Reaction From Pirates Boss Paul Trollope

Last updated : 15 November 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Paul Trollope
Bristol Rovers manager Paul Trollope spoke to his club's official website after his side defeated Carlisle 3-2 at the Memorial Stadium, Trollope suggesting that the injury-time winner from Chris Lines could prove to be a turning point for a Rovers team who had previously lost six games in a row :


"It could be a turning point of our season, being on the bad run we have been on we knew we had to turn things around, and it might take a little bit of luck, a fantastic bit of skill or a last gasp winner to turn things around. We knew we had the spirit, we have had a few set backs in recent weeks, but the spirit and reaction has been very good.

"The goals we conceded were poor, and I think Mikkel (Andersen) got us out of trouble twice early on as well, which just highlighted the defensive work we need to carry out. It is a difficult situation for the players, having lost six on the spin and going 2-1 down at home, it is a difficult place to be.

"I have to give credit to the fans, because despite those two factors they really got behind us and made a difference. The support they gave us when we were 2-1 down and trying to get back in it was fantastic - they played a big part in that final spurt we managed to put on.

"We knew this was a very important game for us today, there was an expectation of a win after the run we have been on. We have come up against some of the top teams, and, no disrespect to Carlisle who I think are a good League One team, but they are not of the calibre we have come up against, but they still caused us a lot of problems. We are delighted with the win and it is fantastic that we managed to get the late winner, but again it has highlighted a lot of work to do in defensive areas."



"I don't think it would have been possible to do more work on set pieces this week and to concede in the manner we did was down to individuals and not a collective thing, which must stop. We talk about transferring the training and the coaching into the games, as that is the most important thing and sometimes it doesn't relate. To concede from a set piece after all we had done was a real blow.

"I am sure Carlisle must be feeling a little hard done by, but I have to give credit to the players for their spirit and their drive to keep going under difficult circumstances. The finish of the game, and the way we won it, can hopefully change the mentality of the whole group. We have kept a positivity about us, and the players have shown a very good mental strength, and a positivity to the training and to the games.

"But sometimes when you get on one of those runs it is difficult to transfer that to match situations. We have played better and lost over the last period and we knew it may take a bit of a scruffy win to get us going again. We will take that one, work hard next week and hopefully be better next week.

"It was a fantastic strike from Jeff Hughes. We knew when we signed him that he could do those kind of things, and it was a fantastic bit of skill. He is making a good contribution for us at left back, not only on the defensive side, but going forward as well. We played all our cards with the substitutions, trying to force them back and get into it, and sometimes you need a bit of luck or inspiration. Jeff certainly provided that with a fantastic finish. It seemed to lift us and give it that bit of belief we could go on and win it."



"Mark Wright tweaked his knee in training, but I had made the decision prior to that to play Ben Swallow. Ben gave us a good width on that side, he produced one or two crosses in the first half, and he tired a bit, which you would expect during the second period, but he can be satisfied with it. It is vastly different than coming off the bench and having an impact when you are chasing games.

"Dicko (Chris Dickson) was quite a threat in the first half, he got down the sides a few times, got in some good opportunities but we didn't quite produce in the final third. The platform we need him to give us in the middle third, he didn't quite get that right today, but he has got a lot of attributes that will be a benefit to us. It is a squad game and the players who came on had an impact for us.

"The responsibility is with everyone. I pick the team and do the tactics and choose the players that play in the positions, so it lies at my door. But we are basically with the same players, the same training and the same preparation we had at the start of the season when we won six out of eight, so there is a collective desire and a collective hunger to put things right. We have taken a lot of things on board and a lot of the things we have worked on and tried to improve in the week were evident today.

"There are still some things to improve on and work on, but if we can maintain that spirit and that drive within the group when things go against us and the resilience then we can achieve it. We have not been good enough defensively, and that has not been solely the back four, and we have asked for a work ethic right from the front two. There are issues in our defending, both in set pieces and open play, that need to be addressed and that is an area we are looking at."