Following last Saturdays game against Rochdale, Rovers boss Paul Trollope was delighted with the win and said:
“We were pleased to go two up and creating a second goal and it was a cracking finish. We made a few poor decisions at 2-0 going towards injury time. The last ten minutes we stared giving the ball away a little bit cheaply and they launched some swift counter-attacks which we knew they would be dangerous on. Obviously the own goal led to a nervous finish when we should have been playing it out when we should have made a few more better professional decisions like taking the ball to the corner and seeing the game through. But it was a good three points for us.
I was very please with Charlie (winger Reece). He’s making very good progress. He showed glimpses last year in starts and subs appearances, but his strength is coming now and his game management, in terms of his positional play, is good and he provided a link down the right-hand side with Carl Regan and provided energy. He can be pleased with his contribution.
As far as the penalty was concerned, Trollope said:
"It was one from where I was. From my angle Jo (Kuffour) got there first and was taken. I didn’t think there was any question.
He’s a young referee who’s trying to make his way in the game and go up the levels. Considering the others we’ve had this season, I think he performed pretty well."
Of man-of-the-match Will Hoskins and his side in general, Trollope said:
“He lifted us out of a little bit of pressure that was on us in the first half with some good skill and spread the play. His linking and movement are very good and he was unfortunate not to get a goal. He worked hard and we asked a different question of him in recent weeks which served a purpose to a certain extent, but he is an out-and-out striker and his movement behind is probably as good as anyone in his position. He’s got six already and possibly could’ve had a few more.
We’ve got a decent squad and, touch wood, they are fit at the moment. People are waiting in the wings patiently for chances to show what they can do. We’re having a lot of reserve team friendlies to ensure they’re up to speed and ready and we’re pleased at the moment ticking along and in the top half of the table again ahead of some very big clubs. We’re okay, but it is still a work in progress as I’ve said before. The three points was important after not getting what we deserved on Monday (against Swindon).
We said in the week how tight the division was and it’s still tight when you look above us and immediately below us, but we want to look upwards and we want to make progress and it’s good now that we’ve got a clear week. There have been a few mid-week games, but now we can have a good week’s training when we can work on the issues that we need to and make sure we can work on the issue that have been highlighted today and go up to Hartlepool in a positive manner.”
Trollope also defended midfielder Chris Lines who has been receiving criticism from some fans. He said:
“The shape and the personnel we had playing meant we had a lot of attacking players on the pitch – Will Hoskins as a third striker and Jeff Hughes with basically a free role and so you can’t have Chris Lines going forward as well. I’m not going to sit here and justify things, but we’re pleased with players’ levels. There’s more to come from Chris. Everyone’s expectation of him went up dramatically at the start of last season. I thought he played a major part in the second half in us getting back into the game. He scored a cracking goal and he’s a major player for us who’s got all the attributes of a modern player so we’re pleased with his contribution.”
Midfielder Lines, 24, sealed the win for Rovers and said:
“Rochdale were very difficult to play against with the amount of players they packed into midfield especially in the first half and at times it looked as though they had more players than us, but we worked on that in training and limited them to the chances they had. Even though they had the possession, I think it was us who had the best chances in the first half.
We were a bit disappointed with a bit of the play in the first half, but at the end of the day we went in 1-0 up at half time and in the second half we were a different team and pretty much dominated it.
In the second half today that’s the most I’ve been able to get forward in the last few games in the slightly different formation we’ve been playing, but in the second half I was able to get forward and make some of the runs I was doing last year and getting myself goals and I think with that happening I got my first league goal today.
Reecey coming in on the right gave us real width on the right hand side and you can’t really say Will (Hoskins) does that naturally because he’s a striker and he naturally going to come inside and I think Hughesy the same. But today when the game was stretched it let me run into the holes where maybe in the last few games Will’s been running into those holes so I’ve maybe had to go wide or something like that. In the second half I was getting a lot of the ball in areas where I was getting a lot of the ball last year.
I set my standards high last season by having the best season I’ve had for scoring goals and I’m quite happy to try and live up to that. Now I’ve got my first league goal hopefully I can get a run together like I did last year and get up towards ten again.
I guess quite a lot of people have noticed that I’ve played quite a lot deeper at times, but in the last few games – even at Swindon where I won the penalty with the type of run that was getting me goals last season – I’m getting into those areas that you know with those two up front (Hoskins and Kuffour) they’re going to hold it up and link it which gives me the chance to just drive forward. They didn’t seem to want to track back with me today and so that’s obviously why I got the goal.
