jaffa1
Manager
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2012
- Messages
- 1,270
Following Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Southend United, Funso Ojo has said the Iron must be more “relentless”.
Ojo discussed the game, the desire to bounce back and the travelling supporters in an interview with iFollow Iron.
ON THE WAY THE GAME PLAYED OUT…
FO: I think we were the better team for most of the game. I think that we dominated at the front, middle and the back. However, in the end, they just wanted it a little bit more than us and that broke us down in the end.
ON WHETHER THE LATE GOAL LED TO A FAIR RESULT…
FO: This loss feels bad but it would have been the same feeling if we went home with a draw. Saying that, a draw is still a point and we need to get every point that we can. At the end, we have to be more relentless everywhere on the pitch, not only at the back but also in the middle and front. If it’s 2-2 and you have to kick the ball out of the stadium then just kick it out, it doesn’t matter. It gets a point and, as I said, we need the points in the league.
ON THE SUPPORT OF THE TRAVELLING IRON FANS…
FO: It was brilliant again and they made a lot of noise that pushed us forward. Not many live around the corner from here, so respect goes out to them for that. As they can see, we always go to them after the game, even if they are disappointed - that’s how we show our gratitude. Normally we show our gratitude with three points. We do that for them, for us and for the club.
ON HOW MUCH OF A PART THE CONDITIONS PLAYED IN THE GAME…
FO: I don’t know if everyone is going to see it on the videos but the pitch was one of the worst pitches that we’ve played on. It wouldn’t have mattered whether we played with studs or moulds because we just kept on slipping and it was hard to play how we usually want to play. Saying that, it’s not an excuse. We know, if that’s not possible, then we have to start grinding and playing from the second balls, stretching their team and putting the ball in and amongst the back four. I think that in certain phases we did that and we dominated them. However, sometimes, when we got that second ball we tried to play how we usually do and that’s where we lost the ball. You can’t dribble on this pitch. The ball just keeps on bouncing. You just need to control it, pass it and keep it simple.
Scunthorpe United manager Graham Alexander.
“If you looked at the state of the pitch – it was a cowfield – and the wind and rain was all over the place so it was not going to be a pretty game.
“You needed to win your second balls, dominate your opponent physically, move the ball quickly and I thought he did that.
“But not all of us did that. Out quality should have outshone theirs but we had to match them in the fight.
“I think our players did that on occasions but we gave poor goals from nothing.
“It was not from a sustained amount of pressure and that is what has happened in the last three games – we have given poor goals away.
“It is not through the opposition’s quality but from us making basic mistakes and not seeing the job through.”
ON CAMERON BURGESS’ RED CARD…
GA: There were other challenges in the second-half on us that were very late and much worse than that. They were not dealt with a yellow card. I spoke to the fourth official and he completely agreed with it. I said I wanted consistency and the next time we have a challenge similar, I wanted that freedom, but we didn’t get it and got the red card.
Ojo discussed the game, the desire to bounce back and the travelling supporters in an interview with iFollow Iron.
ON THE WAY THE GAME PLAYED OUT…
FO: I think we were the better team for most of the game. I think that we dominated at the front, middle and the back. However, in the end, they just wanted it a little bit more than us and that broke us down in the end.
ON WHETHER THE LATE GOAL LED TO A FAIR RESULT…
FO: This loss feels bad but it would have been the same feeling if we went home with a draw. Saying that, a draw is still a point and we need to get every point that we can. At the end, we have to be more relentless everywhere on the pitch, not only at the back but also in the middle and front. If it’s 2-2 and you have to kick the ball out of the stadium then just kick it out, it doesn’t matter. It gets a point and, as I said, we need the points in the league.
ON THE SUPPORT OF THE TRAVELLING IRON FANS…
FO: It was brilliant again and they made a lot of noise that pushed us forward. Not many live around the corner from here, so respect goes out to them for that. As they can see, we always go to them after the game, even if they are disappointed - that’s how we show our gratitude. Normally we show our gratitude with three points. We do that for them, for us and for the club.
ON HOW MUCH OF A PART THE CONDITIONS PLAYED IN THE GAME…
FO: I don’t know if everyone is going to see it on the videos but the pitch was one of the worst pitches that we’ve played on. It wouldn’t have mattered whether we played with studs or moulds because we just kept on slipping and it was hard to play how we usually want to play. Saying that, it’s not an excuse. We know, if that’s not possible, then we have to start grinding and playing from the second balls, stretching their team and putting the ball in and amongst the back four. I think that in certain phases we did that and we dominated them. However, sometimes, when we got that second ball we tried to play how we usually do and that’s where we lost the ball. You can’t dribble on this pitch. The ball just keeps on bouncing. You just need to control it, pass it and keep it simple.
Scunthorpe United manager Graham Alexander.
“If you looked at the state of the pitch – it was a cowfield – and the wind and rain was all over the place so it was not going to be a pretty game.
“You needed to win your second balls, dominate your opponent physically, move the ball quickly and I thought he did that.
“But not all of us did that. Out quality should have outshone theirs but we had to match them in the fight.
“I think our players did that on occasions but we gave poor goals from nothing.
“It was not from a sustained amount of pressure and that is what has happened in the last three games – we have given poor goals away.
“It is not through the opposition’s quality but from us making basic mistakes and not seeing the job through.”
ON CAMERON BURGESS’ RED CARD…
GA: There were other challenges in the second-half on us that were very late and much worse than that. They were not dealt with a yellow card. I spoke to the fourth official and he completely agreed with it. I said I wanted consistency and the next time we have a challenge similar, I wanted that freedom, but we didn’t get it and got the red card.