Managers post Queens Park

07/05/22: link to audio of both John Hughes and John Potter’s post match thoughts

John Hughes post match comments:-

“First and foremost, if I talk about today’s game first. We needed to play at a high tempo, if we were going to get beat we would beat ourselves. It turned out that way. I said that at half time, we created enough chances in terms of effort and commitment, I think it was all there. In terms of creating chances it was there, even at 1-0 with ten men we had a wee half chance.

“It is not on this day, it has been right through the season and we all have to stand up and look at it. It is very very raw and the emotions, we are all hurting in there so you don’t say too much to the players. I just think that the consistency of performance from us - you cannot turn it on and off as a tap - you owe it to yourself and each other.

“You have seen us when we were very good and we need to be like that every week. That is something that I have to look at and see why we are not doing that. That is taking nothing away from the opposition that try and stop you.

“We are hurting, I feel for the fans, feel for the club, we will need to take it on the chin and take our medicine. It is our job to try and get this club back to where it belongs. I’m quite sure over the next few days there will be a lot of banging heads together.

“We have to be very clever in what we are doing, very smart in what we are doing. It is not a machine gun we need, we have to take our time, I think we have to sleep on it and then who wants to be with us in the First Division? Who wants to stay here and who wants to try and get the club back up? What kind of players can you attract?

“Nothing is bigger than the club, the club will always be here and it is our job to get them back there. I am bitterly disappointed honestly but you have to congratulate your opponent but this is not on today’s performance it is on the whole season.

“We are all in it together. I have asked them to do things and I have had a good response off them. When it is good, it is really good. If you have seen us at our best you will be standing here saying how were they relegated? It is something that is in there and we have to bang heads together and say what can we do to improve this and make it better.

“I have seen many a club go down to that First Division and it has taken them a while (to return). We will have to let that sink in, we will sit down and see where we want to go and take it from there.”

A massive moment in the match was the red card shown to Efe Ambrose in 58 minutes but the manager conceded that it was a sending off offence.

“I didn’t think so when I was coming off the pitch but when I look back it was a red card. The referee got that right, but that’s just what we warned at half time - don’t beat ourselves. That is concentration and a discipline. It just so happened to be big Efe, it could have been other players but in a big game like today it was Efe.

“You feel for him, he is good about the boys and the dressing room. It has been bits and pieces of mistakes but we are all in it together - you win as a team, you lose as a team.”

Did you think that it was going to go to extra time before Queens Park scored from that 89th minute chance?

“Yes, but we were always trying to chop and change it to try and win the game. We were trying to get the substitutes on. The sending off changed all that. The boys ran themselves into the ground but the whole game changed on the sending off.

“I felt that we were well on top in the first half and started very well in the second half. They came into it a little bit but then the sending off changed it. We stood up to it but that is football - you think we will see this game out and go into extra time and re-organise a bit. But you get your backside felt, so I am disappointed.

“Listen, I will say for the whole club, everybody in the community - we are all in this together, we are all hurting with feeling. Emotions are very high, everybody wants to play a blame game. We have to sleep on it and make sure that no matter what we are doing, we are making the right decisions for the club going forward into the future.”

Does that include yourself John?

“The first thing that I will look at is myself, that is the first thing. I will look at what have I done right, what have I done wrong, what could we have done better. I talked about the blame game there but there are no excuses either. You have to man up and stand up to it. That’s why in there you do not say too much. They are raw and definitely hurting.”

Do you want the chance to take the club back up?

“Definitely I want the chance. I want the chance to really take this club where it wants to go. That is the reason I’m saying that but no one is bigger than the football club. It is a really good club with good passionate supporters and we have let them down, that for sure. We have let them down this season, not today, we have let them down this season. We need to re-group and go again.

“It is not going to be easy to get them smiling again, I get that but once the dust settles we need to come back, roll the sleeves up and be committed to getting the club back in the Championship. I am honest enough to say that it is not going to be easy.”

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