Manager Keith Hill spoke to Dale Player following Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Bradford City…
“It was a good game of football, but the goals are soft and predictable,” said Hill.
“Let’s be right, though, James Hanson is a very good player and if I had him in my side then I would play through him just like they do. There’s nothing wrong with what they do, they’re an excellent side and they’re very strong. They’ve probably learnt from last season in League One and they’ve become stronger.
“It was a massive test for us and I was more than comfortable for 75% of that game. Scott Tanser and Ashley Eastham have done an excellent job against Hanson, as did Rhys Bennett when Billy Clarke came on.
“But when the game was just in the balance and it has to be won, who is going break first, we have to be better. That game was there for us, and it was probably there for them as well.”
He continued: “I do believe that Bradford managed the game quite well in the last 15 minutes. I don’t think the game in the last 15 minutes was a fair reflection on the first 75 minutes and it’s unfortunate. When we got to half time on equal terms I thought we looked lively and competitive against a very good side, but that’s the enormity of the task. We’re going to have to come up with a solution to it – I’ll come up with one and the players will have to come up with their own solution from the group of players that we’ve got because I feel as though it’s a good group of players.
“I can’t be too hard on the players because we’re in a massive learning curve and we have to continue to learn and we will do.
“I can’t knock the players, I can’t knock their confidence, and I shouldn’t do, because a lot of what we do is good and it’s correct.”
The full interview is on Dale Player.