Simmo Reacts To Oxford United Defeat

Last updated : 08 October 2005 By Thetashkentterror
Simmo speaks
United player-manager Paul Simpson spoke exclusively to BBC Radio Cumbria this evening as he gave his thoughts on United's fourth league defeat in a row :

" I think we were desperately unlucky not to get a point. We can take a lot out of tonight, I can’t criticise the players tonight because we definitely deserved something out of this.

" The way we have performed in the second-half in particular, we just didn’t get those little breaks that happen when you’re going through that little spell that we are.

" Last week we were poor, I was the first to admit we were poor but tonight I’m definitely not going to say that because the players have worked, the shape was better and we’ve defended very, very well.

" We just didn’t get that lucky little break in the box, every time the ball has bounced it’s bounced to one of their players, it’s gone behind ours. Maybe we could have been a little bit more positive in taking gambles and trying to get on the end of things but I think that we can take a hell of a lot of plusses from this evening.

" I’m not going to criticise the players tonight for not getting the ball to Alan O’Brien. I think there comes a point where Alan has to help himself as well, he’s got to look to go and get into areas where he’s going to get the ball.

" You can’t just rely on everybody else, unfortunately the days of playing out-and-out wingers standing on the touch-line with your arms folded waiting for the ball to be given to you are dead and gone. As much as he is a threat for us he’s got to help himself as well, he’s got to start dropping back into areas where he becomes a threat and where he can pick the ball up.

" There is no criticism about the players tonight because they have done everything that we asked of them. We’ve lost concentration for a split second for them to get in and then at the other end although we’ve created opportunities we haven’t finished them off.

" Simon Hackney got himself into some good areas when he came on, he was maybe a little bit unfortunate not to score when he chased the ball down with the goalkeeper. He put a good ball into the box where Karl (Hawley) has got a good flick at the near-post and you want somebody to just go and get a tap-in at the far-post.

" Simon added something, Derek Holmes has added something, he came on and had a header. As I say, we’ve lost the game and yes it looks terrible, we have lost four on the trot but tonight there are a hell of a lot of plusses that we can take from it.

" I thought we defended very well tonight. We changed it, I felt as though we needed to change it because down the centre of defence was looking a bit shaky.

" I decided to go with Peter Murphy who I think is more calm and assured and he reads the game very well. I also felt it would encourage us to play a little more football because last week we were a hopelessly long-ball team and I don’t want that.

" Tonight I thought we passed the ball better, we got it into midfield better, we got it into the strikers more and supported the strikers better.

" We want to play again now, we want to get back to winning ways. We felt tonight we could come here and we could stop the run that we were on and I thought we did everything to deserve to stop it.

" It’s a cruel game though at times and you get punished for little mistakes but if you don’t go and take you chances then you don’t get anything. Tonight that’s been the case, we’ve had opportunities and not taken them. A few have grazed the post and have just gone wide of the post.

" We’ve just got to come back in, we’ve got to start working again. If the players show the same attitude that they have tonight and they are as passionate about wanting to turn things around as they have been throughout the whole of this week then we won’t go far wrong.

" I don’t need to say anything about the criticism from the fans. The supporters who have travelled tonight can see how we’ve done tonight. I can’t do anything about people criticising me who haven’t even seen the game tonight.

" I’m not saying I’m not bothered about it but I can’t do anything. Last week I made changes to the side and I’m criticised for changing it. If I’d have kept it the same I’d have been criticised. Tonight we’ve made a couple of changes and the performance was right but the result wasn’t and I’ll be criticised again.

" That’s football though, I can accept that, I’ve just to get on with it. I know that the players have given it everything tonight and I know that come next week they will work again. They’ll be ready for it next Saturday and all we can do is keep working as hard as we can and hope that the fans stay with us.

" Danny Livesey didn’t fail a fitness test. Danny was left out of the game tonight. I wanted to change it, I just said that I needed to do something about the centre of the defence.

" Danny has been absolutely brilliant for us since he signed, he improved a hell of a lot towards the end of last season. He’s had a real rough patch recently and I felt it was important for him to take a little break out of the side. It won’t do him any harm and it isn’t the end of the world for him.

" Peter Murphy came in tonight and defended very, very well. He looked calm, he was organising at the back and I don’t think that was the wrong decision to do and Danny will be better for it. "