Gillingham kick off their SKYBet League Two campaign this weekend when relegated Carlisle United make the long trip south to MEMS Priestfield as the EFL begins again. Defender Max Clark has been on media duties this week.
He has been talking to KSN about the big kick-off and the changes at the Club under new boss Mark Bonner.
“I feel like I looked after myself whilst waiting for the opportunity last season, and I felt that I was just getting fitter as the season was ending. I carried that on across the summer and off-season and have worked hard to get my head down and get fitter than I ever have before, and I feel like I have done that.
“I am feeling in a good place now because at the end of the day I want to do the business on the pitch and try and maintain the qualities if I get the chance,” Clark told us.
“I think it takes consistency at this level to do well, you cannot look too far ahead of you! If you do, I think you get inconsistent in other things you just must deal with what’s coming in the next game and I think that is the big thing I learned at Stevenage when we got promoted was the consistency and the sticking together as a whole.
“When things are not going your way, sticking together, the fans backed us all the way last season and I am sure that they will turn up again and do it again this season.
“It is about us being together as a team and I think as we kick off another season, the environment here is really good right now. We are in a good place going into Saturday and the new season, we have had a good pre-season, now it is down to us to put our ideas out there. I really do not see why we cannot be challenging!”
Reflecting on the change of manager over the summer, Clark said, “It is football really! You are always going to have those types of situations where managers leave, and new ones come in and it is all about dealing with the situation as it is, and I think you have to forget about the change and just focus on Mark (Bonner) and going forward with the team.
“He has his ideas, and we have bought into it and its now about backing each other as a team and what we want to go on. Obviously, it has been different as every manager has different ways of playing and I feel that Mark’s ideas right now are really good, personally, I am really enjoying playing the formation that he wants us to play. I like the way they we are playing, and the management teams are really good guys and very knowledgeable people, they help us out if we need help.”
“In pre-season, the teams we face are different and you have a lot of young lads coming up, which is great for them and its good for us too as we are helping them out, its massive for them to step up pre-season and to see what level they are at.
“I think it’s a different mindset going into the first game of any season as its the “real” stuff as there is a difference.
“Pre-season you want to get as fit as you can and be injury free, but when it comes to League games, you are just out there and fully determined to give absolutely everything.
“It is like switching a switch inside you, I do feel like pre-season games are about fitness and learning what the staff want and putting them into practice. But when Saturday comes, we will all be really focused on doing the job and three points.”