Following Rovers’ third defeat of the campaign – and their first on home soil – which came courtesy of managerless Stoke City’s 1-0 triumph over the Blues, after Lewis Baker’s first-half strike put the Potters ahead, Jon Dahl Tomasson reflected on a match that fit the cliché, ‘a game of two halves.’
“Today was a frustrating afternoon, not only for myself and the players, but also for the fans. I don’t think we deserved to lose the game, because the performance was okay. We were not good in the first-half and it can sometimes be difficult when a team changes manager, because it leaves you wondering what to expect. We were passive and our decision-making on the ball was not good, which is what led to Stoke City created a lot of chances in the first-half. The second-half was excellent; we created opportunities, we were intense, but we just lacked a goal. The result was disappointing, but the performance was okay, so I think the players need to cope with the game when it starts and not in the second-half. The players were also disappointed at the break, with their first-half performances. Adam Wharton also got his first minutes in the Championship after emerging from the academy, and he did well, which is very positive.
“That’s (first-half passiveness) something we always need to learn from. We’re still a young side, but we can’t accept that first-half. We need to demand that we switch on. Sometimes it can be a bit difficult; that’s not an excuse, that’s just the reality when you face a team who are changing manager. The boys were well prepared, we had trained for and expected Stoke to use one of three different formations and one of them was spot on. Even though they didn’t use the exact personnel we expected, the structure was what mattered. It was a poor goal to concede from our perspective. It was about our decision-making. All the moments when Stoke were dangerous in our final-third, which wasn’t a lot, was down to our decision-making and us making defensive mistakes and errors on the ball.
“I was not happy at half-time, but neither were the players or the supporters. We were all on the same page, in that respect, but the second-half was much better. It was an excellent 45 minutes that only needed a goal. The fans were helping us as well; they saw a Rovers team who were fighting for each metre, who were creating chances and playing quick football. We lacked that final ball and final decision that could have given us the goal we wanted and that could have been better. We must congratulate Stoke on their performance. They kept a lot of men behind the ball and showed desire to put their bodies on the line and keep us out.
“It was a quiet dressing room at half-time. There wasn’t a need for them to shout, show passion and be loud, because they got that from me. It was the first-time I had to react like that, because that was the first-time we’ve played a poor first-half. I thought Ryan (Hedges) and Adam (Wharton) did well when they came on for the second-half. Ryan has had a little hamstring problem, which saw him miss last week’s defeat at Sheffield United. I didn’t want to put him at further risk when the squad is already stretched. He did well, as did Adam and I think it’s great for the club and the academy that we’re capable of producing players who can play first-team minutes in the Championship.
“Adam is a great player, but at just 18-years of age, a player still has a lot to learn, which he is willing to do. He’s giving his best and we saw a quality player on the field.
“(Sam) Szmodics wasn’t feeling well, and we believe it’s concussion. Sam (Gallagher) and Callum (Brittain) were not fit. I said we had to ‘wait and see’ whether they’d make today. Although Sam came off the bench against Bradford City in midweek in added time, Callum got a rest, but they were not fit at all for today, which was a disappointment because we need all the bodies we can get, at the moment.
“I think we can expect three signings before the market closes. Of course, they’re more than welcome because the earlier we can get them in, the better it is for us, so that they’re not rushing in on the last day.
“I was left a bit disappointed with some of the decisions today, but I won’t complain about the referee (Leigh Doughty). We always need to look at what we’re doing well, which was the second-half. I’m not looking to blame the referee, because we had five minutes of added time on the end of today’s game, and we had 11 against West Bromwich Albion. I do think this is an issue, because the ball isn’t in play enough. The supporters pay a lot of money to see football and the ball is spending a lot of time out of play and a lot of players are spending time on the ground. We’re all here for our passion of the game and want to watch the ball in play.”
