Gillingham Manager Gareth Ainsworth Ready to Unleash Team’s Potential Ahead of Walsall Clash

Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth believes his squad is full of potential but knows it's time for that promise to be realised on the pitch.

Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images

As the Gills prepare to face a tough Walsall side at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium on Saturday, Ainsworth is confident his team is on the verge of a breakthrough.

"We have great potential, but potential isn't always enough," said the 52-year-old.

"You have to realise it — the players need to become the ones they're threatening to be, and the team has to become what it's capable of. All the tools are there.

"There are no major problems here, just a few tweaks before we can really unleash ourselves on other teams. I'm happy with what I've got.

"We're solid, and we can build from here. I want us to score goals, attack teams, and hopefully put it all together on Saturday."

Gillingham will welcome Walsall to Priestfield for their first home game of the season. The Saddlers kicked off their campaign with a gritty 2-1 win over Swindon Town, defying the odds after Brandon Comley was sent off in the 21st minute.

With limited footage of Walsall playing at full strength, Ainsworth admits preparing a detailed tactical plan has been tricky. Instead, he says the focus in training has been on what his own team can control.

"Walsall will be a tough opposition. They won with ten men against Swindon last week, so we've watched them, but it's difficult to put a plan together — we only have 20 minutes of footage with 11 men, and they won't start with ten against us.

"We've looked at their pre-season games as well. But it's going to be about us and what we do.

"It's really important this season to understand we can define our own destiny by how we play, how we apply ourselves, and the qualities we bring. We've been working hard on that this week."