Manager Keith Hill on Dale’s defeat to Barnsley…
“By a country mile, that’s the best Barnsley side that has beaten me,” said the Gaffer in his post-match interview.
“We’ve been beaten by an excellent side who took advantage of our mistakes as well.
“We’re playing against an excellent side, and as I explained to the players last night, I watched a good Crystal Palace side take Liverpool, who are an excellent side, all the way because of energy, spirit and no mistakes, and we made far too many mistakes, including for the two goals in the first half.
“Barnsley are a good side and they’re going to create chances and try to nullify us, and the score line could have been anything above four goals. I’ve been beaten by five goals and six goals against Barnsley in the past and I’ve been beaten by four goals tonight against the best side that have beaten us, but looking at those two mistakes in the first half, they are elementary mistakes.
“We have to get that right or the confidence will ebb away from the players and it will be doom and gloom instead of happy, happy, happy. I’ve got to remind the players of that and the supporters, it sounds like.
“We’ve got to remember we’re only four games in, but it’s a hard one to take and it’s even harder for the players.”
And Hill has called for the fans to back the players, after a number of supporters sarcastically cheered Harrison McGahey and booed Hill’s decision to substitute an injured Josh Lillis.
“The fans have got to get away from the fans’ favourite, because if they don’t, then they’re going to rub me up the wrong way. They’ve got to decide whether they want me to be the manager or not, because I’ve got to make decisions for the right here, right now, and for the future of this football club.
“There was an injury to Josh, so if you’re going to beat us in with a stick, just phone the Chairman up and say we don’t want Keith Hill to be the manager and it’ll be okay – I’ve got no problem with that.
“And when Harrison McGahey is taking a free-kick that has been worked on in training, which he delivered yesterday, there’s a cheer when he’s not taking it after getting it wrong. That sort of thing really does wind me up because it’s our fifth consecutive season in League One and we’ve got to be supporting the players better than that. Try and support the players and try and support the football club.”
Watch the full interview on iFollow.