Hessy takes the director approach

Despite the unfortunate termination of his contract, it was made evident that you can take the Andy Hessenthaler out of Gillingham, but you can never take the Gillingham out of Andy Hessenthaler.

A week on however, it seems we are not taking the Andy Hessenthaler out of Gillingham after all.

His appointment in a directorial role was confirmed by club chairman Paul Scally on Wednesday... click here.

Demonstrating that he is keen to continue working with the club and his old friend, despite no longer taking charge of the immediate first team affairs.

But is this a good idea?

Well, judging by initial reaction from some Gillingham fans…no, it is not. Some say that a club legend should perhaps stay a club legend, leave on amicable terms and try his hand elsewhere. The moulded position of "Director of Football" has always posed some questions and with such ties to the club as Hessenthaler has, you have to wonder where his involvement will stop.

The position of manager is still to be filled. Names have been flying around left right and centre, and Chairman Scally is due to start collating those over the coming weeks. Who it will be? We do not know. One thing is for certain, he needs to assert his authority from the off. For the last two seasons, in this writer`s opinion, we have had a man in charge that oozes power on the pitch, but time after time he has not shown the same prowess off it. These players need picking up from disappointment and fast. The nucleus of the squad is strong and with a couple of additions and tweaks, we can make a genuine push for promotion without fear of a lack of consistency.

My final point on the matter is laid out to look at the positives of this appointment. In today`s game, long-serving figures are getting increasingly harder to come by. Fortune and fame tend to rule and there is not an awful lot of room left for sentiment. Andy Hessenthaler`s commitment to the cause, regardless of the failures of the last two seasons, cannot be questioned. I have no doubt that he will be able to do a lot behind the scenes and, budget permitting, help bring some real quality players to this club.

All that is left to do now is find out who they will be playing for.

Written by TTSN

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