David Horseman apologised to the fans after Bristol Rovers lost 3-0 to Leyton Orient in Sky Bet League One.
The Gas were looking to continue their upward momentum away from home, previously beating Barnsley on penalties at Oakwell Stadium in the second round of the Emirates FA Cup. However, the game slipped away after the O’s scored three goals in a stellar first-half display.
Dan Happe headed in the opener off the post before Ollie O'Neil doubled their advantage with a fantastic curling finish with his right foot. Dan Agyei then added a third goal for the hosts just before half-time, winning possession off Clinton Mola before firing his strike past Josh Griffiths.
Horseman reflected on the defeat and discussed the issues in the attack, with Rovers only scoring once in their last five outings in all competitions.
I need to apologise to the fans...
“It really hurt,” he said. “First of all, I need to apologise to the fans that came because that’s unacceptable from us as a group. I said to the players and the fans, that’s totally on me because you can’t play that poorly with and against the ball if it’s not the coach.
“I have to reflect as clearly, the message I gave was not good enough in terms of the physicality to go up against the opposition, but also the ability to pass the ball forward and quickly.
“It’s really hurt me as a Bristolian. That’s not something that I would want to see, but I have to start looking at the messages I give before looking at any players.”
We have to find a level of consistency...
“The positives against Barnsley firstly came from a good goalkeeping display, but also, we had a bit of fight and passion,” said Horseman. “Tonight, we had none of that. That was the most disappointing bit.
“I didn’t think we were very good with the ball on Saturday, and we didn’t create enough and again tonight. But on Saturday, we won tackles, we blocked, we chased, and we just didn’t give up space on the pitch like we did tonight.
“We have to find a level of consistency because when we do that, we’ll be a good team. But you can’t put in a good performance and then not back it up on the Tuesday. That’s just not to the level.”
We didn’t give ourselves a chance in the game...
“If you don’t retain possession very well, then the ball is always going to keep coming back at you,” he stated. “You can’t keep defending your goal without being able to get field position in their half.
“Firstly, to take a breather but also build anxiety in them. Those things probably meant we didn’t give ourselves a chance in the game, and that really hurts because I think we’ve got some really good players, really good people, and they do care. But they’ve got to show it because it’s no good talking about it. People want to see action, and we never showed enough of that tonight.”
We have to start putting more balls into the box...
“My personal feeling is that we have to start putting more balls into the box,” said Horseman. “It might be forced at times, but at this level, I do think defenders make mistakes. I spoke to the Lincoln manager, and they work purely off volume.
“They put the ball in and put the ball in. We saw that when we played against them, and eventually, you force an opening. Once you get that, then you start to get some confidence in your play.
“We might have to earn the right to create chances. At the moment, if it’s not a fast counter-attack, we’re not doing enough to provide service in the box.”
You have to bounce back...
“You have to bounce back, and that’s the character of the person,” he said. “Tonight is all on me. Tomorrow morning, I have to wake up and make sure I prepare properly, and we go again.
“That’s it. That’s the only way to react and actually have a bit of fight and passion. Bristolians want that, and they also want quality. I am a Southmead kid, and that’s how we were raised.
“That’s probably the bit tonight that has probably hurt me the most. What the Bristol Rovers fans expect is full commitment, and that probably didn’t come across tonight. They care, and they are a great group of lads, but they’ve got to show it.”
