Bootle manager David McNabb is pleased with the response he has seen after a difficult start.
*This is a transcript from Off The Park’s interview with Bootle manager, David McNabb. They earned points against Witton Albion and Stalybridge Celtic. Prescot Cables visit Vesty Road on Monday.
**This interview had taken place prior to game vs Stalybridge.
Thoughts on the performance against Witton Albion: “I think the draw was a fair result, I thought we were the better side first half, we looked dangerous going forward, I’m a little bit disappointed that we didn’t get the second goal before half-time.
“In the second half, fair play to Witton, they took the game to us and were on top and scored from a penalty.
“When you’re 1-0 up, you’re always disappointed to concede coming into the latter stages but it was a fair result, two really good sides trying to play the right way.”
What were the differences between Widnes and Witton? “[It was] Night and day [from defeat to Widnes], even something as simple as looking at the running stats on the GPS vests, the ground covered, how aggressive and how intense the running was as well.
“It’s been a tough week, obviously some soul-searching and tough conversations but the lads reacted massively well. They’ve set a bar now, that’s the bar that is the minimum standard that we expect every game now.”
The defeat to Widnes brought criticism, how have the group responded? “People will always want to criticise whether it’s good, bad or indifferent. They have a right to that opinion, we’re comfortable with the group that we’ve got and we’ve got some excellent players in the group.
“Two of the performances this season haven’t been good enough for the non-negotiables but the lads shown what they’re capable of but we need to keep pushing forward, getting points while we get the style of play right.
“It’ll take lads time to settle in but this is a new group remember, there’s no excuses but it may take five, six, seven games before we show the best of what we can bring.”
Aspirations for the season: “We’ve been in since March, so it’s about six months, in that there’s been the break for the summer but like I said it’s still early days.
“We know what we’re capable, we want to try to be competing for the playoffs and in those places. Where we are at the moment, it’s fine, it’s full expected that the performances haven’t been brilliant – they’re right. It’s going to take time to gel and click.”
Positive results this weekend could be a springboard: “It does make a difference, this is a key weekend at the beginning of the season.
“It can make a good start look good or a bad start look good but it’s only two games. I’m not trying to downplay them because we want to win both but we’ve got two very, very tough games.
“We’re going into it with confidence and hopefully we can pick up some points.”
