MJ reveals player meeting in bid to get out of 'toughest spell'

MJ Williams believes Wanderers will emerge stronger from the toughest week he has yet experienced at the club.

A humbling 4-0 derby defeat against Wigan Athletic was followed by a 600-mile round trip to Plymouth and another disappointing 3-0 score-line on Tuesday night.

Players called their own meeting after the midweek game to address issues in-house – and Williams hopes that after clearing the air, results will soon improve.

“This is probably as tough as it has been since I have been here, results wise, but the gaffer and a few of the lads had that experience last season and we know we have got to stick together, keep playing with confidence,” he said.

“After the game the other night we had a good chat between the players and we know what we needed to do better. Conceding the two goals didn’t really help and that is what we want to stay away from.

“Listen, the lads talk, and I think you have to do that if things are not going well.

“But we are together, we work hard for each other, and being together over the last few days has helped a bit. Once you get home, you are just thinking about the result.

“As a group we have stuck together. It probably hasn’t been as positive as we want it to be but on Saturday there is a chance to put it right.”

Evatt had hinted that the mood within his dressing room had been one of frustration on Tuesday night at Home Park, and Williams admits there were some frank exchanges between the players as they looked to address a worrying recent slide in form.

“We’re not a group that will fall out with each other but you have to have honest conversations, watch games back and see what you, or the team, could have done better,” he said.

“We have looked at our mistakes and we have to learn from them. Only hard work is going to get us back on track.”

Williams knows what Wanderers will be up against on Saturday, with the visit of Steve Evans’ Gillingham.

The midfielder has faced the Gills on four occasions for Notts County and Rochdale and has warned his team-mates there will be no opportunity to mope around.

“I have played against them a few times and it is always a tough game. There are a lot of direct balls up to the top end of the pitch and it will be a battle, we will have to stand up to it,” he said.

“We expect a fight but we need to be good at the things we are good at.

“When we get the ball we have got to be calm and play our game.”

Source

We’ve been beaten by 3 teams who will inevitably finish in the playoff positions or higher. No one likes to lose games but we can’t control the fixtures and I’m not sure what all the drama is about. The reality is that we’ve just been promoted from League 2 and shouldn’t just expect to be beating the top teams. Evatt’s got a lot of work to do in the transfer window if he expects anything higher than a 10th place finish.