The Hat-Trick: Are Gills contenders or pretenders in League Two?

It begs the question, are Gillingham legitimately capable of challenging at the top end of the table, or are they just one of the division's also-rans?

After a poor set of performances over the last three games, Ainsworth's side needs to start delivering in order to avoid falling into the latter category.Gillingham kicked off October with a goalless draw with Newport, but a 4-1 away win at Rotherham raised hopes that we could be in for a much more positive season.

However, the next league game brought an away defeat as we were well beaten at Accrington, and the two home games that followed brought just one point as we drew 1-1 with Port Vale, then lost 4-1 against Grimsby in our most concerning home defeat of the campaign so far.

Now, the Gills head north to Croud Meadow to take on Ainsworth's old club Shrewsbury Town in a game that offers a chance to claw back some much-needed momentum after a rough run of performances.

In a division that looks set to be as tightly contested as we've seen in years, consistency will be the crucial difference-maker as the season plays out and we pick out the contenders from the pretenders.

One of the most concerning stats about Gillingham so far this season is the fact that the team has conceded more goals from corners than any other club in League Two.After just 13 league games played, Gareth Ainsworth's side have conceded a whopping SEVEN goals from corners.

That's a specific statistic that highlights a major issue in our defence. Put simply, we're just not doing the basics well from set-piece situations.

Staying defensively solid at set-pieces requires organisation, commitment and concentration, and based on the set-piece goals we've conceded so far this season, it's the concentration aspect that seems to be lacking. Runners aren't tracked, players are caught napping, and we're not as switched on as we need to be in these key moments.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of this stat is the fact that these exact situations can be drilled over and over again on the training ground. It's sure to be something Ainsworth and his staff have spent time focusing on in training, but once matchday rolls around, it's down to the players themselves to keep themselves accountable and stay on top of their game.

Will we see an improvement on Saturday? Our chances of success may depend on it.

Anyone who's listened to Blood, Sweat & Gills will know that I'm a big advocate of the 4-4-2 formation.

Without going into the minutiae of it all, I like it because it involves players working in pairs all over the pitch, meaning there's always someone on hand to back you up, particularly in wide areas. It also offers a chance for our wide men to operate with higher starting positions and not leave space behind to be exploited.

Despite my personal formation preferences, after Gillingham started in solid fashion this season, I acknowledged that Gareth Ainsworth's 3-4-2-1 formation seemed to suit the personnel at his disposal at the time.

However, I think that in recent weeks things have changed markedly, and Ainsworth might be well served to at least consider a formation refresh, and run a 4-4-2 for the upcoming games.

Stats via EFL

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