FA Cup: Nottingham Forest, Everton Reach Fourth Round
FA Cup: Nottingham Forest beat Blackpool 3-2 after extra-time, while Everton secure 1-0 win over Crystal Palace to enter the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Forest established a 2-0 lead within a minute of the second half but were forced to go the distance with League One high-flyers Blackpool. Chris Wood came up trumps late in the second half of extra time to see Forest through.
Andrew Omobamidele put the Forest ahead 10 minutes into his debut for the club and Danilo’s strike a minute after the break appeared to have put Forest in complete control of the match.
However, Albie Morgan pulled one back with a brilliant strike from 25 yards before substitute Kyle Joseph headed in from close range in the 78th minute to give the League One side a deserved equaliser.
Blackpool almost went in front, but Orel Mangala did well to get back and clear off the line after Karamoko Dembele had rounded the goalkeeper.
With 110 minutes on the clock, Forest netted what would prove to be the decisive goal as Ryan Yates' low cross was turned in by Wood to set up a fourth round meeting at Bristol City on Friday 26 January.
Everton edged their way past Crystal Palace thanks to a peach of a free kick from Andre Gomes.
Gomes has been a peripheral figure for the Toffees of late, with this just his fifth appearance of the season but he took centre stage to break the deadlock at Goodison Park.
The former Barcelona man curled a stunning effort off the inside of Sam Johnstone’s post to give the hosts the lead on 42 minutes, breaking Everton’s 1,848 day wait for a free-kick goal.
On the other hand, Everton keeper Joao Virginia impressed in place of the rested Jordan Pickford, saving smartly from Eberechi Eze and from Odsonne Edouard as Palace searched for an equaliser.
While he took his chance Palace did not take theirs, with Jeff Schlupp’s late header saved, ensuring Everton would be the ones to host Luton Town in the fourth round.
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FOM BLOG: MY OWN THOUGHTS ON THE LATEST CHAT WITH THE CHAIRMAN VIDEO CLIP
My Own Thoughts On The Latest Chat With The Chairman Video Clip, And everything that has happened over the past week.......
There was a huge reaction to this video clip on Social Media over the weekend, And I think the reaction to this video clip came off the back of the frustration of Gillingham losing 2-1 against Shrewsbury Town at the weekend, And I do wonder if Paul Scally should do these interviews on The Thursday so that they are published online on The Friday Morning, Maybe having this interview posted online on Saturday Night off the back of our defeat against Shrewsbury Town has seen more frustration towards the video clip because Gillingham had lost to Shrewsbury Town, and if the interview was posted before the game, the response would be less reactionary, but still negative because of our problems with a small first team squad ???
I just think with the lack of communication over the past eighteen months, No Club Shop, Problems with the new ticketing system, The Factory Is Closed, There hasn't been much news regarding The Five Free Tickets, Free Shirt and Bronze Supporters Club for supporters who gave there money back to the football club. And combine everything above with Steve Evans talking about his future as Gillingham Manager several times this season, the lack of investment in the first team squad and how we are desperate for plenty of new signings, along with 3.789 supporters turning up to A Saturday Home League Game For Gillingham V Morecambe (And 3,789 is an unacceptable attendance for A Saturday Home League Game As Well), Then I just think that everyone has had enough with Paul Scally as our Chairman and want to see a change of ownership, and want to see a change of ownership for the right reasons as well.
If Steve Evans doesn't get to bring in several reinforcements on Transfer Deadline Day, Then I think we will see Steve Evans resign on Wednesday Morning, and then there will be some serious questions about where Gillingham Football Club are heading, and chances are we are looking at Former Players or Former Manager's like Neil Smith, Steve Lovell and Peter Taylor to come back to the football club to try and keep Gillingham in League One, And Steve Evans comments after the game on Tuesday Night were more of a true reflection of precisely what he wanted to say, When Steve Evans mentioned that having no strikers to play up-front and only fourteen first team players is not a project that Steve Evans wants to participate in and how he doesn't want to be involved in A League One Relegation Battle, and five points from four matches against Morecambe, AFC Wimbledon, Plymouth Argyle and Shrewsbury Town is the points tally your side gets when your involved in a relegation battle, and Gillingham could have done with a win against Shrewsbury Town, Because seven points from those four matches and eight points from the first five league games of the season would be a respectable points tally as Gillingham head into a mini season break, and without reinforcements, and with Gillingham still to play against Ipswich Town, Portsmouth, Sunderland, Rotherham United, Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton Athletic, Oxford United, Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers, Gillingham don't want to be going up against those nine sides with fourteen first team players, and four young players on the bench.
