RUFC - Moore Post Rochdale

Rotherham United Manager, Ronnie Moore was unhappy with the Millers defending this evening in the four-nil loss to top of the table, Rochdale.

Speaking to MillersPlayer, Moore said, 'I am bitterly disappointed. We started the game so well and there were times in the game that we played some really good stuff, but you can't defend the way we defended tonight.

'There first attack, Dagnell just peeled off and the balls in the back of the net.

'For the second goal Gavin's (Gunning) just slashed at the ball and it's hit Greeny (Jamie Green) and gone in the back of the net and after that we just went gung ho. The pitch became too big and we defended too deep so the midfield players couldn't get on the ball. And I'm fed up with telling the back four about how deep we go - it's ridiculous at times. But, overall tonight, I think the difference between the two sides was O'Grady. And what annoys me is that our players know him, and we know he likes to lean in and touch you and feel so you need to keep him at arms length but he's bossed it.

'For the fourth goal we're attacking, we lose it and it ends up in the back of our net seventy yards away because O'Grady's made our back four stay in there. And, I think that's what we're lacking, somebody with the knowledge and the know how who can hold the ball up and bring people into play and until we get that you're going to get results like tonight. What I don't want happening again is a striker dictating to our back four.

'It would have been nice if that shot from Le Fondre had gone in but in the first half there was one or two that bounced up from their 'keeper but there was nobody on the end of it. We need someone who can run in there, get a bang or a cut on the eye to try and get us a goal. We haven't got a leader. They had Jones tonight who bosses things and we haven't got that - we're too nice at times.

Asked if he thought Ian Sharps having to go off injured affected the team, Moore said, 'I'm not using that as an excuse. Yes, you can miss him but he hadn't started particularly well and I thought Gavin (Gunning) did alright when he went there. I don't think Ian will be fit for Saturday's game, though it would be a bonus if he was.

'It's the first defeat in six games but it's the way we lost the game. We've had opportunities and not taken them. And I think all their four goals were self inflicted. You have to take the positives from tonight because at times the way we passed it we looked a decent side. I was disappointed that, at half-time, we came in one-nil down because I thought it was going to be a close game.'

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