Gills interim manager Peter Taylor spoke to his club’s official website ahead of his side’s League One game against Carlisle at the Priestfield Stadium on Saturday, Taylor first talking about United boss Graham Kavanagh and one of his previous visits to the ground:
“I’m sure he has been back since but I was at a recent pro licence course with the FA and we were talking about when he played here with Stoke in the play-offs and got sent off [May 2000]. He’s certainly enjoying being Manager at Carlisle and was a good Assistant to the previous manager and they have responded well. Last time they played away from home they beat the MK Dons so they’re in good form. We know their threats; they have quick players and counter-attack you at times.
“We have got to put in a performance, that is what we have got to do, we have got to make sure that we do as well as we did last week on the ball and we have got to defend better. We have got to defend as a team and individuals have got to make better decisions. The most important thing that we need to concentrate on is how we played against Port Vale. For 45 minutes we were first class and in the last 15 we were very good.
“I have enjoyed working with these players, they are a good group and they have been working extremely hard to improve our position and it’s up to us to show the crowd how much it means to us because that’s what gets them going. The first game against Preston the crowd were very quiet, but we didn’t give them enough to get them going. We need to show that from the first whistle how much it means to us and do everything we can to get a result.”
In team news for the Gills tomorrow afternoon they will be missing just one player through injury in Matt Fish, the right-back out long-term having ruptured his anterior cruciate knee ligament on the opening day of the season. Meanwhile at the Priestfield, midfielder Charlie Allen, son of recently sacked boss Martin, yesterday joined Skrill Premier side Tamworth on loan for two months.
The referee for tomorrow's match is Charles Breakspear from Walton-On-Thames in Surrey and he will be assisted down the lines by Mike George from Norwich and Adrian Sannerude from Lowestoft in Suffolk. Meanwhile the fourth official is John O’Brien from Wimbledon Park in London.