Zola: It wasn’t bad luck – we just played badly
BIRMINGHAM City boss Gianfranco Zola refused to blame luck for his team’s latest defeat at Preston on Tuesday night.
Blues had overcome a terrible first half to haul themselves back into the game in the second period.
But once again they were caught with a sucker punch as Preston grabbed a winner 12 minutes from time to hand Zola his eighth defeat in 14 games as Blues boss.
And the manager admit- ted they can’t keep claiming misfortune.
“I don’t want to talk about unlucky any more, I am fed up with talking about things like that,” Zola said.
“There is a reason we keep losing games like this – so we are not unlucky. We are – at the moment – very poor, as simple as that. We have got to be honest.
“I am the first person responsible. Results have been no good.
“I think we have to stop talking as well. We need to just go out there and be more careful.
“We had total control of the game in the second half. We were just waiting to score. They come once and they score – that’s disappointing, to be honest.”
“The players at the moment are very edgy, the confidence is not there and we start like that.
“But the second half was good – again. There was one team that was waiting to concede – then they come down and score. I am very frustrated at the moment.
“Now is the moment that we really stop talking and act a little bit better.
“I am disappointed because we don’t work for that – to see a team that plays football the way we did in the second half go down again is really frustrating. It’s very difficult for me to talk. I shouldn’t talk.
“We don’t need to say more. We just need to act a little bit better.”