Taylor on course to complete rebuilding process - Football Saturday

Gillingham v Wigan Athletic

IT HAS been quite a year for Peter Taylor. Last April, he learnt that he was out of his job as England Under-21 coach, despite an unblemished record in the European championship qualifying tournament. Tomorrow he will lead a team out at Wembley.

Gillingham offered him the task of rebuilding the team's confidence after the shattering defeat at the hands of Manchester City in the Nationwide League second division play-off final last year. With Gillingham just a few seconds from a first elevation to the first division, City, who were 2-0 down with the match about to enter injury time, recovered to level the scores and went on to win on penalties.

The fact that Gillingham are back at Wembley, where they face Wigan Athletic, shows how well Taylor justified Gillingham's offer. "I lost a very good job with great players," Taylor said, "but as soon as I knew I was going to lose it, I wanted to go back to being a day-to-day manager.To get a job like Gillingham, and for it to have gone so well, has made it a great season. This is the first time I've gone to Wembley as a manager, but I was always confident of making at least the play-offs.

"The players have worked hard and have got back by playing a less direct style of football than the long-ball game espoused by the previous management. The team are playing as I want them to play. They will do whatever they are asked to do, or have a go at it anyway, and that is full credit to them. The disappointment of last year, if they are good characters and good pros, which we have here, will encourage them to go that bit farther."

Taylor knows that Wigan, another ambitious club seeking a first promotion to the first division, are worthy of respect. John Benson, their manager, has a difficult decision to make in goal, where Roy Carroll, who missed both play off semi-finals after an appendix operation, could return at the expense of Derek Stillie, who kept clean sheets in those matches against Millwall.

Benson will vacate the manager's chair after the game, regardless of the result. He is expected to become director of football, with Danny Wilson, the former Sheffield Wednesday manager, stepping into the role at the JJB Stadium.