We spoke to Paul Simpson following our opening day defeat to Gillingham.
Paul began by saying: “The scoreline doesn't look very good at all.
"The first goal was disappointing. I thought we could have dealt with it better. But I thought the way we reacted after that first goal was very good.
“I thought we dominated the first-half. We caused them problems. We made sure we got ourselves in the right positions.
“The second goal has absolutely killed us. It's one of those things, I mean, I think Terell has been outstanding today. But I just don't know what he was thinking. I have this thing about thinking and playing forward. I don't know what it is. I don't know what he was trying to do.
“But I thought he reacted well afterwards to show what he was about.
“We then got ourselves back in it. Good finish from Mellish. You've then got to make it count. You've got to be ruthless. You've got to make things happen.
“The third goal is disappointing. We've allowed Nolan, who's got such a strong left foot, we've allowed him to smash it in at the near post.
“There's a lot of periods in the game that I'm happy with the way we played. But the thing is, what's important is we need to try and find a way to win."
The Blues fell behind early after failing to clear their lines.
“I think, if anything, maybe Harry should have come and punched it. There was a lot of bodies.
It may be a foul. The lads jumped into it and I don't really know. I might be clutching at straws a little bit.
“We get a good first block, but then it comes through legs. I couldn't see who it was on the line, but we weren't quite able to just stretch and get it out. So we had a couple of opportunities to get it away and we didn't."
The Blues fought back after the early set back, and had the better of the first-half. A sentiment that Paul shared, saying: “I think the way we reacted was excellent in the first-half. I thought we played really well, played some good football. We were calm in possession.
“We kicked diagonals onto Charlie Wyke and got the second ball. We created chances. It looks like a penalty on the video, if I'm honest, but again, I'm not going to clutch at straws about that.
"It's a big decision, but is this thing that the referees keep talking about now, it's impact and what impact it's had on the game.
"The player didn't get a touch on the ball, so I don't know how that's not impacting. But anyway, when it's 4-1, it sounds like I'm making excuses for saying that. I'm not because we can't go giving the goals away like we did.
“So, massively disappointed with the result. But up until that second goal, and then our reaction when we got to 2-1, I was pleased with their efforts today but it's the score now that matters."
After a good first-half, it took just a few minutes of the second for the Blues to fall two behind.
“We talked about continuing to do what we did in the first-half.
"We talked about still playing forward and looking forward, and we do the total opposite to it. With just a silly individual mistake, I don't know what he was thinking.
“But I have to say, I thought he reacted well after it, and beforehand, I thought he was excellent as well. It's not just about that one mistake for us, there were other things that went on in the game that we needed to do better with. We concede the third so soon after we scored as well.
“We didn't really give ourselves a chance to get properly back into it. Now, that's something you have to learn as a team. When you've got yourself back into that position, you have to stay in the game."
Speaking on our ninth summer signing, the gaffer said: “Ben Williams was absolutely breathing out his backside. He's done an absolutely fantastic job in the game. I'm really pleased he's been able to come in.
"He's had a couple of days training with us after being with other clubs, so it was a big ask to put him in there, but it was a needs must because Cameron Harper's groin strain has not really recovered fully. He dropped out of training on Tuesday. Taylor Charters dropped out of training on Tuesday with another hamstring strain.
“It's now his eighth in two-and-a-half years, so we've got to get something sorted with that because that's really disappointing. Taylor's out for probably a couple of months, Cameron maybe three or four weeks, similar to Dylan McGeouch.
“We needed another left-back. We haven't got another left-footed player in the club who can do that role. Ben's a player we've talked about before we brought Cameron in, so we found he was still available. He's been in a couple of clubs training and playing games."
United take on Stoke City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night. Looking ahead to that fixture, Simpson said: “It's brilliant game to look forward to.
“I want to digest this one first and look at it. I'll probably do that on the coach on the way back, but we've got to learn from these things today.
"We've had opportunities in the first-half to get ourselves level at 1-1.
“We then give a sloppy goal away at the start of the second-half to make it a bit of a mountain to climb.
"Then we get ourselves back in it, and we don't really turn the screw and make it count. Again, I'm not trying to take anything away from Gillingham because this is a tough place to come.
“They were front-foot today, but we've gifted them some goals, and that's something we've got to try and eradicate as quickly as we can.
“We've got the journey home, and we'll be back in ready to prepare for Tuesday night. That's all we can do.
“We can't change what's happened today. We've just got to learn from it.
"Hopefully Tuesday night, we have a similar level of performance to what we've had for long periods of today, but we'll make sure we're a bit more ruthless in not giving goals away so we're in a good position to get through the game.”
