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  • 02/04/2025
Transcript
00:00A 1-1 draw against Rochdale tonight, a really strong finish from your side to get a point and could have even got all three there at the end.
00:08Yes, disappointing first half, I say disappointing with the ball.
00:13Maybe I worked too hard to keep the play condensed and stop Rochdale doing what they're good at.
00:20And that probably showed with our intention with the ball at times, I think we were a bit safe and a bit negative.
00:24And up until the goal, it's one long straight ball, that's tactics, there's nothing really about that.
00:31That's just people tracking runners.
00:33And up until that, it was working really well.
00:35We wasn't great with it.
00:36They hadn't really created anything.
00:38And then we lost our way for 15 minutes, became a bit erratic.
00:41And I needed to do something different at half-time to give the boys a chance of taking the game to Rochdale.
00:48So I didn't want to wait.
00:50I didn't want to stick with the same shape.
00:51I sort of threw caution to the wind.
00:52We could have got it wrong.
00:53We could have ended up getting beat 2-3 if we'd have got it wrong.
00:56But we didn't.
00:57We were 2-1, they were excellent second half.
00:59And we asked questions of Rochdale.
01:01We got the response in the end.
01:03Yes, the toughest spell in that game was just before half-time.
01:06You made the double sub at half-time and it really is safe.
01:09It came out firing in that second half.
01:11But you still need the players to carry out the plan.
01:13We were trying to get our full backs out, trying to be brave.
01:17But if we'd have lost the ball and been poor, we could have counter-attacked and lost the game.
01:21So we had to take those risks.
01:23But the boys had to execute it well and they did.
01:25And they stepped up.
01:26I challenged them at half-time to step up and be better with the ball and try and run all over Rochdale.
01:32And I thought to a degree they did.
01:33They did a lot of that well.
01:34And like I say, I think it was a penalty.
01:37I'm glad the ref and the fourth official and the linesman sort of talked together because it's a big decision.
01:44He took his time and he made it right.
01:46I'd have been very disappointed had that not been a penalty.
01:48You know, you can't challenge someone in the box and not get there.
01:51And that's what happened.
01:53And, you know, we've had the chance at the end to hit the post, but they've had one in the first half too.
01:58Yes, and Harry, obviously, really good composure again from the penalty spot.
02:01His record's really good.
02:02Yes, listen, Harry's an experienced lad and a great lad to have around.
02:07He scored and set up on Saturday and he scored again today.
02:12So I've just got to keep trying not to burn him out because he's playing every game at the moment.
02:17Just to suit your day, obviously, he's only just come in the last week and he was really lively when he came on, wasn't he?
02:21Yes, of course, we just felt like we needed to challenge him to something different.
02:24And the pace of Josh was that.
02:28You know, we know he's come up with the levels and he's going to get some stuff wrong.
02:31We're willing to accept that to try and get the stuff right that he can do.
02:36And I thought, you know, walks did the same.
02:38Walks come on and late on when Sam had run his legs out and added an extra dimension.
02:44So, listen, the boys have put a shift in, a good Rochdale team in the play-offs and it's another point to where we need to go.
02:51We obviously wanted all three, but it's a point.
02:53I was going to say, yes, it is another point, five points from the last three games.
02:56You just want to keep chipping away, really, don't you?
02:58Yes, listen, we want to win games, but every point matters because at the end of the day,
03:02if you get three draws, it counts as one of the other wins.
03:05So you've just got to keep going.
03:06We don't play for draws, but we try and make ourselves hard enough to beat to get them when things aren't going well.
03:13Obviously, it's been a relentless schedule with Saturdays and Tuesdays.
03:15You just haven't been managing accordingly, really, haven't you, in terms of minutes and everything?
03:20Yes, you know, Timmy and Tariq started on Saturday and they'd come back from two weeks from a hamstring.
03:26I didn't want to force them into a Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday straight away.
03:30So their decisions, then you look at players who are cup-tied, who can't play on Saturday and you think,
03:34right, well, let's get them to run themselves into the ground and it keeps other players fresh.
03:38So you have to balance this all off because we need everyone for the running.
03:41Yes, obviously, it's going to be an important running.
03:43And I guess now, obviously, you've been focusing on these league games,
03:47but now, obviously, attention will turn towards the Trophy semi-final.
03:50And obviously, it's a big occasion at local rivals Aldershot to look forward to on Saturday.
03:54Yes, I haven't thought about it until now.
03:56I honestly haven't, you know, the league's up until now.
03:59The next game is the most important.
04:00That's our next game now.
04:01So it will be, and then we'll focus on Oldham after.
04:04But yes, we'll get to work on how we're going to go about it.
04:07And hopefully, the boys can play the game, not the occasion, and put in a good performance.
04:12Yes, and I was going to say, obviously, it's a big occasion and the fans, obviously, it's a rivalry.
04:15But you've got to sort of remove that sort of element from it, really, and just focus on the game of football.
04:19It's not easy.
04:20It's not easy.
04:20You know, there's a Wembley at stake and there's a rivalry.
04:23It's not easy, but we'll do our best.
04:26You know, we're away from home.
04:27It's going to be hostile.
04:28We'll do our best to show the resilience we've shown.
04:31And that's all we can do.
04:32You know, at the end of the day, we'd love to do it for the owner, for the fans.
04:35But, you know, it won't be for the one to try.