, you you've named them. ⁓ like another goal that sticks in my mind, not because it was particularly massively skillful, it was just such an incredible strike, was Carla Saba ⁓ against Luton Town in the rain. Where he slid in with Kelvin Davis, the goalkeeper, ended up on the touchline and absolutely larruped it and it went about three inches off the ground and didn't hit the ground until it hit the net. Jake Jake Esentalo as well. Yeah. There's been a few. We've had a few long range ones, haven't we? But I d I can't I can't think of any where a player has just waltzed through a defence like that. We've had a couple where like ⁓ opening day, Bradley Dack against Sheffield United, I think it was, cutting in off the off the touchline, beating two players and banging it in the top corner. We've had Matty Jarvis has beaten a couple of players and scored on on a couple of occasions. Who was the lad a few years ago against Berry that got goal of the season? ⁓ Osser Davy. Didn't he do it against Berry, ran from the halfway line? I'm not saying it was quite as cultured. It was probably a little bit more Bambi on ice, but that's the only player that I can think of that's that's ran a similar distance and scored. I think that one, that was more a case of people trying to chase him. Whereas this one, like literally, Brophy has run past or around six different Rochdale players. before then putting the goalkeeper on his backside and scoring. It was incredible, incredible goal. It's been all over the internet and justifiably so. ⁓ you know, the only the only thing that yeah if if if you want to be slightly cynical, like the poor the poor thing with John Barnes was that goal effectively ruined his England career because everybody expected him to do that all the time. And you never can. And he he was sort of hoisted by his own patard a little bit. It was like, okay, you know, you aren't living up to it. Brofie's never going score a goal as good as that again. But he can score good goals. He scored one earlier in the match and he's contributing match to match and has been I think he's been the sponsor's man of the match or cer certainly my man of the match in the two home games I've been to. I think so, yeah. Yeah, so he's putting in performances week in, week out. Hell of a player. But now we've got Eli King. And I want to talk to you about Eli King because We've got Brophy who's doing working wonders in the final third and doing what he's doing. But you needed you know, the thing that we've always missed, probably since the days of the championship side, is a proper midfield holding man, someone who can just dictate play, can put his foot on the ball, pick a pass, can break up play when need be, and just generally make good decisions in the middle of the pitch and be a presence in the in the middle of the park. And when we When it was announced that we were signing Eli King, the Cardiff City fans were incredulous that A that they were letting him go and B that he was coming to us. And what a player it looks like we've got there. I mean, if you look at our squ you know, people talking about, you know, our squad and are we going to be strong enough. Our squad looks absolutely ridiculous now. If we can get these players fit, and obviously that's a pretty big if, but if we get all these players back, Gareth Ainsworth's biggest problem is going to be decided who to leave out because We've hi all of a sudden we've got a lot of quality in really important areas of the pitch now. Yeah, and you and you talk about Eli King coming in and people always talk about a strong spine and all of a sudden you've got Oli Wright who looks as good as anything in league two in goal. You've got Omar Beckles who just looks completely different to last season. Looks like a big dominating six foot plus physical centre back captain. You've then got Eli King that goes into the middle of the park and sits deep and dictates play. Can pick a pass with either foot. Looks like he's got an hour every time the ball's at his feet. Next to him, you've got someone like Harry Waldock andor Zane Albarus. Youthful, energetic, fearless. You've got Brophy in front. We've already talked about him. You've got Ronan Howe, who probably looks the most natural goalscorer we've had in a long time. And that's before you factor in anywhere else, getting your Bradley Dax back, getting last season's Captain Armani Little back, getting Our right wing back back, getting copious amounts of central midfielders back that are not available at the moment. So, yeah, have we dare I say gone from having said that our midfield was the weakest department not so many months ago to now saying it's probably our strongest department? If ⁓ if everyone's fit. And I get that there's still a couple that are not, but like you say, you could have four or five Very solid lead two players, missing out on a weekly basis if everyone's available. And then that's a great position to be. And it's probably come out of necessity a little bit and circumstance. But I've always been of the the opinion you can't have too many good players. And we've got plenty at the moment. And again, we're not going to get two ahead of ourselves. It is one game in the same way that we weren't panicking after we didn't win our first four. But there are certainly loads of reasons to be. Maybe just a little bit more than cautiously optimistic now. Remind me in a week or two when that comes back and bites me on the arse. Yeah. Well we'll we'll talk about Saturday in a minute 'cause I think that's going to be a a a a very well timed test for us, I think. But but yeah, I