Gilks: Latics are too defensive

Latics are currently licking their wounds during a fortnight-long international break, having signed off with a 2-0 home defeat against Aston Villa at the weekend.

They are seven points adrift of the safety mark with only eight matches to go - starting with a daunting trip to table-topping Newcastle on Saturday week.

But Gilks says the only way to address the situation is to come out fighting.

“We’ve got nothing to lose, we’ve got to be further up the pitch, we’ve been too defensive,” acknowledged Gilks.

“Graham Barrow’s come in and changed a few things, and I thought we played a lot better against Villa.

“It was a lot more positive, and I think he’s going to get a lot out of the lads.

“We’re definitely not going to go down with a whimper. We’ve got games left and we’ve got to keep going.”

Barrow is the third man entrusted with the managerial reins this term, after Warren Joyce last week followed Gary Caldwell out of the exit door after a run of poor results.

Gilks, however, admits the departure of Joyce did come as a surprise to the dressing room.

“We didn’t see it coming,” the much-travelled goalkeeper admitted. “We thought Warren was brought in for the long haul.

“But it’s a results-based industry, and the hierarchy of the club obviously thought it was time for a change.

“I’ve seen a lot of managers come and go so it’s kind of a norm that these things happen.

“I’m sure the best interests of the club were at heart.”