We spoke to Mike Williamson following our defeat to Morecambe.
Mike began with his assessment, saying: “I thought the standards were not good enough. I thought in a game that carried a lot of pressure, it was obviously going to be a cagey start.
“I thought we started the game reasonably well in a game that had nothing really in it. We entered the box a few times but I think we missed a couple of opportunities and then that really affected us and I thought after that from top to bottom yeah it wasn't good enough.”
We asked Mike if he felt not taking chances early on really hindered the lads, he answered:
“I think because of where we are in the emotion I just think that they're crippled with that anxiety and I think it takes away from our focus and that's where we're at.
“I can't make excuses for that performance. They're hurting and they're down and they've got big hearts but it's not correlating in terms of quality on the pitch and execution and yeah we didn't take our chances. I think it took the wind out of our sails and that framed the game which is disappointing."
After such a positive display last week against a side high in the table, we asked Mike why we couldn’t repeat that display at home, against a side bottom of the table, he said: "I think obviously away from home against a top of the table team I think there’s less of a fear and more of a challenge and we know we're going to have to be good so we haven't got time to think but I think when we're at home in a game where we expect to win and we expect to dominate and control it when we don't do that and we do miss those chances I think it changes our mindset and our mentality changes.”
The Blues face Accrington next, before a trip to Tranmere. A crucial period. Mike agreed: “Yeah it certainly is and I can't downplay it, for me there's a lot of points to play for the only thing we can do is respond in terms of get our recovery and watch it back which is going to be more pain but we've got a quick turnaround.
“It’s about saying to the boys that no matter what we're feeling right now we've got an obligation to each other, to the football club and to ourselves to be in the best position for the Accrington game.”
Jon Mellish was sent off for United, in a decision that looked harsh. We asked Mike if he had spoken to the ref, he replied:
“The ref said late and forceful which it was but it was not a sending off, I was right in front of it and I thought he was going to book him. It was a frustration. It was off the back of being frustrated and we've given him a decision to make which we spoke half time about being professional making sure that we don't hand anything over but it was the wrong call. We’ll be appealing it 100%.”
Mike then spoke about the play, when we had been reduced to 10 men: “I think that's probably when we played with the most bravery, we did because we were down to 10 men and the odds were stacked against us so it kind of relieves that bit of pressure but yeah we've got no illusion we're in a situation where we're going to need real personality and character regardless of what's going on outside we've just got to focus and make sure that we come in tomorrow and we have to try and turn this around and there's only one way of doing that, and it's working hard.
“I can't say the words I'm pleased about anything right now because of the situation we're in I'm frustrated from the first moment because we had good attacking situations that didn't come to anything and you can hold your hands up with quality lads were trying to look at the right things and in certain moments but the reaction was was hard to take when we missed those couple of chances and then yeah ultimately the pressure comes off when we get down to 10 men.”
Sam Lavelle made way in the second-half, Mike gave us an update on him: “I was told that he had pulled his calf so obviously yeah he was moving around but I think that's just a testament to Sam himself and then ran off quite at a pace but for me I didn't want to take any risks, we had a corner, we're already down to 10 men, if his calf went and he was out for more months that would be far worse.
Callum Guy was absent again through illness, Mike spoke about his condition: “He's being monitored closely but yeah I don't know if it's a viral infection or something but he's still not well.”
On Georgie Kelly, Mike said: “We're waiting for a scan so I can't really shed any more light. He's getting a scan tomorrow that was the earliest we could get and then we'll find out then.
On Tyler Burey’s absence, Mike added: “He had a scan. He felt something after the Port Vale game, he reported so he's still symptomatic so we had to leave him out.”
We asked Mike about the chants around the ground, directed at him and how he responds to that. He said: “I get it yeah, I fully get it. We weren't good enough so yeah we look at ourselves. I always have to take full responsibility because that's the only way of going about it and coming in trying to get the boys up in a real difficult situation again yeah I've been in situations like this before for me it doesn't change my focus I know what we've got I know what the what's at this football club and I know we've got more than what it takes to get out of it but right now yeah it's difficult and I completely understand what the fans are saying.”
