Gillingham boss Gareth Ainsworth has been talking with KSN ahead of the opening of a new League Two season starting at MEM Priestfield when Walsall visit Kent on Saturday. 

We spoke to the Gills boss about who to look out for and everything else League Two – he told us, “I think there are a couple of teams who are perhaps taking a gamble by bringing players down and paying a little bit more rather than paying for deep squads which is one way of doing it definitely.”

“Certain types of manager have certain ways they manage; I think that the Rochdales and Yorks will be decent as the gap from the League to the National League is not that big anymore.”

“In some respects it will be pretty similar to last year – your Chesterfields are always going to be up there around there. Your Grimsbys look strong, the same sort of Clubs will be in and around challenging – your Barnets and your (Bristol) Rovers and fair play to them. But I do think that York and Rochdale will surprise people this year.” 

“I think the usual candidates will be up there – but with regards to us, as I said at the end of last season, we finished seventeenth and start Saturday in the same League as the team who finished nineth and tenth last season, and that’s how it is – we go again and all start on the same number of points!”

“Salford got to the Play Off Final, so unlucky not to go up at Wembley, on Saturday are League Two with zero points same as us!” 

“Having said that, I also do believe that we are under the radar after the last couple of seasons that we have had,” the Gills boss went on, “And I am really happy with that!”

“I would prefer to be having people saying that they are unsure about Gillingham because hopefully we will surprise people and that is my aim – it’s what I aim to do! Whether it happens or not we will have to wait and see…” 

“I really don’t think we have an identity at the moment!” Ainsworth reflected.

“That’s only because no one in the League has played us since April… Last year it would have been being hit hard with injuries, squad rotation with a couple of youngsters playing.”

“Get at them and you might be able to get at this player or get at that player – we are so different to that this year!”

“Identity and what people looked at from then until now is that and we have to prove now our identity – I want to show a new identity and that is what I want from my boys – we will fight and scrap for everything… but there will be some quality in there as well.” 

“It’s brilliant – it’s a great weekend, it really is – I just hope we get a win to start!”