Gillingham 2023/24: Why their underwhelming attack could be the downfall of their promotion hopes – scout report

While it is early in the EFL season, we are starting to see patterns and trends in all sorts of areas that could play a huge part in how the season could shape up. Teams up and down the leagues will be making tweaks to fine-tune their performance, and current League Two leaders Gillingham have a job on their hands if they are to sustain a strong promotion bid.

While Neil Harris men have started well in terms of results (winning six out of their first eight games) and boasting the joint-best defensive record in the division, their attacking output is shockingly low. The Gills have found the back of the net just seven times in eight games – only Bradford City, Harrogate Town, and Forest Green Rovers have had a worse time in front of goal in League Two this campaign.

Even with a solid defensive foundation, Gillingham will seriously struggle to stay in the mix for promotion if they dont locate the source of their attacking issues and rectify them. The club enjoyed a successful transfer window back in January and followed it up with a solid recruitment drive in the summer just gone, so it could be a case of new players settling in, but some of the players they have signed come with quality and experience of League One and even the Championship.

This scout report will provide a tactical analysis of Gillinghams attacking tactics as we look to identify any potential issues in their approach play that have resulted in such a low goal total. The analysis will cover the Gills setup with an overview of the main signings made this summer, followed by an assessment of one of their main issues in attack. Finally, we will look at some areas that Harris side could focus on more often, with a focus on data to highlight some of their underlying strengths.

Team Overview

So far this season, while playing league football, Gillingham has preferred a 4-2-3-1 formation – a shape often linked to strong defensive performances thanks to including two deeper midfielders.

As we mentioned, the Gills have been busy in recent transfer windows, and this summer, they turned a few heads with some of the names they attracted. 10 signings in total, which include free transfers, a loan deal, and the arrival of players from higher divisions – many of social medias season predictions had Gillingham to have a strong campaign based on their excellent player recruitment this summer.

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