Gillingham boss Steve Lovell has been talking ahead of taking his side “home” for Saturday’s Emirates FA Cup Fourth Road tie as the Gills bid to reach the last sixteen of the Greatest Cup Competition in the World for just the fourth time in the clubs’ history.
But first Lovell admitted that it was a frustrating week following Saturday’s 0-3 Priestfield defeat against Walsall. Lovell told us, “we would obviously like a bounce back performance as we’ve had before when suffering a disappointing defeat this season – Portsmouth and Cardiff being prime examples – we’re very optimistic in that the boys can bounce back… and they’re going to have to as it’s another big game and if they want to get something out of which we all do, then they’ll have to bounce back and put in the performance that we know they’re all capable of giving Swansea a good game and a result!”
The Gills boss was then asked about growing up in South Wales. He said, “I left when I was 16 to go and play for Crystal Palace – I played a lot of rugby in school and it was my Dad who got me into football and coached me in the right way for my career. I remember going to the old Vetch Field to watch the old Home Internationals when Wales plated Northern Ireland and Georgie Best was playing and as a kid thinking what a great player he was, and I used to have many good memories of going down to the old North Bank at the Vetch with my Dad as they were the first team that I went to watch. That was the first taste of football I had. Looking at this weekend, I think that my Dad would be very, very proud and I think that he would be amazed more than anything that I’m actually managing against his club – the club that he loved. I think its going to be very emotional for my mum, myself and my sister on Saturday that he’s not there but I’m sure he’ll be their watching anyway!”
Forward fast to the weekend, and how do the Gills approach the game. “We’ve got to take all the positives from the way that we’ve played in some of the good games this season and given teams very, very good games where we’ve got something out of them,” the manager admitted. “This is the attitude that we have to take into the game on Saturday and be as positive as we can and gout there mentally prepared for a very tough game indeed.”
“Going away doesn’t seem to make much difference to us this year does it. Away from home you could say that we’ve played our best football or in a way perhaps its better that we’re away from Priestfield this week so that we can do what we did at Burton, Portsmouth and Scunthorpe and places like that putting in a performance that merits the win.”
“It’s very exciting to still be involved in the cup, but just think how much more exciting it could have been if we had won last week? That Walsall game really has knocked my staff and I for six this week and all we’ve done is put positive thoughts into the player minds all week and that’s all we can do. We don’t like to lose games especially as we did last week – the real frustrating thing is that apart from the three goals they scored – all inside the six-yard box – they only created one other chance all game! Three individual errors again cost us and if we can get rid of them out of our game the rest of it will not be far away. You cannot give goals away – especially three of them – and expect to win games. You cannot legislate for three individual errors in the six-yard box – you simply can’t! Take them out of the game and it ends 0-0 and you get a point – fine lines again.”
“We’ve more or less a full-strength squad to take with us – we’re only missing Billy Bingham and Alex (Lacey) but they could both be back next week. They must go out and enjoy the game on Saturday as if they do enjoy it, they know that they’re doing something right, and then who knows what might happen.”