Gills keeper insists its a team effort...
Gills goalkeeper Stuart Nelson is adamant the squad will not let their effort levels drop as they look to maintain their five point gap at the top of npower League Two.
Nelson has only conceded 10 goals so far in the league this season but insists it’s a team effort and every player knows their job.
He said: “It’s a good squad and probably the best squad I have been involved in. It doesn’t matter who plays, people come in and they won’t let anyone down.
“If you have got boys who are willing to learn and listen, work hard on the training ground and do what they have been told to do you will get the rewards and so far this season that is what’s happened.
“I’ve had good starts before but have fallen away so I’m quite aware what could happen but this squad is good enough not to let that happen. As long as we keep doing what we have practised and work hard then we will keep getting results.
“It doesn’t matter who is in front of me, they have the same shirt on and they put in the same amount of effort.
“If there was a problem when certain people come in and didn’t put 100% in then I probably would have a problem but there isn’t one because everyone does the job whether its Callum, Flanners [Tom Flanagan], Adam Barrett, Connor or Andy Frampton – it doesn’t make a difference.
“To me they are all wearing Gillingham shirts and we are all in this together.”
Stuart was asked whether it would be easy to take Plymouth lightly considering their position in the league, but Nelson dismissed that thought and said each game must be taken on its individual merit.
He said: “We wouldn’t let ourselves, the manager has his say but part of our success so far this season is that we take each game as it comes. It’s an old cliché but that’s what we have done and Plymouth is so different.
“We will go away from home, away from our supporters who have been so good here at Priestfield. It’s a long trip and we have to take that as it comes – we have 90 minutes of football to play down there and we’ll strive to get the result that we need.”
Nelson says he isn’t concerned where the team are in the league at this moment in time and is focussing on getting as many points as possible.
He added: “If we do what we are capable of doing this season then we won’t be far off and at the moment we are doing that. We have only played 16 games so it’s early and it counts for nothing.
“The points we are leading by can go so quick if we take our foot off the pedal, start cutting corners and only give 99% and the players who come in haven’t listened.
“Maybe in the last five games of the season I will look at where we are but at the moment it counts for nothing.”
Finally Stuart talked about the strong unity that the goalkeepers have at the club and how it is the entire club that keeps clean sheets, not just himself between the sticks.
He said: “We all work hard and the gaffer picks the keeper he wants to play and that’s how it is here. We are a tight unit of keepers; we all train together, work hard and encourage each other and those boys support me and I support them.
“Hopefully they accept my advice as much as I’ll accept theirs. If they see something that can help me on a Saturday they tell me and I’ll take it on board.
“Likewise if I see something that can help them then I will take them. You can’t go through your career without taking any advice that’s given to you and it’s up to you whether you want to take it on board.
“I know Danny Kedwell and Deon Burton have kept nine clean sheets, I don’t need to go on but every fan in the Rainham End has done it too.
“I have my own personal targets as a keeper. They are private but I’ll tell you at the end of the season.”