Gillingham boss Gareth Ainsworth has spent the last few days rallying his troops after successive defeats on the road as the Gills prepare to face Oldham Athletic at MEMS Priestfield for the first time in nearly a decade.

The Latics travel south on their “comeback” tour in the EFL after winning promotion from the National League last summer through the play-offs and as the Gills boss told KSN this week at our briefing, “I know I am repeating myself, but we have another tough game in League Two this weekend.

“Oldham did brilliantly to get out of the National League last season and Micky (Mellon) has done a brilliant job with them – the Leagues (the National and League Two) I feel are very close as there are some big ones in the National League competing hard to get out.”

“Oldham have done brilliantly to get back – they were originally in the Premier League of course. They are a big Club with a big following and have a good manager who knows what he is doing in League Two, and they will be a tough test for us on Saturday!”

“But we are back at home here at Priestfield and I want to win the game and want to give the Gills fans something to shout about especially after the last two games that have been damp squibs to be honest. Set piece goals, one-nil defeats away from home in horrible weather, but the Gillingham fans have been brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

“I was told by someone watching the Chesterfield game on I-Player that they panned round at the end of the game, and all the fans were clapping the players on the pitch, and the players went to the fans after they gave everything and we just came up short on the night. The fans are very understanding but I do not want to come up short on Saturday – clinical, good going forward and really solid at the back and any little worries that we have got, we will work on before Saturday, and we will be going for a win on Saturday in front of our fans!”

“We all feel like we deserved something at Crewe definitely and I think everyone will agree there. Chesterfield was probably more of an even contest and whoever got the goal was always going to be difficult to beat, but this weekend we want to be on the front foot and hopefully there will be some good news for the Gills fans to shout about come quarter to five!”  

Ainsworth and Mellon have faced off many times in the past and when asked if that helps, Ainsworth smiled and said, “It does, but this League is so different. We have had teams who have changed formation, changed selection… over the years, managers change too.

“I know that I have and I am sure that Micky has as well as when we first faced off it was probably in 2012/2013 with him at Shrewsbury and me at Wycombe but that’s twelve, thirteen years ago as we have both progressed through our careers everywhere else and it does shape you as a person and a manager.

“I know that he is a tough task master, and he will know what he wants from his team and we will have to combat that. Likewise, I have my styles, my players, my way of doing things, which will be the correct way and hopefully on the pitch the players will deliver!”

“There are six not in the squad at the moment and it has been really hard to manage as I want to involve everyone – I feel for those not in the squad I really do – but if there is one or two changes then there is people who are training hard and training well and everyone has to make every single minute of every single session count so my selection for the squad is going to be a difficult one again.

“We have had the same squad for the last couple of games now but there are definitely people knocking on the door asking for their chance to show me what they can do. Competition is tough for places – it always is which is great for a manager and I am just the “unlucky” one who has to leave people out and put people in, but I wouldn’t have it any other way as it’s a great job and after the away trips we are all really looking forward to Oldham now.”

“I hope that it is a typical Saturday afternoon at Gillingham because we have had some very good ones and even in the tough ones, the fans have really got behind us,” Ainsworth said before his rallying cry to the Priestfield faithful, “Be Gillingham guys, get behind us; I want it to be a successful Saturday afternoon and I will be giving everything – people will say that we have had a couple of long trips and come back with a couple of defeats.

“Come on, come and have a go with us, we are ready to put this right and I cannot wait to get stuck into the next team and that is Oldham Athletic, and then the team after that, and then the team after that – take one game at a time, there is fifteen games left and we are looking forward to every single one of them!”