Experts queue up to predict another season of doom and gloom for Gillingham FC

If the so-called experts are any guide, the Gills are set for another season of struggle at the wrong end of the League Two table, with EFL pundits, EFL bloggers, and sportswriters seemingly queueing up to predict another season of despair for the Priestfield faithful.

The latest cab off the rank is Sporting Life's Tom Carnduff who, like many others who have come before him this summer, has the Gills predicted to languish in the lower reaches of the League Two table.

In his 1-24 preview for Sporting Life, Carnduff offered the following take on Gillingham's potential season ahead:

"In all honesty, Gillingham are one of a few clubs in this division I can't quite place, but if you asked me to back them to enjoy a good season or a bad one, I'd certainly be looking towards the latter," he wrote.

"Gareth Ainsworth has overseen a huge squad turnover this summer, with a number of players leaving. Striker Will Goodwin is one of the arrivals, potentially the target man Ainsworth needs, while young goalkeeper Ollie Wright makes the loan switch following a good season with Accrington.

"This is a club which has gone nowhere since relegation from League One back in 2022, with three of the four seasons which followed returning bottom-half finishes – each of those being exactly 17th, too.

"While the temptation was there to place them in their rightful home, I'm backing them to drop a little bit further."

His prediction: 19th.

By Simon Head, Founding Editor, Gills 365

Given the turnover of players during the summer, we're heading into the new season with a brand new squad, and some notable upgrades in key areas of the pitch. But, on the flip-side, this is a group of players that hasn't had too long to gel as a unit. That will only come with time, and proper, competitive games.

It means it's unlikely that the Gills will come flying out of the traps to lead the division for the first month or two of the season as we've seen in recent years. But, to be honest, that might not be the worst thing, either.

Those fast starts prompted higher expectations, which were quickly extinguished when our form fell through the floor as the clocks went back, and that early-season optimism was replaced by frustration and, in some quarters, resentment.

This time around, it's likely that Gillingham's season will be much more of a slow burner. It may well take time for the team to fully gel, and we could see Gareth Ainsworth tinker with a few different combinations in different areas of the pitch as he looks to get the very best out of his new-look squad.

Then there's the seemingly omnipresent spectre of injuries. A season with fewer bodies on the treatment table would certainly have a positive impact on the field, too.

I think that, based on what we've been told by the club, and the turnover of players in the summer, the fanbase can justifiably expect to see a more competitive season, and a higher finish, in 2026/27.

But it's hard to ignore the number of predictions placing us between 14th and 20th this season. A finish in that range, or (God forbid) worse, would be considered disastrous given the amount of player turnover at the club. This is a squad built to compete in League Two. A bottom-third finish would likely be considered a failure.

Hopefully, the team can make a solid start, and keep building as the season progresses to finish strong and give the Gills fans reasons to be cheerful heading into next summer.