Experienced midfielder Jonny Williams has praised Gillingham manager Gareth Ainsworth’s no-blame culture that helped them go unbeaten in their final nine games.
After a frustrating 2024/25 campaign with limited minutes, Williams has opened up about his role, the impact of new boss Ainsworth and why their strong finish has sparked renewed belief.
The Gills finished the League 2 campaign with three wins and six draws in the nine matches under Ainsworth. It was a period that also saw Williams get back to playing more regularly.
Reflecting on their impressive end to the season, Williams said: “I think we were resilient. He did a great job in connecting the team with the fans and the staff. It started to feel like we were all together again.
“He wants to create a hard-working squad, an environment where you’re able to express yourself and take risks without getting battered or told off or blamed or having a finger pointed at you.
“I’ve experienced it in the past where people shout and scream at each other when you make a mistake, and that’s kind of accepted in football. It might work for one person out of 10, but, on the whole, throughout my career, when someone’s being positive and being more like, ‘don’t worry’, you then feel free to be able to take risks because you know people are going to respond and react and just work hard to win the ball back if that’s the case.
“There was no better example than when Sam Gale made the mistake [against Colchester, which led to a goal] and debate over whether the ball was in or out. It was a case of, ‘Don’t worry, Sam’.
There was still a belief we were going to go on and change the outcome of the game and almost dig him out of a hole. That’s honestly the perfect scenario I’ve always wanted as a footballer.
When I’ve been in successful teams, that’s always been the case. It’s been very much the team comes first. It comes from the manager, but also your team-mates. When you make a mistake and you know someone’s going to be screaming and shouting at you, every time you make a mistake, then you might feel on edge.
“He wants to instil a no-blame culture, he wants to save those conversations if you make a mistake for other times, but on the pitch, he wants very much everyone pulling in the right direction. First and foremost, he wants [everyone] enjoying playing in his team.
Williams has been with the Gills for the past two seasons, signed in the summer of 2023 by Neil Harris. Since then he’s had Stephen Clemence, Mark Bonner and John Coleman in as managers before Ainsworth took charge.
The past season was a frustrating one for the midfielder, who spent plenty of the time on the sidelines
Williams said: “It was a real tough one on a personal note, as a group as well, of course, but personally, it was not what I was hoping going into the season.
“I was hoping to play a key role and be part of a successful team, but football doesn’t always work out how you hoped.
“It’s probably the least I’ve played in my career when I’ve been fit. As a footballer, you want to play as much as you can, but you have to respect the manager’s decision and train hard, work hard and be ready for whenever you’re called upon.
“That was the case for me this season. Obviously, Gareth came in and put me straight in the team and showed faith in me, and I really enjoyed the end to the season.”
Williams only made four substitute appearances in the 14 games during Coleman’s short reign, including an eight-game run where he didn’t even make the squad. He was there at Newport on a night where the then-Gills manager appeared to be making a point, as no substitutes were used in a 3-1 defeat.
He said: “Travelling to Newport to be 19th or 20th man with Dom Corness was a weird experience, but I just want the team to do well and if I can offer support in other ways, I’ll do it.
“I want to be playing first and foremost, but if I have to travel and gee the boys up and support them in that way, then I will. Only 11 can play, and I’m there to support and be ready whenever I’m chosen, and that was the case in the end.
“It was obviously really tough psychologically and mentally, mainly, having to deal with that but everyone’s got their own opinions, it’s literally a game of opinions.
“If the manager doesn’t like you, or doesn’t appreciate what you bring to the team, then I respect that, and I’m sure another manager will. I’ve always been like that for my career.
“I’ve had some managers that absolutely love me, and some don’t. It doesn’t define you as a footballer. The most important thing is what you think of yourself and your team-mates as well.
“You see it at the top level. Look at the send off Kevin De Bruyne got at Man City. He’s been a phenomenal footballer, world-class, possibly Man City’s best-ever player but his time at Chelsea didn’t define him. They didn’t want him. There’s no bigger example than that to any footballer.”
Williams started Ainsworth’s first game and the last few weeks of the season were a happier experience again for him.
“You just have to be ready,” said the 31-year-old.
“You have to be professional, you have to respect people’s decisions as much as you don’t always agree with them. That’s part of being a footballer.
“I was ready to take the opportunity. He put me straight in the team, and it was great. I really enjoyed it.
“The team was together. We were all pulling in the right direction, and it was just really enjoyable to play and go unbeaten for a long period of time.
“There’s been a lot of unsettling times since I’ve been here and I’ve heard and seen it from afar before I joined. There’s also been some magical times that I’ve heard about as well. I think the manager wants to bring that back to Priestfield. He’ll work hard and do everything he can. So far, so good but it’s still early days.
“We’ve only had nine games together with the new manager. He wants a team that the fans are going to be proud of and know that they’ll be giving 110% every week. I think the fans could see that towards the end of the season. Likewise, we appreciate the fans’ support massively after a tough season. We’ve responded to that as well.
“The ones that did turn out and support us in a tough season, it doesn’t go unnoticed. We appreciate the support home and away massively. Going to Port Vale with potentially nothing riding on the game apart from an unbeaten record and to turn out in their numbers was phenomenal.
“It makes us hungry as players because we want to give the fans loads to cheer about. We’ll be working hard in the off-season and pre-season to prepare and give it our best shot next season.”
Williams was sent off in Gillingham’s last home fixture of the season, picking up a second yellow in the final moments of the game against Swindon Town – culminating in his first ever dismissal.
He said: “The first one was throwing the ball away five yards, it was silly. Just out of frustration. Sometimes you see them not given as yellow cards. The other one (for a foul) was definitely a yellow card.
“I had no arguments. The only thing I was a bit annoyed about was the fact that there were probably yellow cards that weren’t given that were probably just as much warranted as a the ones I got. The good thing was it was the 94th minute and we maintained our unbeaten record.
“Thankfully, there wasn’t anything huge riding on the last game of the season, because I would have loved to have played in that. Thankfully, we won the game (at Port Vale) anyway.
“To have remained unbeaten (under Ainsworth) with little rest and preparation, learning new regimes and tactics and stuff, was phenomenal, really. Credit to the group and the manager and the staff.
“I’m looking forward to getting back already and it’s a shame the season ended when it did, because something clicked.
“We’ll take a break and reset. I don’t think we’re too far away as a group. With this manager, I think we’re optimistic as players and want to be competing at the right end of the table, but it’s going to be hard work. We know it’s a tough league.”
