Gillingham: Jonny Williams and Josh Andrews situations will be on Mark Bonner's mind | OneFootball

Every manager wants options, and Mark Bonner will be keen to try out a number of different variations during pre-season.

After what has felt like a long wait, new Gillingham manager Mark Bonner will finally get the chance to put his players out onto the pitch as the Gills’ pre-season gets underway.

Gillingham's pre-season schedule kicks off on July 13, with Championship side Millwall heading to Priestfield in Bonner’s first game in charge of the Kent club.

It will be the first opportunity for Bonner to watch his players in action against live opposition as he looks to try out a few permutations and assess his options in a number of areas before the season kicks off on August 10.

Arguably the one area that offers the most intrigue is how Bonner will opt to set up the Gills in attack. The club’s issues in front of goal last season have been well documented, with Bonner making clear from the outset his desire to address that shortfall, saying that he wants to have a side that “outscores” the opposition.

And it’s that aspect of the team that many fans will be paying particular attention to as the Gills play their pre-season matches this summer.

Looking at the squad, it would seem that there are two slightly different approaches Bonner could consider up front.

The club’s first summer signing, striker Elliott Nevitt, is unlikely to have been snapped up so swiftly to just be a bench player, so it’s reasonable to assume that he’ll play a big part in whatever lineup Bonner eventually goes for. But the big question could focus on who will provide support to the former Crewe man up front.

Elliott Nevitt and Josh Andrews could deliver a one-two punch up front

One option would be to play a strike pairing, with January signing Josh Andrews looking like the most likely option to partner Nevitt up front.

The six-foot-five front man arrived at Priestfield injured, but in his appearances for the club towards the end of the season, the former Birmingham City man showed some of the qualities that could make him a real weapon for Gillingham in the seasons ahead.

Andrews is big, strong, and mobile, and could potentially be the perfect partner for someone like Nevitt, whose mobility and tireless work rate could dovetail well with Andrews’ physical presence and aerial ability.

But the modern game often sees teams field one central striker, with support coming from wide areas, and from deep – and that could see Bonner opt for a different lineup.

Jonny Williams could offer a deep-lying threat

While a formation with Nevitt and Andrews up front would lend itself more to a 4-4-2 formation, or a variation of it, there is the possibility of playing a 4-3-3, with one central striker, rather than two. And that could offer the perfect setup for arguably Gillingham’s best creative player.

Jonny Williams struggled to hit top form in a season that never really saw him used to his best abilities. The Welshman has energy, movement and the ability to spot a pass, but last season, with a static, toothless front line, and a team with little forward impetus, those skills were stifled somewhat.

But, in a lineup with Williams selected to play in the number 10 role, and with genuine wide men on each flank, he find himself in the perfect place to shine.

With the likes of Jack Nolan and Aaron Rowe providing service from wide areas, and backed up by the hard running and smart distribution of Armani Little, Williams could have much more breathing room to play his natural game.

That could mean more assists, more shots at goal and, hopefully, more goals as a result.

Mark Bonner has exciting options up front for 2024/25

Both the aforementioned Andrews and Williams offer exciting, but different, options for Bonner as he assesses his attacking options for the season ahead. Bonner may even have thoughts on whether he can accommodate all three men into his lineup in certain circumstances.

And, with the challenges of a long 46-game season, both options are likely to be utilised in different situations.

Last season, Gillingham suffered from a lack of options in attack, but thanks to some smart early-summer signings, the Gills already look much better equipped in that department.

Watching the chemistry develop during the pre-season games will be fascinating, and it will be interesting to see which direction Bonner takes when the Gills walk out onto the Priestfield turf to face Carlisle United on August 10.