Dickov: We didn’t give Tranmere the respect they deserved

FURIOUS: Athletic manager Paul Dickov

ANOTHER second-rate showing from Athletic had manager Paul Dickov tearing out his hair — and tearing into his team.

Jose Baxter and Enoch Showunmi both had a realistic claim to the deflected goal which settled the Prenton Park contest in favour of the home team.

Well-marshalled and competitive, Les Parry’s Rovers hustled and harried the visitors all over the field.

Athletic simply couldn’t summon up the sort of effort which saw off MK Dons so impressively.

That was a game that showed to a nationwide audience the sort of football Athletic are capable of playing on a good day.

This, though, was definitively a bad day for Dickov’s disjointed charges.

“I am sick of it,” said the furious manager after the game. I am sick of us winning games and doing the right things, then turning up for the next game think we have already done it.

“All the things we did ever so well on Monday night, we didn’t do here. Tranmere were excellent and I have to give them credit, too.

“But as in closing people down, passing the ball and creating chances we didn’t do well enough. I have got to have trust in the squad that they will do what I ask them to do.

“This is the third time this season it has happened where we have won two on the bounce and then lost. It was another away trip where we have just not performed.

“Whether it is a case of them thinking they just have to turn up, I don’t know. I am not saying my players don’t try – because they do.

“Mentally, I think they feel that before the game starts they have already done the hard bit.

“You win no football games without doing the nitty-gritty. Tranmere were excellent, they pressed all game and we didn’t.

“To win matches you have to do the horrible, basic things right and we didn’t do that.”

Athletic started the game slowly before growing into the contest, without ever clicking into top gear.

Shefki Kuqi’s long-range effort which whistled past the outside of a post was the best attempt the team could muster and the lack of penetration was another frustrating factor for Dickov.

“We got into some good really positions,” he added. “We work every single day on our finishing and getting crosses into the box.

“We didn’t have enough of them and didn’t hit the target enough.

“We knew it would be a hard, tight game. They scored from a deflection — but I don’t care, as it came from our free-kick.

“Our decision-making with and without the ball was poor. I am really angry, because we got ourselves in a good position after two wins.

“We went out there not giving Tranmere the respect they deserved. We had too many people not performing. You can have one, two or possibly three not performing and others can drag you through.

“There were four, possibly five here who were not at the races. And that is not enough when you come to a tough place like this.”