Keith Curle on the Exeter game and on changes to the starting line up
Manager Keith Curle spoke more about the game at Exeter at his regular Monday morning press conference.
“We get a DVD straight after the game and that means we’re able to watch it and go over the areas we want to see,” he said. “Sometimes that’s good and sometimes it’s not so good.
“The pleasing thing I took out of it was the good organisation, discipline, application and willingness to do things right the players showed. We actually played better than I thought we did in the first half and we were more than it for an hour.
“They scored from a half chance, which left me slightly disappointed. It should have been stifled but, apart from that, we played against a good footballing team which didn’t cut us open. We had a few half chances ourselves and if we’d taken them it could have been a different story.”
“We know we’re in a results business,” he told us. “The table doesn’t lie and we are where we are. I touched on it after the game but their manager has had nine years to put his side together and get them playing the way he wants them to play.
“We’ve been in the building for nine weeks and we’re still working on our best formation and style of play. We’re getting there, but we were in a relegation battle when I got here, and we’re still in it now. We’re addressing things slowly. You can’t just walk in, wave a magic wand and turn everything round.
“This isn’t FIFA 2014 where you can switch it off and start again if things aren’t going your way. It doesn’t happen like that. I’ve inherited a squad of players and I have to get the best out of them. Hopefully I’ll be able to plug a few more holes when January comes so that we get different strengths to what we have in the dressing room at the moment.
“The games console is still there, we’re still playing, and there are a lot of games still to play. There’ll be twists and turns but the pleasing thing is that I know the support I have inside and outside this football club is fantastic.
“Our fans don’t just support a team that’s winning. Home and away, we’re all in it together. We’re all in this relegation fight. That’s everybody who works in the football club to the rest of the community. This is a fight we have together.”
On the work this week with the players, he said: “We’ll watch the DVD from the weekend with them and I think they’ll be quite surprised at how well they did.
“We have a young relatively naïve football changing room. It’s enjoyable because every mistake made is genuine. We know David Amoo switched off for their first goal but he will tell you himself that one of his weaknesses is attention to detail in defensive areas. We had that one lapse, but it’s a learning curve.
“The younger players have been getting a lot of attention, and rightly so. It’s going to be a mix and a blend of the old, young, naivety and calm heads which will get us out of this. It isn’t going to be easy, but I never thought it would be. I’m looking forward to it and so are the players. We need to challenge ourselves on a daily basis because we know where we are and we know what’s required.
“We train together every day as a group. We understand each others strengths and weaknesses and we are a squad of players with a team mentality. I know the selected outfield players will fall into a formation with good understanding because of the training we do. Unfortunately there aren’t enough of them at the moment who are doing enough to guarantee their place in the team week in and week out. That’s apparent by the team selections I make.
“We’re aiming to maximise our performances on a daily basis. We want players physically, technically and mentally attuned to getting three points on a Saturday. That process starts every Monday morning.
“At the moment we have a mixed bag of players who are struggling for confidence, and some have strengths and weaknesses we can’t use week in and week out. That’s why I’m prepared to change things if it’s needed.
“I’m mindful of what the fans say and think because their opinions are of value to me. I’m going to have to make decisions and I’ll be making them for the right reasons. The teams I put out are, in my opinion, the best teams for that particular occasion with the players I have available.”
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