Midfielder Bradley Dack delivered a brutal verdict on Gillingham’s 3-0 defeat to Oldham Athletic, admitting the players were “out-fought” and had let everyone at the club down.
The Gills were blown away inside 20 minutes at Priestfield, conceding twice from set-pieces, and Dack said the manner of the loss – rather than the result itself – was what hurt most.
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“We didn’t battle enough,” he said. “It felt like they out-fought us, which is a difficult thing to say as a Gillingham player because that’s what this club is built on.
“You might lose football matches. That happens. But you should never be out-fought by the opposition.”
Gillingham were 2-0 down before they had properly settled, and Dack pointed to a lack of aggression and intensity from the first whistle.
“The most disappointing thing is to be out-fought like that,” Dack admitted.
“The fans don’t ask for much here, to be honest, just that you give it everything, empty the tank. That’s what the manager asks for as well.
“Win your first balls, win your battles, your duels, that kind of thing. We didn’t do enough of that and I think that’s why they definitely came out on top.
“We shouldn’t have a bad game off the ball, ever. Everyone’s entitled to have an off day with the football at their feet.
“Off the ball, we’ve got to be better. Give a bit more. It’s disappointing having to say that. We didn’t do that enough.
“We lost way too many first balls, lost way too many second balls. Lost too many tackles. When you do that, especially at this level, in this league, you’re more often than not going to lose the football match.
“Obviously, I’ve known the club for a long time, and I know what the fans expect of you, and they expect a lot off the ball.
“The first 20 minutes was the glaring thing for me. We weren’t pressing as a unit and we didn’t win enough tackles. It took them to score two goals for us to start playing, which should never be the case.”
The Gills improved drastically once 2-0 down but were then chasing the game. A goal before the break could have made the difference but one never came.
Home supporters made their feelings clear at half-time and full-time, after Oldham added a third to complete the scoreline, but Dack said the players must accept that reaction.
“The fans have every right to have their opinion,” he said.
“I don’t blame them for having that because we’re a better team than that.
“It’s difficult. No-one wants that. The fans pay good money to come and watch us, and we shouldn’t put up performances like that. It’s not good enough.
“Yes, it’s difficult. It’s something that doesn’t really affect me, but I’ve played in the game a long time.
“I was at Sunderland in a bad spell, and when you’ve got 50,000 doing it, it’s a lot different. You become hardened to it. Obviously, some lads have never experienced that, so I can imagine it’s difficult for them.
“The boys that do find that difficult have to get back to basics, start building confidence again. It starts on the training ground, and then in games, hopefully they can come out the other side of that. They’ll be stronger for it.”
Dack spoke about manager Gareth Ainsworth’s reaction after the game.
He said: “He wasn’t happy. He’s never really been a massive shouter, but he did have a go at the end, which was fully deserved.
“We let him down and that’s really disappointing because he always backs us, and the whole backroom staff all back us. They give us everything. They try and help us as much as they can.
“We’re the squad that goes out on the pitch and plays, and we let everyone involved in the football club down.”
Despite the setback, Dack insists the only way out of their current run is through honesty and hard work.
“We’re in a difficult spot,” he said. “The only way you get out of it is by taking accountability.
“That’s the first thing I do – watch the game back and ask what I could have done better. Hopefully, everyone else does the same.
“We’ve got to fight for each other and stick together.
“There’s no point arguing. It’s about going back to basics – winning headers, winning tackles, getting the first pass right. All those little things build confidence.
“We have to look at ourselves in the mirror, every single one of us.
“What we can do better, what we can do more of, how we can improve, all these things. I know it’s something that the fans don’t want to hear. The clichés and stuff like that, I don’t really like it either but we’ve got to go back to basics, I think. Do the right things.
“Confidence and momentum are massive in football, and at the minute, we’re on a low but you’ve got to be brave. You’ve got to take the ball when maybe you don’t want it.
“Hopefully I can lead by example and show how it’s done.”