You’ve just got to be disciplined at times and sit back. That’s what we work on in training and maybe people on the outside don’t quite realize that I can’t keep bombing into the box when Will and Hughesy are doing the same thing. I don’t like doing it, but sometimes you have to work for the team rather than for yourself.
If we can go to Hartlepool and get a win – and we’ve played well up there in the last few seasons – we’re going to be well up in the table.”
I've set up this blog (Monday-Friday) to give extra coverage to teams I cover for the national press. Any views and opinions are all my own. Best wishes, Jeff. Follow me on Twitter and I'll update you each time I blog. http://twitter.com/JeffTaplin P.S. During the summer break I reserve the right to ramble on about anything and everything!
Showing posts with label Rochdale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rochdale. Show all posts
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Keith Hill - Not Fair
After watching his team lose against Bristol Rovers on Saturday, Rochdale boss Keith Hill was left fuming about the performance of referee Craig Pawson and, in particular, the young whistler’s decision to award a penalty on the stroke of half time for the home side.
To be fair to Hill, while you could feel his frustration, he never lost the plot nor was he abusive in any way and so personally I think it would be a travesty if he were to end up with a fine. However, I have to say that I personally saw nothing wrong with the decision and couldn’t really find fault with the referee’s display that afternoon.
Rochdale probably deserved more from the game, but then again, Rovers probably deserved more from their game against Swindon the previous Monday evening. Isn’t that just football for you? The full transcript of Hill’s post match reaction follows. He said:
“I don’t think we deserved to lose the game. I think the penalty decision before half-time changed the whole complexion of the game. You know the whole structure in the second half changed because of the penalty award. I thought our game plan was working. We were causing the opposition problems and the penalty decision, or the conversion of the penalty, relived the pressure on the opposition so that decision changed the course of the game from our aspect and from their aspect.
I’m disappointed with that decision. I’m not too sure whether it’s a penalty or not, but I’m relatively disappointed with the referring standards and the referring display today for the official. I just feel as though the FA and the Referee’s Association want you to respect officials, but I can’t respect officials when they produce sub-standard performances.
Their performances will have a bearing on my future not his future and I won’t accept that as a display today as being a polished display. I just felt as though it was sub-standard and rather favoured Bristol Rovers.
The linesman didn’t give the penalty and he was in a favourable position, but the linesman gave a lot in that game in respect of fouls, free kicks, etc., but they fail to award the penalty when the referee sees it as a penalty. It might well have been a penalty, but for me the referee wasn’t in a great position to see it and it changed the whole complexion of the game and the strategy of the opposition in the second half as we saw. We shut the door. They kept it very solid at the back and tried to pinch a goal on the counter-attack which they did and I applaud the opposition for the way they played in the second half, but it was a result of a penalty decision that was really debatable.
I’m not disappointed with my team or my players. I’m disappointed with the result and the refereeing standard, but not disappointed with the way we played and the players. The only disappointment today was the result.
With the referee, I’ll phone David Ellison (I think he meant David Elleray, but there’s a time when and when not to interrupt someone) or he’ll probably call me with respect to my comments about the referee, but it was a sub-standard performance in a professional industry. It’s not bitter or sour grapes, but the lion’s share of decisions that were made favoured Bristol Rovers and the penalty decision favoured Bristol Rovers. If it wasn’t awarded by the linesman who was in a far better position to either award or deny it being a penalty. He didn’t move or make any gesture towards the referee. The referee, who was blind-sided to the incident, made the decision.”
As far as life in League One is concerned, Hill brightened up and was honest in his assessment when he said:
“I’m pleased with the progress that we’re making and the way that we’re playing. I’m pleased with the points we’ve got on the board. I’m obviously not pleased with the sequence of the last three results, but that has been a reality check for me because I’ve been a little too demanding of the players because we’ve had such a good start. So we’ve gone back to our mantra of ‘let’s see’ instead of ‘let’s expect to win’. It’s a balancing act for me. I’ve got ambitions for the players and the football club, but it’s got to be balanced with an education of League One football. We’re relatively inexperienced - myself as a manger in League One and the players are as well. We haven’t recruited too many players that have got League One experience and it can be key. But we’re educating ourselves quite well. We’re not getting drastically beaten week-in, week-out by any opposition. We’re giving ourselves an opportunity to win games and compete in games and that’ll be our strategy for the remainder of the season.
I’m really pleased with the players and there’s got to be patience with these players as they educate themselves to this league and that patience has got to come from me and my demands has got to be slightly lowered on these players that we’ve got.
