Todays game at Ninian Park will see the addition of a new face to the City squad. Millwall legend Neil Harris has joined City on a months loan. His lack of training with the City players means a place on the bench beckons for the man who scored against City at the New Den in October.
There will be changes in the starting line up. Alan Lee is out after a hernia operation so his place will be taken by Peter Thorne. Lee Bullock looks to have lost his place after two anonymous performances in the absense of Graham Kavanagh. Lennie will turn to teenager Joe Ledley to partner Willie Boland in midfield. Paul Parry will slip back to left midfield and there will be a first start for Cameron Jerome.
The arrival of Harris should keep Andy Campbell out of the 16 man squad.
Line up probable
Warner, Williams, Collins, Gabbidon, Barker, McAnuff, Boland, Ledley, Parry, Jerome, Thorne.
Subs. Alexander, Weston, Vidmar, Bullock, Harris.
The pressure areas will be in central midfield with Ledley only recently in the first team and now he's expected to be the creative spark in midfield, Gary O'Neil apart there has been no player to impress for City in the middle of the park this season. Ledley has a big job on his hands (or should that be feet). There will also be pressure on Jerome and Thorne. I like Cameron Jerome, strong lad, keen, full of energy. I expect him to add to his previous 2 City goals. Peter Thorne is Peter Thorne and providing he gets decent crosses he will always score goals.
Last season City beat Gillingham 5 - 0 (report here). Robert Earnshaw scored 4 of them. No Earnie this time, he's going to be at Fratton park playing in the Premiership, we are looking to the youth of Ledley and Jerome to take up the mantle and create and score goals for Cardiff City.
There should be pressure on Lennie Lawrence but there's little coming from Ninian park to suggest his job is on the line. Quite remarkable when our form over the last year would have seen us relegated if we had been playing from January to December.
"My job is to take the pressure away from players and, yes, accept it myself,. The higher the stakes, the better for me. I am confident we have enough experience between Terry Burton and I to get out of this and climb the table.
"Over the years I have developed routines, habits, to cope with the euphoria of success and the lows. We seem to hit those extremes so often in football.
"I try not to get too high or too low - it's a matter of temperament.
"I think I'm the right man for Cardiff. I'm vastly experienced and I think I've done a decent job so far.
"People say the club needs a change. It's not for me to say whether that should happen or not.
"But I think I am the right man for the job and Terry Burton, my assistant, is damn good at what he does."
Gillingham have no manager. Andy Hessenthaler stepped down 10 days ago, caretaker boss John Gorman led the team to victory last week before leaving for the Wycombe post. Player / coach Iwan Roberts is looking to turn the City fans against their team,
"The pressure is on Cardiff because they are at home and there is a big expectancy among fans because of the money they have spent. We must go to Cardiff and do a job."
Bottom line is that City need to win. The optimist in me says we'll get that win. I'll deal with the consequences of not winning if that happens.
Saturday 4th December, ko 3:00pm.
Cardiff City v Gillingham.