By Jack Nolan
October 12 2006

Gillingham host the first of two consecutive meetings with former two time winners of the European Cup Nottingham Forest. Forest sit top of League 1 despite losing four nothing at home to Scunthorpe United.

Gillingham v Nottingham Forest
Priestfield Stadium
14/10/2006
K.O 15:00

Gillingham Team News

Alan Pouton hasn't trained this week following a knock at Crewe where he scored his first goal of the season in stunning fashion. Danny Jackman was still suffering from food poisoning but looks set to return to the side for the visit of Forest. Gary Mulligan has trained all of this week having recovered from breathing problems suffered against Swansea.

Andrew Crofts returns to the squad following his international call up to the Welsh squad where he failed to earn another cap.

Brent Sancho who chose to retire from international football over a payment dispute is still out with a knee injury, as is fellow Trinidian Kelvin Jack.

Predicted Starting XI

GK: Flinders
LB: Jackman
CB: Cox
CB: Johnson
RB: Jupp
RM: Bentley
CM: Pouton
CM: Flynn
LM: Jarvis
ST: McDonald
ST: Ndumbu-Nsungu

Nottingham Forest Team News:

Junior Agogo and Sammy Clingan return to the Forest squad following international call ups. Danny Cullip also returns to the Forest side following a thigh injury which forced him out of six games. Agogo should replace Jack Lester who shall serve a one games suspension after collecting five yellow cards this season.

Former Gillingham player Nicky Southall returns to Priestfield after leaving the club following the Gills' relegation from the Championship.

Forest One to Watch: Nathan Tyson - Tyson signed for Forest last season from Wycombe and was unfortunate not to score more than one against Gillingham when the Gills travelled to the City Ground last season. That game finished one all.

Ticket News: Tickets are still available for the visit of Nottingham Forest to Priestfield in all areas of the ground. If you pay before Saturday you shall get a discount.

Stats: Nottingham Forest have the honours with eight victories against The Gills in all competitions. The Gills have won four meetings with four meetings ending all square.

Views: Ronnie Jepson: "For 55 minutes, some of the football we played was absolutely terrific. Like it has been in a lot of the matches this season, it was good on the eye. In the second part of the game, it seemed that we backed-off.

"People will look at the back four and lay the blame there but, for me, we stopped pressing and let them come out with the ball and dictate to us. What we have to do is to be able to sustain it for 90 minutes and we will be a half-decent team.

"We work on those things every week. It's not of case of something going wrong, so we work on it. We work on those things week in and week out, the pressing side of the game and the tactical side. It is just the mental side of it - we have to be stronger.

"I wouldn't point the finger at anybody. It is us collectively. We have to press from the front, which we didn't do in the last half-hour or so at Crewe, and from the midfield. We can then hold a decent line at the back.

"When we let people run through from the back with the ball, we can't hold a tight line as there is no pressure on the ball. That is what we found at Crewe last Saturday.

"The lads always respond well. They are an honest bunch of lads. They were as disappointed as I was and the supporters were. The supporters were fantastic up at Crewe and they never stopped singing. We work on it, show them a few things and tell them a few things that I thought about the goals up at Crewe. We'll put that to bed and concentrate on the game against Forest on Saturday."

"If we can find that consistency and add one or two new players to it, we will be a half-decent team. When you are conceding goals like we are, then you are always going to be looking over your shoulder to your position in the league.

"There has been a pattern in some of the games with the goals coming late-on. It is just that belief. We have to have self-belief as for an hour in games, some of the football we have played is fantastic. We set-up well and tactically, we are bang on. We knew how Crewe would go.

"Dario Gradi said to me after the game that he didn't know how he won the game and he has been in the game for years. That is pleasing but there is the other side which isn't pleasing. It is alright getting all the plaudits for decent creativity and good goals but, me personally, I'd have rather it been a scrappy game and we had won one-nil and got the three points on the board.

"I encourage the boys to go and play football at the right times and in the right areas but we need to be more solid defensively. That is not just the back four, it is the pressure from the front and the midfield. In the latter stages of the game, we are giving teams too much time on the ball and let them come at us. You then end up defending in your own penalty area, which causes problems.

"We want to score goals. Your supporters want to see you do that and play good football. The other side of it though is that you have to keep clean sheets. You start off with a point and if you don't score, you've still got a point. We'll keep working on it and hopefully introduce one or two more players that give us a bit more strength in depth, which we need. We are working extremely hard behind the scenes to bring in extra money that enables us to strengthen and improve. The Chairman has got the sales team up and running. I just hope the supporters can stick with us. They know how difficult things are at this moment in time."

"Nottingham Forest are a good, well-organised side. They are a massive club and have the history and everything. They have got a big benefactor up there who puts in a bit of money and they have got a fantastic squad of players.

"On our day, when we are at it, and we produce some of the football that we have this season, it should be a good game if we can sustain it. You cannot predict anything in this league because a lot of teams are beating each other. It is just trying to find that consistency. If you can find that in this league, you will find yourself up in those play-off positions and that is what we are looking to do."

"Alan Pouton hasn't trained all week as he took a whack on his ankle in the first-half up at Crewe. We'll have a look at him tomorrow morning. Gary Mulligan has trained well this week. Danny Jackman was earlier this week still feeling the effects of the food poisoning that knocked him back a little bit. Brent Sancho and Kelvin Jack are still unavailable.

"Andy Crofts is back in training today after being away with Wales. I look at 'Crofty' now and I tell him to be a leader. He has played quite a few games here now and I don't look at him as a young lad here now in football terms. When he is at it, he leads by example."