Dennis Booth On A Point At Home

Last updated : 23 September 2007 By Thetashkentterror

Dennis Booth
United's temporary assistant manager Dennis Booth spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria's Derek Lacey on Saturday evening as he talked about the 1-1 draw against Bristol Rovers at Brunton Park today, Booth talking about the need for more quality in the final third :


" I think that is possibly the best we have played, obviously we have got done by a sucker punch from a corner but still we were dominating the game. It's always difficult, they sat in, but we got the result, finally we deserved something out of the game. We nearly shot ourselves in the foot at the end though by doing some things that, I was just saying to players there, you've got to be more professional.

" We've got ourselves back into the game and if Bristol Rovers are going to do anything then they are going to have to really work hard and open us up. We gave them a couple of opportunities because of wrong decision making but I thought that overall we deserved something out of the game without a doubt.

" We were huffing and puffing and we've said that for a while now that our final ball when we get in that final third has got to be better. We've been working on that, we got Simon (Hackney) on and Joe (Anyinsah), even with Gally (Kevin Gall), we've said it from the off - get balls wide and get at them. We caused them some problems but we just couldn't quite get the final touch until Danny (Graham) did.

" I thought that we were going to go on and win it. We nearly lost it though, there are some young lads out there. The next time things happen like that you don't chase the game and get caught off by stupidity, you keep solid and the chances will come. I thought that it was a very good game of football.

" Joe (Garner) is young boy isn't he, he is still learning at this level. Every game he is getting better, he's a threat and (Danny) Carlton came on and did very well, we were pleased with him, he is showing signs in training and in the reserves, I thought that he caused them problems. Throughout the game I thought forward-wise we caused them problems but we just didn't have that final touch.

" It could have been one of those games where we could have won quite easily but we haven't. We've got something out of the game, having lost two on the trot it's important that you get something back to get your season going again. We go down to Bournemouth next week and we are looking to get three points. "



" In football you have to make decisions, yes, Arni (Paul Arnison) has done OK, probably a bit unlucky really but the manager makes these decisions. I think that Murphy (Peter Murphy), we all know what a good footballer he is and he has played very well today again.

" So Arni is probably a little bit unfortunate but that happens in football, there are seventeen or eighteen players and only eleven can start the game. More so now it is a squad system and people, you have to look at them and rest them but that was the manager's decision. I think that it worked OK because I don't think that Murph put a foot wrong really.

" Joe (Anyinsah) did OK but he is not fit yet, I just said to him down there that he has been playing in the reserves now for two or three weeks but it is totally different at this level, and the fitness level. So Joe is still a little bit short on the fitness but he is a threat. I know him from Preston and I know that Joe can be a threat. He's not 100% fit though because his match fitness, yes, playing reserve team football is OK but once you come out here and have 20 minutes of that then it is hard for him but he'll do OK.

" Bournemouth is what we are looking forward to now, we went down and saw Bournemouth play last week, Greg (Abbott) and myself. We are going to go there, we are going to be positive as we are in every game, I think that sometimes maybe at this level it seems to be easier to go away. People, the crowd today wanted us to do well, so well, and they get anxious and then the players get anxious.

" Because if you are not 2-0 or 3-0 up then games are going to be tight. Going away from home sometimes you can relax a little bit, I think as it was last week at Swansea, they were really getting on their backs in the last ten minutes but they got the result. Our lads stuck at it today, that's what is pleasing, we stuck at it and we got something out of the game, albeit only a point.

" We are pleased with our performance and possibly overall we should have, I don't know what the percentage was of possession but we have must have had a hell of a lot of possession. We need to turn that into goals into the future though."