Gareth Ainsworth is hoping that his Gillingham side can build off their win last weekend when they travel to Harrogate Town on Saturday.
Lenni Cirino and Travis Akomeah both completed deals that ensured they would remain with the Football Club until the end of the season. Ainsworth was delighted to get those over the line and looks forward to seeing how they both develop over the coming months.
The Gills boss discussed the positives of having a deeper squad of players to pick from, especially with a busy schedule coming up. He also provided some injury news.
Looking to Harrogate at the weekend...
They are going to scrap, and rightly so. Simon Weaver has been in the league now for quite a while, and he is a very long-serving manager for a reason. He gets his teams together. We are looking forward to it. I want to go and win the game. I have told the boys that we have to start winning games now. It's all very well these draws and performances, but let's start winning some games. Let's try to put teams to the sword, and that is one that we want to win.
It will be quickly followed by Tuesdays and Saturdays coming up, as there are a lot of games, so I am sure that the squad will get rotated. At the moment, I am really pleased with where we are. We had a great training session this morning, and I am looking forward to getting up the road.
Securing deals to keep Lenni Cirino and Travis Akomeah until the end of the season…
We’re really pleased that Lenni signed another six months, because I think that he has got the option to prove himself in his first year in first-team Football. He had a bit of a whack with his ankle injury, so when he gets back, I am sure that Lenni is going to be champing at the bit.
Travis really impressed me in that first stint. I think that learning first-team Football is one thing, and playing it is another. The games that he got, I think that he did well in. He’s a hell of a size and a hell of an athlete. He is still learning the game, but he loved it here and wanted to come back. He wants to play games, I know that, and there are going to be plenty of games for him to play in.
The two of them, so far, are good signings.
Advantages of having a deeper squad ahead of a busy period...
You can't play everyone, and you can't take everyone; I need some players to be patient and understand that they will get their chance. It might just take somebody to come out of the team for whatever reason you get. You have got suspensions and injuries, and all of those things happening in football. Everyone, be ready, because we are going to need everyone in this little period.
Injury updates...
Lenni Cirino is on his way back, and Marcus Wyllie rolled his ankle a few weeks ago, and Nelson Khumbeni has his shoulder injury.
Apart from that, I think that we are pretty good to go. I can't wait to pick the 18 that go up there and bring these points back.
