Good win but we can play better
MACCLESFIELD boss Danny Whitaker said he wanted to see more from his players after Saturday’s 1-0 win at City of Liverpool.
A 67th minute strike from Alex Curran was enough to secure the points from the Northern Premier League West clash to extend Macc’s winning run to five matches.
But Whitaker insisted the players must maintain the high standards they’ve set in the first month of the season.
He said: “In terms of ourselves I think we were a bit laboured today, a bit lacklustre.
“I don’t know why because we’ve had two really good training sessions and a free week so I was expecting a lot more.
“But we caused ourselves so many problems by giving the ball away cheaply, not moving it quickly enough, not stretching the pitch when we should have done.
“I expected them to sit off us a little bit more but then again everyone wants to beat us. It’s a massive game for them.
“For them to beat us would have been unbelievable so they had the bit between their teeth but we just didn’t move the ball quick enough or recognise where the space was.
“Sometimes you’ve just got to sacrifice your game for maybe ten to fifteen minutes.
“If that’s not getting the ball to feet because then they have to go with you and if they don’t go with you then you’re in.
“So from that perspective it was disappointing but the main thing is we got three points”.
Although pleased to get another win under his belt, Whitaker was clear where the problems lay at the weekend.
He continued: “It was decision making all over the park. Weather it was us in the final third forcing passes in the wrong areas instead of opening up the pitch to make them move over bigger distances.
“To make a clear opportunity to cross the ball or pick someone out or to even get a shot off.
“It’s not like us because we’ve got some very good players who are dangerous in the final third.
But I can’t fault the lads, they’ve stuck at it and got us over the line.
“We’ve got to recognise how they’re setting up and what the game plan is very early on and how can we exploit the spaces and weaknesses in the team. But in general we were a bit off it, a bit laboured in our performance”.
Whilst he wasn’t pleased with certain aspects of the performance, Whistaker was pleased with the winning goal.
He said: “It was a great strike. We kept telling them to keep going and you’ll get chances with making the right decisions at the right time and we did that, he tucked it away very nicely.
“The build up play was good and was more like ourselves, that’s how we play.
“But there just wasn’t enough of it throughout the game.
“We say to the lads before the game not to wait or expect it to happen, go and make it happen.
“You have to make it happen by making forward tuns to disturb the opposition.
“Put balls in the box and make them defend and try to get as many shots off as possible.
“The more you do the more chance you have of scoring a goal.
“It’s getting the balance right. You don’t want to go hung ho looking to finish them off and then get caught.
“But they didn’t really cause us any problems, I don’t think there were any saves to make in the second half.
“So from the aspect it was about not giving away any half chances so we got the balance right there”.
And Whitaker says the narrow scoreline could have been more emphatic.
He added: “We could have had another one. Nicky had a great chance going through but unfortunately the ball just wouldn’t settle, James hits the post and if it’s an inch to the right it goes in so it’s fine margins but it’s good to get over the line.
“Ideally you want a perfect performance to go with the win but at this moment in time it’s about getting through the first month of the season.
“Players’ performance and consistency will improve because we’ve got great a group and I know what they’re capable of.
“So it’s about sticking to the process of getting the wins because it’s not easy coming to these places, even though the pitch was fantastic today.
“But the lads have stuck at, got over the final hurdle and got the three points”.