So when The Chairman speaks about the squad being strong enough with everyone fit, I completely disagree, Gillingham have got twenty two players, twenty if you don't include Christian Maghoma and Henry Woods who have been sent out on loan, and down to seventeen if you don't include the three young players in Harvey Lintott, Bailey Akehurst and Gerald Sithole - John Akinde also appears to be surplus to requirements, So that leaves Gillingham with sixteen senior first team players to cope with the demands of A Forty Six Game League One Season, plus all the cup competitions as well, Ideally, you want two players in every position, and five or six young players to add additional depth to the squad, Steve Evans won't have a squad of that size this season, But five additional signings (A Left Back, A Right Winger, A Left Winger, A Striker And A Centre Back Who can also play in Defensive Midfield) will hopefully add more depth to the squad, Because Gillingham are desperate for reinforcements.
This week is a season defining week for Gillingham Football Club, And tomorrow's transfer deadline day will decide if Steve Evans stays or leaves the football club, Because Steve Evans has been speaking about his managerial future at Gillingham Football Club, And without the additions that Gillingham clearly need, then Steve Evans will walkaway from Gillingham Football Club On Wednesday Morning, and there is a very good chance that Steve Evans could leave the football club in a few days as well, And any proven experienced Football League Manager is just not going to take on the job at Gillingham Football Club without assurances that he will be able to sign a few free agents after the transfer window has closed so that he can bring in his own players.
The Chairman cannot say that the hate is coming from people who do not care about the football club, Because we were all there in the away end on Saturday hoping that Gillingham would win and make it eight points from five matches before going into the mini season break, And saying that supporters do not care about the football club is just unacceptable, Because so many supporters gave there money to the football club rather then ask for a refund, and yet, our generosity has not been recuperated, Because where is The Free Shirt, Where Are The Five Free Tickets, What has happened To The Bronze Supporters Club ??? - There is also frustration when it comes to buying tickets on the new online system, and really, you need to go down to the ticket office and get your tickets printed for home and away games, But that's fine if you live close to Priestfield Stadium, But what happens if you cannot get down to the ground, and some supporters want pay on the day and cash on the turnstiles to be an option, Because we're probably turning away 400 - 500 supporters a home game by not having cash on the turnstiles as a available option.
Also, There was a verbal confrontation between Pro Paul Scally and Anti Paul Scally Supporters in the away end on Saturday, And "Chairman Out" was chanted the loudest I have heard in a long time, And Paul Scally mentions that Gillingham Football Club is a ship that is ready to sail, well, our ship must be a oil tanker, and by the time Gillingham have turned there ship around, every other club has got speedboats and jet ski's and they are way ahead of us both on and off the pitch.
This pandemic has been difficult for every football club, and coming through the last eighteen months has been a challenge and there is no doubt that Paul Scally is working seven days a week to keep Gillingham Football Club going, But other clubs have had better communication since February 2020, other clubs have offered Season Ticket Holders either a discounted Season Ticket or a proper refund for there supporters, We are seeing clubs in League One and League Two really strengthen there first team squads and they are giving it a real go to try and challenge for promotion or try and push on from where they finished in the league in the previous season, I cannot see Gillingham spending transfer fee's to sign players, But we should have a squad much stronger then the one we have got now, and four or five additions tomorrow will strengthen the squad and maybe Gillingham need to go for quantity over quality to bring in the reinforcements that we need to sign, Because without those additions to the squad, I do think Steve Evans will leave the football club.
The Transfer Embargo, the stop and start preparations for the start of the season, playing players who are clearly injured in Vadaine Oliver is not helping matters, and this mini season break comes at the right time to allow players time to recover from injuries and to make sure every player is fit for Burton Albion Away, But this mini season break is also the perfect time for Steve Evans to decide if he wants to stay and face the challenge head on, or, decide if he wants to leave the football club on Wednesday, and tomorrow's transfer activity could well decide our manager's fate on Wednesday Morning.
I thought these Chairman Chats were a good idea, Because constant communication between The Chairman and supporters is vital, But two of the last three Chairman Chats has seen The Chairman speak more about The Whitney Houston Tribute Night then speaking about Gillingham V Charlton Athletic and what Gillingham need to get done in the transfer window, and this latest video has seen criticism aimed at supporters who clearly are not happy with what is happening on and off the pitch at Gillingham Football Club, And Steve Evans comments after Gillingham's penalty shoot-out defeat against Cheltenham Town were very blunt, very honest and without Vadaine Oliver, Gillingham do not have any other attacking options available, The Chairman has spoken about everyone needs to be heading in the right direction, Well, Paul Scally thinks our squad is strong enough, Steve Evans clearly doesn't and wants more additions to the squad, that probably happens all the time when Manager's demand more funds from there Chairman to bring in new players, But our squad is so lacking that Gillingham need five new signings to really try and kick on and ensure that we are not dragged into A League One Relegation Battle.
This is a big week for Gillingham Football Club, And Tuesday and Wednesday especially is going to decide which direction Gillingham are heading, we're either going to be a ship that slowly starts to sail in the right direction, or, a ship that is heavily damaged and needs to do everything possible from sinking, And I just hope that it is the former over the latter, because no new signings, Steve Evans leaving and a former player or manager coming back to the football club means that Gillingham are looking to end 20th in League One and ensure we maintain our League One Status.
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