Barnes Post-Match: "We Kept Giving the Ball Away"
By Deadly Submarine
August 19 2009
John Barnes was disappointed with the way his side performed in Tuesday night's 1-0 home defeat against Paul Ince's Milton Keynes Don's thanks to a Jabo Ibhere goal just nine minutes from full-time. The Gaffer particularly criticised the way his players gave the ball away....
Rovers Manager John Barnes was left to rue the second half performance of his side in the 1-0 home defeat to Milton Keynes Dons on Tuesday night and in particular was frustrated at the amount of times his players gave the ball away.
Barnes told Tranmere Player.....
"We hit the post two times but we didn't play well at all. That's the worst I've seen us play in the second half. I keep stressing to the players about not giving the ball away. We had slack passing throughout the second half when there was no-one near us. We kept giving the ball away for no reason. That was the disappointing thing for me."
"Giving the ball away in difficult circumstances when you are under pressure I accept but when there's no pressure on you and you've just got to pass to a player and you give it away...schoolboys wouldn't do that."
"We could easily have won the game tonight but those problems still would have been there. That's why I almost look at the performance and not the result."
Defending the perhaps un-necessary criticism of his substitutions, Barnes added....
"Ian Thomas-Moore asked to come off because of his groin. Ian Goodison felt his hamstring in the last game and I was thinking of taking him off at half time. At the beginning of the second half Jermaine Easter ran into the channels a few times and Ian was struggling. I'd much rather rest him and bring on Ash Taylor who would be more mobile."
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Barnes is right though, the ball was given away far too much. McLaren in particular was shocking.
I think he used Edds on the wing again because he was excellent on Saturday when he played there for the last 20, and compared to the likes of Fraughen, Barnett and Mahon, he provides more defensive help for Creswell
He is surely the more important player for the Leeds game on Saturday but then at the same time he was important for last night whilst on the pitch so it was a difficult choice to make in one sense.
I understand the fans frustration but let's say we had won yesterday with Goodison at the expense of him then not being able to play against Leeds.
Surely the inexperienced back four would be no good on Saturday either if you get me?