think we've got thirteen midfielders on our books now. I think I think it's thirteen, which is is is a lot. But My suspicion is that our our kind of regeneration work isn't quite finished yet. I have a feeling that we might see one or two leave in January or loaned out. Just because like the success of any squad is not always down to the players on the pitch. It's sometimes down to the players that don't play. And I I remember if anybody's not seen the documentary Living with Lions, which is about the nineteen ninety-five British and Irish Lions rugby team. It's one of the first sort of behind the scenes kind of the Watson All sports documentaries. There's no narration on ⁓ on it at all. It's just all sort of just embedded cameramen and stuff. Absolutely brilliant. And they sat the squad down at the beginning of the tour before they even left the country and they broke them off into groups and they said, What do you want this team to be like? What rules do we want to live by? What values do we want to live by? And every single group e every single group came back and said, The most important people are gonna be the players that don't get picked. Because how they react to not getting the place that they wanted is gonna be absolutely critical to how this tour functions over the course of the the two months that they're away from home in South Africa. And I think that that attitude is gonna that that's exactly how it's gonna be for us, especially when we are we are overly stocked in one area of the ⁓ in one area of the field, which is obviously midfield. The players that aren't going to get to play, their attitude is going to be absolutely crucial to the sort of the overall success of this squad. And if we find that it you know there's any kind of rumblings of discontent in in the ⁓ sort of behind the scenes, then it wouldn't be a surprise if we see one or two depart in in January. But it's very, very difficult to keep that many good players happy at once, especially when you've only maybe got three or four spots in the starting eleven for them. So it's gonna be interesting to see how all that all that comes together. Just quickly touching on on a on on a related topic with that. We are massively overstocked in midfield. Do you think That we are a little bit light up front still. I would have liked us to assign maybe one more in January. I'm being super greedy here, but I just feel like you look having I did a piece for the website where I assessed each of the different playing areas of the squad and it was quite striking just how many midfielders we had and just how few s actual strikers we had. I guess there's two ways to look at it, so isn't there? If you're looking at out and out front men, then yeah, you'd probably say we're one light. I think if you generally the rule is if you play two up top, which is what we're doing or at least a version of it, then you want not I don't want to say a backup because that's the wrong term, but you want two per position. So two times two is four. It's it's simple maths in that sense. But have we maybe looked at it and gone, well, we've played this three, four, two, one as well. So there is a case that you only have to play one out and out centre forward. And then you've got people like your Gareth McCleary's and your Sheldon Kendall's and your Sullivan Booths that can that can not fill in. But can operate in the final third without having to worry about the defensive side of the game if they're just centre forwards to a degree. I'm not saying they've got a you know, they're gonna shirk all responsibility out of position, not a chance. But we saw I think McCleary play a few times up front in a two last season in various games. So maybe ask me when we find out how serious the Will Goodwin injury is. And I might change my mind, because yeah, if we've only got two out and out strikers, then I'd definitely say we're gonna be a bit light for a while. But if it's three plus McCleary's and Kia Kendall's and and Booms, then I think we should be all right. Certainly if we've got midfielders that can keep performing to the levels of your James Brofies and Eli King, albeit on a a much smaller sample size, I think we'd be all right. Yeah. Yeah, I think the one thing the one thing I think we can say without any shadow of a doubt is the Gillingham squad that we have now is light years different to the Gillingham squad that we finished last season with, both in terms of the The age profile, the experience profile, but in terms of the positivity and the potential ceiling of the squad, I think you look along all of those sort of metrics. The only the only area where maybe we're deficient on last season is outright experience. But actually, you know, give me give me potential and talent over experience in this in this division. And I I'd much rather run with that because we s we we've we've seen enough of the other and it hasn't worked for us. So but I'm I'm very you know the the cautiously optimistic tag. I'm I'm ready to drop the cautious as well if we can get a good win on Saturday, which leads us on nicely to Saturday. Tramir Rovers are coming to Priestfield. Now Tramirovers, I think, if I remember back at the start of the season, they were kind of pegged in a similar sort of level as us, being someone who not too many team or sorry, not too many pundits were kind of fancying them to do too much. They were in sort of the fifteenth to eighteenth bracket, I think, in terms of a lot of the predictions. Pretty much where we were in in ⁓ a lot of people's predictions. They've started really well. They've started well. They're ⁓ you know, they're unbeaten. They beat Oldham on Saturday, which is you know, Oldham one of the more fancied sides in a division, th who have recruited really well in the summer. They won two nil, but they did it against a team who battered them in terms of shots on goal. Like Oldham had twenty two shots on goal in that game. And Tremir beat them 2-0. So clearly they've had to they've had to ride their luck a little bit and they've had to soak up a lot of pressure. But this is a team that's informed. They haven't lost a game. I think this is the right sort of test for us now. Having got that first win, this is where we're going to really see what we're capable of, I think. Absolutely. Yeah. And I I was probably one of them. I'm not going to call myself a pundit. I'm a fan with an opinion that that that had them probably bottom third. And that's because they've got ownership issues. I think in the background they've been trying to get a takeover for years. I'm not sure the fans are entirely on board with Mark Palios anymore. ⁓ the end to last season was absolutely horrific from a form point of view. And I think they finished lower and lower in terms of lead position for the last five seasons. So what is a good season for Tramia Rome because I guess you have to ask their fan base rather than us. And but yeah, they've had a solid start. I I'm not sure who they played in terms of maybe aside from Oldham who who you think would be in the top half of the table. Yeah, and I listened to another podcast on the way home, ⁓ the boys on the NTT twenty, and they said it was a good home win, but should have been an away win because Tramia played the game like an away side. We're under pressure on the most part, scored a good goal on the break, and then soaked up even more pressure. I think Luke McGee made one ridiculous save second half, and then get a penalty and see the game out. It's a fair play to him. But yeah, if we want to be a team side that's gonna be top half, which I think we've said is is the minimum this season in terms of being a good season, then we need to be, dare I say it, beating the likes of Trammere Rovers. And I'm confident we can. If we put in that level of performance, that level of intensity, if we press at the right time like we did at the weekend, we create that volume of chances. And even if we take half the volume of chances that we took at the weekend, then I'm confident we'll get three points in ⁓ E seven at the weekend. It's the start of a nice little run for us. We've got Trammere at home on Saturday and then we're at home again the following Saturday against Bristol Rovers. So and which w which will be a test because they they have they've they look very good. And I think I think they will be one of those sides that are right up there as the season goes on. So if we can come away from these two games with four or more points, I think that would be a a really, really solid return, especially coming off the back of that four one away win at at Rochdale. And we will be you know, we'll be really flying. I mean, like that that win such is it's it's so early in the league, right? Like that that win on Saturday has put us up to thirteenth. We're three points off third. Which is, you know, the the the table is a liar at this time of the season. ⁓ yeah, 'cause you're probably three points off twentieth as well. That's the thing, isn't it? It's you gotta get a dozen games under your under under your belt first, haven't you? You know, you need at least a dozen games before you can start to see how things are shaking out, but Looking at the opposition we've got, like Trammere, who have started okay, got themselves a good win. You've got Bristol Rovers at a solid side. We've got York City away the following Saturday. That's three games where I think we're really going to see what we're made of and b be a good barometer for what we can do. If we can have three positive results in those three games, I think it'll be it'll definitely be time to get rid of the cautious from the cautious optimism for sure. But I have to say I'm I'm genuinely looking forward to Saturday. Like it's just It just feels like things are on the turn. And I hope that it doesn't all go down in a in a in a in a in a complete in a complete disaster like like we've seen in seasons past. But I I I genuinely think now this team is is is different. We're we're we haven't got that that PTSD from p prior seasons. There's there's so many new faces in the team. But yeah, and and also getting to play at home where the handbrake can come off a little bit more. I mean I'm excited to see what we might be able to do, especially with the likes of Eli King and the side. And that's the last that's the last tick box, isn't it? That's the the last one. First win of the season. Now we need the first win at home. And then like you say, you are ticking everything off. We've had a clean sheet. We should have had two probably after Saturday, but that's a minor gripe. But yeah, first home win and then Yeah, then we can think about removing the courses bit. Yeah. I don't know whether this is the official League Two team of the week, but we've got three Jills in that team. Omar Beckles is in, Eli King is in. And surprise, surprise, James Brophy's in as well. Well, I see one with two in, so that's that's a step up on what I saw this morning from a a website that I use. So there was two in that one. ⁓ this is from the lower tiers. This is from the lower tiers who this I d I suspect this isn't official then. I I think this is probably their own. That's another fan one. I think I saw Sofa score that had Brophy and and Eli King in. I'd imagine James Brophy at least will be in the official Skybet League two one. And if he's not. We're gonna be finding some names and addresses. