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JP
What did you make of that one today then?
GA
It just shows you that football is about competing and being ready for every game, whatever the challenge, and they were ready for the challenge more than we were today. They have out-battled us and been stronger and wanted to win the game a lot more than we have, and that is disappointing.
JP
Why do you think that has happened then?
GA
Erm, well they have come and worked as hard as they can as a group and maybe we thought that this type of game is one that we should win. That is just a reality check that you don't turn up and you don't get games given to you, and you have to work just as hard as the opposition to get a foothold in the game.
People might say we play nice, decent football, but they were playing the better football at the end of the game because they had earned the right to do that and we hadn't. We ended up playing long ball stuff which was probably awful to see and was totally different to what we have been trying to do this season.
JP
What do you try to take out of the game then? Can you take anything from it?
GA
Yeah, you have to learn from it don't you. There is no point flying into the dressing-room ripping bits and pieces off the wall and throwing cups of tea. We told them exactly what we thought of the performance and the reasons of why it might have happened, and we have told them that we need to be miles, miles better than that.
But, we have tried to do it constructively, we have said that we would have to take the criticism for the defeat which will be no doubt labelled at the team. Together as a group we dust ourselves down and we move on from that.
JP
Was it complacency in your opinion?
GA
No, I don't think so, I think we told them what they would be all about and we didn't match that. It is easy to throw words like weren't ready, weren't prepared, mental attitude, complacency. But, it is a game of football and this league has shown you that every team can beat the next one.
We didn't do the basics as well as they did, they didn't do anything special, they put the ball forward quickly, they competed for everything. Their bookings were typical of what they are all about, three tackles from behind, three bookings for challenges because they weren't prepared to let our players run away from them.
They tackled back, they took the bookings, but they were prepared to put their bodies on the line and to work at the rate that would get you something out of the game. Their three bookings were for people bringing our players down when we thought we were away from them, and that was the difference between the two sides today. They wanted it, or appeared to want it, because I would never label at our players that they didn't want to win, but they appeared to want it more than we did today.
JP
We have had Chris Lumsdon in commentary with us today and his view on it was that it was one of those days were everything seemed to go just about right for Dagenham, and it was a good performance from them.
GA
Terrific, no, it was a terrific performance from Dagenham, if you belong to Dagenham you have come to a side where most people would have expected the home side to win. They have given their manager (John Still) and their staff an absolute shift, and at the end of the game they have deserved to win the game, I have got no complaints about that.
JP
What about in the build-up to the match you talked about your door openers being important today. They didn't open the door, was that down to them or was the team not getting them into the right areas?
GA
I think they did get into the right areas at times, I think Ben (Marshall) had a fantastic chance early on and then the rebound we think he (Francois Zoko) should score and it gets smashed over the bar. Sixty seconds I think before they scored Matty Robson has got in and has hit the ball maybe a foot wide.
So, we have had the ball, and Francois has had enough of the ball and Gary (Madine) has had enough of the ball and Ben Marshall has certainly had enough of the ball and looked lively throughout. But, we just couldn't find that little bit of quality today, we didn't get our passing game going as well as we have done. We didn't compete as well as we need to and have been doing, and when those things go against you then you are generally going to come out second best.
JP
You made changes in the game, you tried to bring on an extra attacking man (Mike Grella) for Tom Taiwo, you brought on Matty Robson as well, but just couldn't quite get that goal, why do you think that was today?
GA
Erm, because that is what football is all about. It doesn't go to plan otherwise everything would be the team at the top end of the division against the team at the bottom end of the division just wins the game. It doesn't happen, and let's come out and give them a bit of credit.
We have told our players what we expect and they know now what they are going to come up against, because that is probably Rochdale, Walsall and Dagenham where we have got not great results. And they are the results that we need to get to maintain the progress we are making and being at the end of the table that everybody wants us to be.
JP
I must ask you on that thing again, again it has come up with a few of the fans, this question about not quite getting the game up to that level as you did. You were so excellent against Sheffield Wednesday, one of the bigger sides, why does that happen that day and not today?
GA
Yeah, I mean, listen, we are going to get the criticism, I am not going to argue with that. You are always going to get the criticism on a day like this, but we have managed to get up for the Macclesfield last season, and the Crewes and the Tiptons and the Tamworths eventually.
So, we are not a team that takes things easy, we work as hard as we can every week, and sometimes football just gives you a battering every now and again. That is why everybody turns up and we have some grumblers and we have some people that are always with us.
But, games like this happen, you have seen Chelsea get turned over by teams at the bottom of the Premier League and they spend about £100million a week on wages. So, if they can get done we are no exception to that.
But, preparation is never any different, we take care in giving everybody the respect they deserve when they come here and we try our hardest in every game. Today they have wanted the game more than us and their gameplan has worked and we have to take it on the chin. It is not a day where I am going to offer too many excuses because we came out second best.
JP
What about your next action? A long trip away from home (to Yeovil), a bit of time for the players to spend a bit of time with each other off the pitch as well on these long away trips. Is that almost a positive out of what is a pretty long trip?
GA
All teams do when they have a game like this and a performance like this is work as hard as they can to put it right in the next game. That is what we have got the opportunity to do between now and Yeovil. Players know that they have got to be better than that and it makes selection, and everybody in the squad, it gives them a chance because they will be thinking they can do a little bit better than some of those did today.
So, it should give a right edge to the training but we will group up, we will go together, we will work hard together and hopefully we will get it all sorted out before Yeovil, which we don't want too many performances like that.
JP
Any knocks picked up out of the game?
GA
Ha, ha, I will leave that one.
JP
Any injuries though? Anything coming out of the game?
GA
I don't think so.
JP
And just one final question, one fan came up and told me off for not asking you this in the press conference this week, what about the loan players? Are we any closer to finding out if any of them will be staying longer term?
GA
Yeah, we are a bit closer.
JP
Anything you can tell us then?
GA
Nothing is concrete because there are still two weeks to go. But, we have had really good talks with them all and everything was positive on that front. So, we are hopeful, we can't come out and say definitely they are going to stay because there are two weeks to go before we can sign them on.
You know I will never say anything that is set in stone, so once the signatures are done and they have re-signed and they are OK. But, in principle I think they all want to be with us and they want to continue playing, and they have enjoyed their spell with us. So, that is positive news but nothing is ever concrete while there are two weeks to go.
JP
I am pushing my luck but are any of them potentially talking about permanent moves?
GA
Erm, it is a long way off at the minute. I have got this game to digest, we can't start talking about permanents when their respective clubs haven't spoken to them about their futures at their own clubs. But, at the minute the loan thing is something I think most of them have been encouraged to do by their clubs, and the players are pretty for that as well.