RUFC - Raynor not impressed with defending

Rotherham United's Assistant Manager Paul Raynor was disappointed with the defending this evening against Rochdale at the New York Stadium.

Speaking after the loss to MillersPlayer Raynor said, 'We weren't at the races in the first half. We lacked energy, well we lacked everything if I'm being honest, and we didn't take the game to Rochdale who were happy to play at their tempo.

'We got back in the game after half time but then it was suicidal defending. You can't give free-kick's away at the edge of the box like that and we can't dive in in the penalty area. We don't have to help these teams with bad defending they're good enough to take the chances themselves without us giving them any encouragement. It was disappointing. The third goal he's come in from the left-hand side and had time to bend it in the far corner. You can't be conceding three goals at home - that's just not good enough

'You can't play for forty minutes in a League Two game you have to play at a tempo for the whole ninety minutes and, if we can do that, then we'll do a lot better. It's frustrating and I've told the boys that you can't turn it off and on like a tap. Teams aren't going to come here and lie down. They are going to come here and be well organised and solid as Rochdale were. We had the game by the scruff of the neck and let it go and that's criminal.

Asked about the penalty, Raynes wouldn't be drawn on it saying he was a long way from the incident though he did mention the time wasting by Rochdale saying, 'He (the referee) went to their goalkeeper three times to tell him to hurry up but done nothing about it. But that's not the reason we lost, we just weren't good enough over the ninety minutes.'

Asked what Steve Evans had to say, Raynes said, 'He certainly wasn't happy with the first half performance.

'We will make changes, turn it round and get it right. We need to start to put a run of results together where we're unbeaten. We are stop-start at the minute and that's really got to stop.'


 
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