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What what we even doing. But no, it's it's it's so good to get on the podcast and and to not have the but this, but that well we kind of did a little bit at the start, but in terms of the performance, there were no but this, but that that you know, it was a it was just a great performance from start to finish. Question for you. We've got Obviously we understand that we've got certain injuries. Let's work on the basis that Will Goodwin's available, right? Mm-hmm. We saw Jack Daly come into the team. Mm-hmm. And do okay from from what I could see. What changes, if any, would you make to the starting lineup on Saturday? If if any, do you just go completely with what we had? Obviously there's there's the potential that we might have to swap Goodwin probably for Silla, but And obviously Obiero won't be able to play, so we're gonna need another midfield player. Is that just a case of King comes in but who plays next to him? Will it be Harry Waldock again? What if Zayn Alburis is available? You know, we've got it's it's tricky, but the main the main thing I guess is the defence. Because as we said it's it's good. ⁓ it's a lovely problem to have. Because I know McManus got books. ⁓ couple of rush challenges, got up to half time, which was sensible, but for me I don't think he's done enough wrong to lose his starting place. And do we want Brofie out there from the start? Probably not. You want him in the middle of the park trying to get on the ball and and get us in front. So for me, Goodwin stays in if he's fit, if not Silla plays. And depending on how King reacts, obviously after playing eighty minutes after twelve minutes in twelve months, he he has to start Waldock's done nothing to lose his shirt. For me, Logan Dobbs has done nothing to lose his shirt. I know we've said and and lots of fans have said these lone players are not coming here to sit on the bench. You can't change it though, Sarley, after a four one win. And and and Eli King paid eighty minutes of that. So he for me essentially started the game. The other one was in full so and he scored. So it's ⁓ I don't know, I've just talked myself out of starting Goodman, haven't I? There, and I've sort of put Silla in. For me though, they're the only positions we look at are the two changes that we made. I think everyone else starts the football match because they've not done anything wrong. We we're four unbeaten and we've won four one at the weekend and and we looked the part. It wasn't ⁓ you know, a fluke four one, it's not we're sitting here talking about, you know, balls crashing in off backsides or penalties or dodgy decisions. That was a thoroughly comprehensive four one win. So for me, the only question marks are over those that that didn't start the game and had to be replaced. Yeah. Yeah, it's gonna be I think ho I'm hoping that that w that win on Saturday will put an extra couple of hundred on the attendance on Saturday at Priestfield. Fingers crossed, fingers crossed we get a a good turnout, a bigger turnout, and they could go out there, make it two out of two and ⁓ start stacking some wins and start to make some real headway in that League Two table. That I think is pretty much all we've got for you on Blood Sweat and Jills this week. Just to remind me, ⁓ sorry, just just to remind you. Follow Jills in the Blood TV on YouTube, pumping out content on the regular, match day previews, match day reviews, vlogs, all sorts going on. And check out it's it's the League Two hour, isn't it? Is that right? That is correct. You've got it. See, I know I I butchered it last time. The League Two Hour, which by the time you listen to this will already have streamed. But if you haven't seen it live, go back and check that out as well. Essential, Essential Listening. That is every single week. But yes, it's gonna be it's gonna be a big weekend this weekend. Check out all our coverage on Jills365. It's less than a pound a week if you subscribe. So get yourself involved and become part of what we're doing on Jills 365. And if you haven't already subscribed to this podcast on Apple or on Spotify or on Audible or on Amazon, get stuck in and do it. As well as this podcast, you will also get The Jules three six five Voice Notes podcast rolled in with that. ⁓ the ⁓ the episode of which ⁓ this week was an absolute stonker. It was brilliant. Just everybody losing their minds over the James Brophy goal. It was superb. We had ⁓ we had we had a I even got the date wrong. I noticed that had to be edited out 'cause I got the date wrong. See yeah, I I thought it was seamless. I th I seamlessly just eased it out. It was all good. ⁓ no, it was definitely seamless on the edit. I just realised that I'd cocked up the date. Yeah, well well I mean like it it you know you people just lose their minds when you see a brilliant goal like that. I'm surprised everybody knew which way was up at that point. But yeah, it br it is brilliant. So check out the voice notes podcast if you haven't done that already. And there's no bells and whistles, it's just Jills fans reacting in real time to ⁓ to what's going on out there on the pitch and pre-match and post-match as well. But yeah, check out the site, check out everything Matt's doing on YouTube, Jills in the Blood TV, check out Jill StreetS5.news. And enjoy the match this weekend, ladies and gentlemen. Hopefully it'll be another big one. Speak to you next week.