Banana
16th August 2004, 08:56
Here are MA's comments following the Wrexham game:
"We didn’t play well today. It wasn’t a good team performance today, but the one thing that is pleasing is that they all kept going and never gave in. Yes, they were a yard off the pace today. We were better at Chesterfield than what we did today. We had more chances and more play. We got nothing last week, but today it was a clean sheet, which is very very nice, and three points which is lovely.
"Wasn’t it a good goal. It wasn’t through luck that he scored that goal. Every Thursday at 9.45am, Kevin O’Connor joins the extra shooting session, which is outside of the normal training hours. Kevin hasn’t missed one shooters session, which is what we call it. It is optional and open to all the players. He never missed a session. He also does extra speed and fitness sessions with the physiotherapist, and my coach Damien Doyle and Adrian Whitbread. I suppose its quite ironic that he should welly that ball into the top hand corner of the net. It wasn’t through luck, it was through hard work and dedication that Kevin has scored.
"All the lads that came on – Kevin O’Connor, Jay Smith, Alex Rhodes all played superbly. On Tuesday night, the subs that came on all did very well. You could say it was a masterstroke substitutions.
"It was turning out to be the longest, hardest, most stressful birthday of my life. I joked in the club programme that I was going to be 35 today, but at this minute I feel like I am turning 65! I will go home, have a cold shower and by half past 6 I’ll be in bed ready for the night.
"In pre-season we conceded 2 goals in 9 games, so it was a shock to concede 6 goals in 2 games. I was surprised. All our defenders are good players. What you need to know is that two of the back four haven’t participated in any pre-season because they have been injured all the time. People don’t always realise that, and the supporters don’t know. Dobson has had 2 operations on his knees. He only trained for 1 week before pre-season started. He has just played 3 games in 7 days at very high tempo in extreme temperatures so fair play to him. There is another lad at the back, who has been injured for virtually the whole season the lad from Charlton called Turner. He has had an ankle injury. That was his first game last Saturday in a while. It was a gamble to put him and play 3 games in a week is very tough for anyone’s standards, especially a 20 year old. The picture that everyone sees is different to what I know I am looking at. You have knowledge that these players aren’t 101% fit, and tiredness and fatigue could set in. We kept a clean sheet, so its going to be a nice birthday now.
"I didn’t think we played well today. Normally our team is full of tackling, good at defending. It was nothing to do with the effort and the commitment. Brentford always have 100% commitment and always do their best. Sometimes it doesn’t quite come off. Today it didn’t really come off, apart from one isolated moment of magic, which was a quite incredible piece of skill.
"I don’t want to isolate anyone individual for criticism as that would be unfair, but the whole team today functioning like we did on Tuesday. They kept going on today, which is credit to them. All of them were struggling, and then the 3 substitutes came on and changed the game.
"I have heard it many times over the years, when you don’t play well and win that is always a good sign. Even though the squad isn’t big, it is delighted. They respect each other and you could see when players left the pitch they wished their team mates all the best that went on, even though there place is being taken. Afterwards in the changing room they are all absolutely delighted and thrilled but shattered physically and mentally after 3 games in a week. "
"We didn’t play well today. It wasn’t a good team performance today, but the one thing that is pleasing is that they all kept going and never gave in. Yes, they were a yard off the pace today. We were better at Chesterfield than what we did today. We had more chances and more play. We got nothing last week, but today it was a clean sheet, which is very very nice, and three points which is lovely.
"Wasn’t it a good goal. It wasn’t through luck that he scored that goal. Every Thursday at 9.45am, Kevin O’Connor joins the extra shooting session, which is outside of the normal training hours. Kevin hasn’t missed one shooters session, which is what we call it. It is optional and open to all the players. He never missed a session. He also does extra speed and fitness sessions with the physiotherapist, and my coach Damien Doyle and Adrian Whitbread. I suppose its quite ironic that he should welly that ball into the top hand corner of the net. It wasn’t through luck, it was through hard work and dedication that Kevin has scored.
"All the lads that came on – Kevin O’Connor, Jay Smith, Alex Rhodes all played superbly. On Tuesday night, the subs that came on all did very well. You could say it was a masterstroke substitutions.
"It was turning out to be the longest, hardest, most stressful birthday of my life. I joked in the club programme that I was going to be 35 today, but at this minute I feel like I am turning 65! I will go home, have a cold shower and by half past 6 I’ll be in bed ready for the night.
"In pre-season we conceded 2 goals in 9 games, so it was a shock to concede 6 goals in 2 games. I was surprised. All our defenders are good players. What you need to know is that two of the back four haven’t participated in any pre-season because they have been injured all the time. People don’t always realise that, and the supporters don’t know. Dobson has had 2 operations on his knees. He only trained for 1 week before pre-season started. He has just played 3 games in 7 days at very high tempo in extreme temperatures so fair play to him. There is another lad at the back, who has been injured for virtually the whole season the lad from Charlton called Turner. He has had an ankle injury. That was his first game last Saturday in a while. It was a gamble to put him and play 3 games in a week is very tough for anyone’s standards, especially a 20 year old. The picture that everyone sees is different to what I know I am looking at. You have knowledge that these players aren’t 101% fit, and tiredness and fatigue could set in. We kept a clean sheet, so its going to be a nice birthday now.
"I didn’t think we played well today. Normally our team is full of tackling, good at defending. It was nothing to do with the effort and the commitment. Brentford always have 100% commitment and always do their best. Sometimes it doesn’t quite come off. Today it didn’t really come off, apart from one isolated moment of magic, which was a quite incredible piece of skill.
"I don’t want to isolate anyone individual for criticism as that would be unfair, but the whole team today functioning like we did on Tuesday. They kept going on today, which is credit to them. All of them were struggling, and then the 3 substitutes came on and changed the game.
"I have heard it many times over the years, when you don’t play well and win that is always a good sign. Even though the squad isn’t big, it is delighted. They respect each other and you could see when players left the pitch they wished their team mates all the best that went on, even though there place is being taken. Afterwards in the changing room they are all absolutely delighted and thrilled but shattered physically and mentally after 3 games in a week. "