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Gillingham midfielder Stuart O’Keefe is confident they can put the wrongs right this week.
Last Saturday’s league game against Burton was a let-down for home fans longing for some regular cheer.
The Gills - without a game at the weekend - are back on home soil in the league tomorrow (Tuesday) night when they tackle Blackpool.
“Last Saturday was a huge disappointment for everyone involved,” said O’Keefe.
“It just wasn’t good enough from us. We expected better than that and we should do better than that.
“There weren’t many plusses at all, it was a very negative day for all involved and we know we are miles better than that.
“We’re way better, we need to draw a line under it and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“For whatever reason it didn’t work, it didn’t happen, we weren’t at it, but it’s put behind us now. We can’t dwell on it, it is put to bed and we need to make sure we are right our next game.”
Despite the setback, former Cardiff man O’Keefe - who was an unused sub in last Tuesday's EFL Cup game against Newport - has enough experience to know the early weeks won’t define their season.
Team-mate Mark Marshall has spoken about the poor start he experienced last season at Charlton. The team ended up being promoted.
O’Keefe had a similar experience at Crystal Palace during the 2012/13 season. They lost their first three games of that campaign, and were thumped 4-1 by Preston in the League Cup, but ended up winning promotion via the play-offs.
He said: “It’s a long season and there are 44 games to go. It’s not panic button time, it’s just disappointing we couldn’t make the most of the opportunity we had.
“It was a real opportunity for everyone to showcase themselves and make a statement on the league.
“To get four points from two games would have been a real positive start, but it didn’t happen and we can’t feel sorry for ourselves.
“There are plenty of other games to go and more points to pick up.”
O’Keefe spent time on loan at Plymouth last season, a team who ended the season dropping out of League 1. He’s not joined the Gills for another season like that.
He said: “The manager expects, we all expect, to be achieving something this year. We don’t want to be milling around the bottom half, bottom four whatever. We don’t want to be looking to be picking up a point here and there, we’re better than that.
“We want to aim higher and achieve more. It is a chance lost, that’s the most disappointing aspect of last Saturday’s performance.
“Gillingham really needs to have a go now and with the manager coming in and new signings, there was a good vibe and there still is, nothing has changed.
“We want to emphasise to everyone else in the league that Gillingham should be taken seriously this year. There is still time.”
O’Keefe had a brief spell on loan at Blackpool, during the 2014-15 season, when they were in the Championship. The re-vitalised Seasiders, who are now free of their unpopular owners, are back on the up.
“It was tough times back then at the club,” he recalled.
“I was coming back from injury and it was about getting game-time for me.
“It will be a tough game because they look like they are a decent outfit this year, they’ve put a bit of money in and had a couple of good results.
“There are some good players about and if we are not at it we will get beaten. We need to rectify that.”
