Time to Get Back on Track as Reborn Robins Visit Priestfield

Right then, it’s back to Priestfield this weekend and, let’s be honest, it’s a big one for us. After a brilliant start to the season, we’ve hit a bit of a wobble with two league defeats on the bounce, and the injury list is starting to look pretty grim. We’re up against Cheltenham Town, a team that was dead and buried a couple of weeks ago but now has a new lease of life under a new gaffer. It’s exactly the kind of game where we need to stand up and be counted.

What Happened in the Week?

Most of us probably saw the result from Tuesday – a 2-1 loss away at Colchester in the EFL Trophy. It’s always gutting to lose, especially when we were 1-0 up thanks to a Sam Vokes goal, but you have to look at the context. Assistant boss Richard Dobson was in the dugout and made nine changes, giving a few of the younger players a run-out. We ended up with ten men after Lenni Cirino got a red card late on.

Dobbo even tried out Max Clark in defensive midfield, saying it was "worth having a look" at for the future. You can't blame them for experimenting. The main thing was resting key players for Saturday. Annoying result, but the league is what really matters.

The Injury Crisis is Getting Serious

The big talking point this week has been the state of our squad. We’re getting stretched thin, especially up front. Last weekend we were already without Bradley Dack, Garath McCleary, and Jonny Smith. Now, our top scorer Seb Palmer-Houlden picked up a knock on his knee on Tuesday and is a major doubt for the Cheltenham game. To top it all off, Josh Andrews is out suspended after picking up too many yellow cards.

Dobson admitted we’re "short on good players, really good players who would be in our first XI," and said everyone needs to stick together. He’s not wrong. With all those lads missing, it looks like 35-year-old Sam Vokes is set for his first league start for us, which makes his goal in midweek even more important.

Despite three losses in a row in all competitions, this is a huge chance to get back to winning ways. The stats are on our side: we’ve won four of our five league games at Priestfield this season. Cheltenham, on the other hand, haven’t won a single game on the road – they’ve lost four and drawn one. It’s a massive opportunity to show what we’re made of, even when we’re down to the bare bones.

How Are We All Feeling?

Looking online, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The injury news has definitely got a few fans worried. When the news about Palmer-Houlden broke, one fan on Twitter just posted "ffs," which probably sums up how a lot of us feel. You see comments like "we can't catch a break," and it’s true, losing so many of our creative players at once is a real blow.

But there's still plenty of belief there. The general feeling is that a home game against a team in the bottom three is one we just have to win, no excuses. Our home form is what’s keeping us up there in the table. Fans are calling for a massive atmosphere on Saturday to get behind the team. Injuries or not, we’ve still got enough to get the job done – let’s roar the boys over the line.

A Look at the Opposition: Cotterill's Got Them Firing

So, what about Cheltenham? They arrive in Kent with a spring in their step. Just a couple of weeks ago, they were rock bottom and looked doomed. They sacked their manager (and ex-Gill) Michael Flynn after a shocking 7-1 defeat and brought back their old boss Steve Cotterill.

The effect was instant. In his first game back, they beat Fleetwood 2-0 for their first home win of the season, with a quickfire double in the second half. That result was enough to lift them off the bottom of the table to 22nd. Their key man in that game was midfielder Isaac Hutchinson, who scored one and set up the other.

They’ll be a different prospect now. Cotterill will have them organised and they'll be playing with a bit of freedom after finally getting a win. That said, their overall record is still terrible. Before last weekend, they'd only scored 6 goals in 12 league games and haven't earned a single point away from home all season. The big question is whether their new-manager bounce can work on the road.

German Gills Prediction

Even with our injury problems, this is a game we should be winning. Priestfield has been a fortress, and we’re usually solid enough at the back to deal with a team that averages less than half a goal per game away from home.

Cheltenham will be tougher than their league position suggests, and with the confidence from last week, they might even nick a goal. But playing at home, with our crowd behind us, we should have enough quality to see them off. It might be a scrappy, hard-fought win rather than a classic, but three points is all that matters right now.

Score Prediction: Gillingham 2–1 Cheltenham Town

Written by Rhys - German Gills