The ‘golden days’ of football are over, says Gills head coach Ady Pennock.

Pennock was fuming at his team after they let slip a 1-0 lead on Tuesday night but believes there is a wider problem in the game.

He said: “I just think academy football has ruined this country. Everyone wants to be tippy-tappy Charlie and not someone with a big pair of them in the nether regions. That is what this club needs.

“Academy football is too tippy-tappy for me. The golden days are gone.

“We haven’t got any leaders, there are a couple there but no real leaders on the pitch. That is what we are missing.”

The Gills have yet to win under Pennock but have drawn their last five. He said: “(Not winning) is not through the lack of trying, I would never knock the boys for that, they put everything in.

“There is no stone unturned when they go out onto that pitch. There are no excuses. We have to start keeping clean sheets.”

Gillingham have failed to keep it tight at the back all season and conceded a stoppage-time goal on Tuesday against Chesterfield, denying Pennock his first win.

It would have been the club’s second clean sheet of the season.

The Gills boss highlighted a crunching tackle by Chesterfield captain Ian Evatt as something they are missing. The challenge floored Scott Wagstaff but got Chesterfield out of trouble.

Pennock said: “He (Wagstaff) was fine and it was a good tackle. He did follow through but I would like to see my defenders do that, let him know he is in the game. It was a good, old fashioned tackle.

“I said to their manager Gary Caldwell ‘you don’t see many of those tackles anymore do you?’ They are normally 50 yards off them.

“Wags was top drawer. He took a big whack on his shin but got up and was brave.”