Elgin City manager Allan Hale

Highland News & Media

Elgin City manager Allan Hale speaks about his team's 5-1 defeat to Raith Rovers in the opening Premier Sports Cup match of the season.

Transcript

00:00Yeah, but look, that's the games we need, to be honest.

00:02I think it's all well and good, having games against teams

00:05where we know that we're going to control the game

00:06and be decent in possession and not have to work too hard out of possession.

00:11I think for us, if we really want to go and, you know,

00:14be the team that I'm expecting us to be this year,

00:16then, you know, we'll have to learn the hard yards

00:19in terms of our organisation and structure,

00:21which means that we have to step when they play backwards.

00:24We'll have to drop when they're in good possession

00:25and there's no pressure on the ball.

00:26We'll have to move side to side when they're moving it

00:28and have that willingness to go and match runners.

00:32Three penalties in the game, you know, free header from a set piece,

00:36a cross where we're just, yeah, just set out of position, you know.

00:40Soby didn't tuck in on the, is it the fifth one, I think,

00:43when he should be tucked in alongside the post.

00:46So, I think first half in possession where we're so poor, you know,

00:50just have to be better at, you know, keeping the ball with the first pass

00:53and playing out of the pressure with the first pass

00:56and then the space opens up at the other side.

00:58So what we'd kind of worked on through the week

01:00and what we'd asked the players to do through the week

01:02was be organised and compact in that block.

01:04But when we win the ball, play out the pressure with the first pass

01:06and then the space appears at the opposite side of the two central midfielders

01:11and we just didn't do that at all.

01:13And we asked the players to be, you know, embrace the chaos

01:16and enjoy, you know, being in possession under pressure

01:20because that's what we're going to have to be when the league starts.

01:22You know, we have to, teams will come at us

01:24and teams will get in amongst our face and they'll make it difficult

01:27and we've just got to be better, you know, we've got to be better in possession

01:30and I just thought we were really slack, you know, with our passing,

01:33with the weight of the pass, with the movement to come off the pass

01:36when we did break the lines.

01:37We just didn't get anyone coming off of people's touch

01:39and, yeah, you know, you can say that the weather, this, that, and the next thing.

01:43But for me, I just, I expect more from the team.

01:45And I think we work really hard in training on our shape

01:49and what we want to look like, you know, with the ball and without the ball.

01:52And don't get me wrong, like, we're not going to come up against teams

01:54of the quality of Wraith Rovers every week.

01:57But there's no other team in the Cups today that have got beat

02:01in the manner that we have.

02:02So, you know, I don't use that as an excuse.

02:06You know, we've just got to be better.

02:07So I'm expecting a far improved performance on Tuesday night

02:11and I expect the players to turn up with a bit more enthusiasm and energy

02:16and a bit more confidence to retain position

02:18and try and be on the front foot

02:20and create some sustained pressure and attack some goal.

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