Hill had special words of praise for striker Chris O’Grady who battled away against Rovers’ central defensive partnership of Byron Anthony and Danny Coles – both of who were excellent themselves - and he said:
“He’s an excellent player and integral to our development and he’s a great target man. When he plays like that he’s a handful for any defender. The first half strategy was working to perfection in my eyes. I’ve got to clear my vision of the result and see the performances of the players and see what progress we’re actually making as a football club.”
More quotes from Paul Trollope and Chris Lines to follow later (or tomorrow if I get bogged down with work!)
To be fair to Hill, while you could feel his frustration, he never lost the plot nor was he abusive in any way and so personally I think it would be a travesty if he were to end up with a fine. However, I have to say that I personally saw nothing wrong with the decision and couldn’t really find fault with the referee’s display that afternoon.
Rochdale probably deserved more from the game, but then again, Rovers probably deserved more from their game against Swindon the previous Monday evening. Isn’t that just football for you? The full transcript of Hill’s post match reaction follows. He said:
“I don’t think we deserved to lose the game. I think the penalty decision before half-time changed the whole complexion of the game. You know the whole structure in the second half changed because of the penalty award. I thought our game plan was working. We were causing the opposition problems and the penalty decision, or the conversion of the penalty, relived the pressure on the opposition so that decision changed the course of the game from our aspect and from their aspect.
I’m disappointed with that decision. I’m not too sure whether it’s a penalty or not, but I’m relatively disappointed with the referring standards and the referring display today for the official. I just feel as though the FA and the Referee’s Association want you to respect officials, but I can’t respect officials when they produce sub-standard performances.
Their performances will have a bearing on my future not his future and I won’t accept that as a display today as being a polished display. I just felt as though it was sub-standard and rather favoured Bristol Rovers.
The linesman didn’t give the penalty and he was in a favourable position, but the linesman gave a lot in that game in respect of fouls, free kicks, etc., but they fail to award the penalty when the referee sees it as a penalty. It might well have been a penalty, but for me the referee wasn’t in a great position to see it and it changed the whole complexion of the game and the strategy of the opposition in the second half as we saw. We shut the door. They kept it very solid at the back and tried to pinch a goal on the counter-attack which they did and I applaud the opposition for the way they played in the second half, but it was a result of a penalty decision that was really debatable.
I’m not disappointed with my team or my players. I’m disappointed with the result and the refereeing standard, but not disappointed with the way we played and the players. The only disappointment today was the result.
With the referee, I’ll phone David Ellison (I think he meant David Elleray, but there’s a time when and when not to interrupt someone) or he’ll probably call me with respect to my comments about the referee, but it was a sub-standard performance in a professional industry. It’s not bitter or sour grapes, but the lion’s share of decisions that were made favoured Bristol Rovers and the penalty decision favoured Bristol Rovers. If it wasn’t awarded by the linesman who was in a far better position to either award or deny it being a penalty. He didn’t move or make any gesture towards the referee. The referee, who was blind-sided to the incident, made the decision.”
As far as life in League One is concerned, Hill brightened up and was honest in his assessment when he said:
“I’m pleased with the progress that we’re making and the way that we’re playing. I’m pleased with the points we’ve got on the board. I’m obviously not pleased with the sequence of the last three results, but that has been a reality check for me because I’ve been a little too demanding of the players because we’ve had such a good start. So we’ve gone back to our mantra of ‘let’s see’ instead of ‘let’s expect to win’. It’s a balancing act for me. I’ve got ambitions for the players and the football club, but it’s got to be balanced with an education of League One football. We’re relatively inexperienced - myself as a manger in League One and the players are as well. We haven’t recruited too many players that have got League One experience and it can be key. But we’re educating ourselves quite well. We’re not getting drastically beaten week-in, week-out by any opposition. We’re giving ourselves an opportunity to win games and compete in games and that’ll be our strategy for the remainder of the season.
I’m really pleased with the players and there’s got to be patience with these players as they educate themselves to this league and that patience has got to come from me and my demands has got to be slightly lowered on these players that we’ve got.
Hill had special words of praise for striker Chris O’Grady who battled away against Rovers’ central defensive partnership of Byron Anthony and Danny Coles – both of who were excellent themselves - and he said:
“He’s an excellent player and integral to our development and he’s a great target man. When he plays like that he’s a handful for any defender. The first half strategy was working to perfection in my eyes. I’ve got to clear my vision of the result and see the performances of the players and see what progress we’re actually making as a football club.”
More quotes from Paul Trollope and Chris Lines to follow later (or tomorrow if I get bogged down with work!)
Monday, 18 October 2010
Bristol Rovers 2 Rochdale 1 - Moron
There’s no pleasing some people.
