Following a 3-0 loss to Premier League team Ipswich Town on Sunday afternoon, Bristol Rovers were eliminated from the FA Cup’s third round.
The Gas gave up all three goals in the first half due to a sluggish performance, with Jack Taylor, Kalvin Phillips, and Jack Clarke scoring, albeit Taylor’s goal appeared to be
offside.
Rovers’ situation might have become worse when Ali Al-Hamadi pulled a weak spot attempt far wide after Grant Ward was deemed to have handled the ball in the penalty area.
The Gas did get better in the second half, being more resilient on defense and displaying greater attacking boldness. But they had a mountain to climb already.
After the loss, Inigo Calderon addressed the media. This is a complete transcript of the Spanish head coach’s remarks following Rovers’ fourth game under his leadership.
The first half, in my opinion, was the most significant. We didn’t get off to a good start. We treated them with too much respect, in my opinion. We weren’t very good defensively,
in my opinion, especially when trying to defend high up the field, when you have to execute everything flawlessly. We also struggled to hold the ball when we did have it.
Therefore, I believe it was coming throughout the first fifteen minutes. There is a difference; you could see that the goal was approaching and we were unable to stop it. For this
reason, they play where
they play and that’s why we play where we play and we knew that we had to do everything perfectly to have a chance to win it and I don’t think we did in the first half especially.
It’s true in the second half that I think we improved. I think we were improving during the game but as I say, I think that’s the price when you play a different style of games. Last
game we played Cambridge away, that was a completely different to this game and we have to adapt and we have to learn during the game and that’s not the best thing.
You have come up against Premier League level opposition but is a big part of the frustration the softness of the goals?
It’s not just the goals. It was the feeling that it was coming and we couldn’t stop that. Without the ball, as I say, with the ball, we couldn’t hold it. So we were disappointed.
I insist, I have to understand the players. It’s not easy to play on a pitch like this one because against really good players, especially the way they play, it asks you a lot of questions
and you have to answer very well and I don’t think we answered the questions they asked well.
After it was even more complicated because when you are losing 2-0, 3-0 and you want to keep defending high up the pitch that, you know, it’s a price that you can pay if you
make a mistake.
So credit to the boys that they kept trying to do things right and for me, that was the most positive thing. I think we kept trying and I think we improved during the game. But for
me, as I say, we are in the process. But at the same time, we are playing games and that can cost us.
Your players showed more bravery in the second half, how much was that the emphasis of the half-time message?
It was back to the plan. We wanted that. The idea was the same in the first half. As I say, it’s difficult to keep the ball against a better team but you have to be able to try to keep it
otherwise you’re going to stay defending all the time.
In the second half that happened. In the first half it didn’t, simple as that and after you seem like you can defend better because you’ve been attacking better. Therefore, for me,
it’s not about improving my offense or defense. Both must be involved.
You will eventually have more time on the ball, thus you will need to improve your attack. However, defense is still necessary, and today was no exception. The goal was to
improve our defense since you have to defend a lot and then attack effectively, which we didn’t do in the first half but did a little better in the second.
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