Micky looks ahead to tomorrow's top of the table clash here at Vale Park
Micky Adams is expecting a tough game at Vale park on Saturday afternoon, but will have his players well prepared for the task ahead of them.
About Gillingham, he said: “I would think that they are going to be a confident unit. They’ve got good players, they have got a system that suits them at the moment, they have got a manager who will force them forward at all times.
“Looking at them on DVD they look a decent side and a real threat to us, but the incentive is there for us – at this early stage of the season if we beat them we go top so it’s all to play for. If we don’t beat them, it won’t be a disaster.”
Like a lot of his contemporaries, the manager has always said that you get a better idea of how your side is going to fare in the season after about ten games. We’re not quite there, but things are not looking to bad right now.
He said: “I’ve said may times If you are not in the top half of the table after ten games it doesn’t mean a jot, and it certainly doesn’t, but I’d rather be top than bottom, that’s for sure.
“There are teams still finding their feet, but a win against Gillingham would certainly give us confidence, but it is only three points.
“We went away on Tuesday night and demolished a good side and if we can do that to tem then we can do it to anybody, regardless of the fact that the have spent more money or go better players than us.
“It is all about us taking the confidence that we have gained with the results recently and taking them into the next game.
Micky Adams and Martin Allen come face to face on the touchline tomorrow, but as the boss says, it is not about the managers, it about what the team produce on the pitch.
He said: “I speak to Martin on a regular basis. I wouldn’t call him a mate, but I respect the work that he has done and I respect the work he is doing now.
“Paul Scally, the chairman, chose wisely – I think he is a decent manager. I have never worked with him so I couldn’t tell you how he does it, but certainly his teams are well-organised and fit and they always tend to have a decent team spirit.
Vale versus Gillingham is always a fixture the manager looks forward to. He has fond memories of his time with the Gills and they will always hold a special place in his heart.
He said: “I started my career down there. I was very, very fortunate and had a good grounding. It is a football club that I have got a lot of time and respect for.
“My daughter lives in the town as well and she is a season ticket holder at Gillingham and it is a fixture I look forward to, but I want to beat them on Saturday.”