The new era at Gillingham, under new manager Stephen Clemence, started well. Their FA Cup win on the road at Hereford was just the start that the new boss would’ve wanted, and this was highlighted by Jayden Clarke.
The winger expressed his excitement at both the win and working under Clemence. With only a few sessions under his belt, Clarke has seen some new ideas that have given the Gills squad a fresh approach to games, and more to come.
Positive Start
The FA Cup saw some surprise scores over the weekend and Gillingham was professional in their setup and took the game to their opponents in the opening half and should’ve added to their only goal of that first 45 minutes.
Then competed well in the second period, before settling the tie with a late spot-kick.
As reported by Kent Online, Clarke praised his new boss. “It’s been good. He only came in on Thursday morning, so we have only had two days with him but so far, so good.
“All the messages he has given us we have tried to take onboard and implement. We’ve got a long time ahead to keep working with him. It’s been good to work with him and look forward to the future. It was nice to be on the ball, we have the players to do it, now we need to try and perfect it, try and keep doing it in the games going forward.”
💬 | 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: "I saw a real strength of character in the second half. You come away from home, and you are 1-0 up, and the opposition puts you under pressure; you have got to stand firm."https://t.co/zFw44Qtqpz#Gills
— Gillingham FC (@TheGillsFC) November 5, 2023
Where the League is the bread and butter, a Cup run will bring confidence to the squad. Goals have been hard to come by, and this is something Clemence will have to correct if they are to challenge for promotion.
By his own admission, Clarke will need to raise his game in that area, although he did get the opening goal on Saturday. “As a team, we knew we needed to score more goals, since he (the new head coach) has come in he has wanted us to get on the ball a bit more, score more goals, be more creative, we are working on that.
“Hopefully that will come in the following weeks. When we got the first goal when we were on top we controlled it, out of possession we were good with our shape.
“I know I haven’t scored in a while, I have been harsh on myself, but I need to start adding more goals to my game and hopefully now I have got one, it was a bit lucky, but I’ll take it and hopefully I can build on that now.”
Writer’s View
This was the perfect start for Stephen Clemence. A new manager facing a tricky Cup game away from home could be a recipe for disaster. The way he set the team up and made early impressions on the squad bodes well for the future. Having more time around his payers this week will help him. Clarke is a player that will have to step up but his attitude shows that he and the rest of the Gills team are ready and eager to take on the instructions of the new gaffer.