It was a real pleasure watching Chris Lines knock in what turned out to be the winning goal – if only because an few idiot six rows behind me spent the full ninety minute berating the midfielder for no good reason. Thus, this so-called fan ended up looking like the moron he had sounded like all afternoon.
I have never understood why fans think that slagging off the players they have paid to ‘support’ is going to do the player or the team any good, but fortunately for the rest of the Gasheads, Lines is the type of guy who responds in the right way. His first league goal of the season turned out to be the winner.
The Bristol-born midfielder is arguably the best technical player Rovers have and at some point in the next couple of seasons will move to a bigger club. In the meantime, I'd suggest that the fans make the most of his talents and if they hear idiots slagging him off, they should tell them to pipe down.
He's a decent lad who appeared as uncomfortable taking questions from a bunch of middle-aged hacks as he looks comfortable on the ball.
Lines, 24, needed to show the discipline asked of his manager, Paul Trollope, and said:
“People are entitled to their opinion, but to be honest the more they moan, the more likely I am to try and get to the other end and score a goal. that’s pretty much what’s happened today. I’ve just got to aim for double figures again as I did last year and that would be pretty good for a central midfielder.
I set high standards last season and I’m quite happy to try and live up to that. Sometimes I have to be disciplined though because we can’t all bomb forward. I don’t like sitting back, but sometimes you have to do that for the team and perhaps people don’t quite see that.”
I enjoy visiting the Mem – not least because of the passion and loyalty of their supporters – but prats like the ones behind me acting like drunk five year olds must spoil the experience for every other fan who can hear them.
Dale striker Chris O’Grady typified his side’s have-a-go mentality. The northerners could well have taken the step up from the bottom flight in the summer and tried either a kick-an-rush style or even a kick-the-opposition style, but they have continued to try and play football.
Even die-hard Rovers fans couldn’t have begrudged them a point on their first half performance alone. Rochdale hit the woodwork twice in the game and O’Grady said:
“Since we came up from League Two we’ve found that we’re up against a lot more sides who like to play good football and that suits us. If we carry on playing the way we are we’ll win more games than we lose.”
More quotes from the game on tomorrow’s blog from Paul Trollope, Chris Lines and Rochdale boss Keith Hill.
It was a real pleasure watching Chris Lines knock in what turned out to be the winning goal – if only because an few idiot six rows behind me spent the full ninety minute berating the midfielder for no good reason. Thus, this so-called fan ended up looking like the moron he had sounded like all afternoon.
My clipping from this morning's copy of The Sun
The Sun’s football website: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football
I have never understood why fans think that slagging off the players they have paid to ‘support’ is going to do the player or the team any good, but fortunately for the rest of the Gasheads, Lines is the type of guy who responds in the right way. His first league goal of the season turned out to be the winner.
The Bristol-born midfielder is arguably the best technical player Rovers have and at some point in the next couple of seasons will move to a bigger club. In the meantime, I'd suggest that the fans make the most of his talents and if they hear idiots slagging him off, they should tell them to pipe down.
He's a decent lad who appeared as uncomfortable taking questions from a bunch of middle-aged hacks as he looks comfortable on the ball.
Lines, 24, needed to show the discipline asked of his manager, Paul Trollope, and said:
“People are entitled to their opinion, but to be honest the more they moan, the more likely I am to try and get to the other end and score a goal. that’s pretty much what’s happened today. I’ve just got to aim for double figures again as I did last year and that would be pretty good for a central midfielder.
I set high standards last season and I’m quite happy to try and live up to that. Sometimes I have to be disciplined though because we can’t all bomb forward. I don’t like sitting back, but sometimes you have to do that for the team and perhaps people don’t quite see that.”
I enjoy visiting the Mem – not least because of the passion and loyalty of their supporters – but prats like the ones behind me acting like drunk five year olds must spoil the experience for every other fan who can hear them.
Dale striker Chris O’Grady typified his side’s have-a-go mentality. The northerners could well have taken the step up from the bottom flight in the summer and tried either a kick-an-rush style or even a kick-the-opposition style, but they have continued to try and play football.
Even die-hard Rovers fans couldn’t have begrudged them a point on their first half performance alone. Rochdale hit the woodwork twice in the game and O’Grady said:
“Since we came up from League Two we’ve found that we’re up against a lot more sides who like to play good football and that suits us. If we carry on playing the way we are we’ll win more games than we lose.”
More quotes from the game on tomorrow’s blog from Paul Trollope, Chris Lines and Rochdale boss Keith Hill.
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