Matt Taylor stated that his Bristol Rovers team must improve their ball retention after the Gas lost 2-0 to Birmingham City in Sky Bet League One.
The Pirates conceded twice in the first half, with Lee Buchanan breaking the deadlock after six minutes before Jay Stansfield doubled the Blues’ advantage from the penalty spot.
Rovers were looking to bounce back from their 3-0 loss to Leyton Orient but struggled to put Birmingham's defence under any pressure, mustering three shots across the course of the game to fall to a defeat against the promotion favourites.
Taylor reflected on the game and said his side must be better at retaining the ball and creating attacks but was positive about their effort.
The ball use and the ball retention was nowhere near the level required...
“You have to put it into the context of coming to Birmingham, the best team in the league, and playing them at their place,” he said. “The goals obviously played a big part in the scoreline and the feel of the game.
“We can do a lot better in defending the first one, certainly in relation to the first contact on the set-piece and then getting a block. The second one is not a penalty. The referee will admit that when he sees it.
“So, straight away, you need to help yourselves, and you need a little bit of help from elsewhere in terms of the scoreline. But, throughout the course of the afternoon, whatever the structure of the team was, the ball use and the ball retention was nowhere near the level required to attack for any sustained period, to get a shot, to get a cross, to get any control of the game.”
The lads worked their socks off...
“The lads worked their socks off,” said Taylor. “I can’t fault the lads in terms of their effort and endeavour. James Wilson and Connor Taylor defended the goal so, so well. Josh Griffiths has not been overly tested, but whenever we got close to having the ball, we gave it away. Unfortunately, that is our biggest downfall at the moment.”
Confidence and belief obviously plays a part...
“Confidence and belief obviously plays a part,” said the manager. “It’s my responsibility and my players. I played a big part in bringing these players to the club. We’ve just got too many without that control factor for long enough to create attacks.
“When we did get close to the opposition goal, for the life of me, I’m not sure why we don’t wrap our foot around the ball and cross it, throw it into the box, do anything to make them defend their box for a little bit longer than they had to do today.”
You need something to hold onto for longer than we have...
“You need something to hold onto for longer than we have,” he said. “I’ve got to give the players more credit today because you can lose your will earlier than we did, and we didn’t lose it today. Especially at a place like Birmingham where it’s hard enough as it is, but if you keep giving the ball away like we do, you can give up physically.
“But we competed, we ran, we defended our goal well. But there becomes a time when there’s other areas of the game that have to improve. The levels have to go up. Otherwise, we will continue this vein of not creating and not putting the opposition goal under any pressure whatsoever.
“If we had the same intent in our defensive moments into our attacking play, even before it becomes an attack, our ball use, we would be OK.”
Our forwards have not been available for long enough...
“Promise Omochere coming off the bench is a boost, but they have not been available for long enough,” said Taylor. “Whether it was Chris Martin, or Gatlin O’Donkor or its Promise, these players have not been available for long enough.
“I can’t put what I’m saying onto the front boys. I can’t. They can be better in terms of their ball use, of course, they can, but it’s the middle of the pitch, it’s the building aspect which we are currently lacking.”
That was a proper game of football...
“That was a proper game of football,” he said. “They’ve witnessed a team who will be going to the Championship. A team who are on the up, certainly in terms of their levels and what this league is about.
“2-0 is not a nice scoreline, but a lot of teams are going to come here and get beaten and struggle to create. But also, teams will come here and not put in the same effort as what we did today. The lads ran today, the lads competed. But it just feels the negativity around the place is in some aspects of our game we are below where we need to be.”
