Scunthorpe Utd: Knill critical of Iron's display against Oldham
SCUNTHORPE United manager Alan Knill pulled no punches in a scathing assessment of his side's display during the 2-1 loss at home to Oldham last night.
The Iron turned in a lacklustre first half performance, before eventually stepping up a gear in the second period.
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Scunthorpe United manager Alan Knill looking frustrated during last night's defeat to Oldham Athletic. Picture: David Haber
But it was not enough to stop them losing to the Latics, with Knill calling for his players to blame themselves, and no-one else.
"We didn't deserve anything out of (the game) because of our first half performance, it was awful," moaned the Iron boss.
"That first half performance was everything you don't want.
"It took us 45 minutes to impose ourselves - there was no movement, we were static, just waiting for someone to come and do something with it (and)
no-one was taking responsibility.
"It is difficult to take. The players are quite good players, when they believe in themselves.
"(But) you have no choice. You stand up, take the blame and don't blame anybody else. Don't blame the referee, don't blame this, don't blame that. Blame yourself.
"I thought there were plenty of positives in the second half, but the negatives of the first half outweighed it."
United were heckled off the pitch at both half-time and full-time, a fact Knill had no gripes about.
"The last thing I want is to be booed off at half-time," he continued.
"If I am going to be honest, if I was watching that I could understand it.
"For a home team, it was pretty poor.
"It looked like we expected to turn up and win. It doesn't matter who you play, chances are you are going to lose.
"Hopefully we can get some more quality in but we will have to wait and see."
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by ToryLording
Thursday, August 18 2011, 3:01PM
“Of course I want a good team, but I can't see the point of people complaining all the time. I'm very proud of the team for the recent past, but 'some people' complain when the sunshines. Surely a budget is quite finite. However, not everyone can understand this it seems. 'Some people' think we have a million pounds transfer budget, that we can afford to pay good wages and that there are great players hoping to get a call from Scunthorpe United. We haven't, we can't and they're not.”
by AnonTaxPayer
Thursday, August 18 2011, 2:04PM
“Aussieiron
Sensible critical comment is OK but some of the nonsense written on this sight is too much.”
by Aussieiron
Thursday, August 18 2011, 1:12PM
“Tory, Oscar and Anon you're obviously happy to see us in league 2 and Blue square in a couple of years? Don't you want to feel the pride and the excitement of playing in the championship again? The only way we can let the "powers that be" know this, is by putting forward our point of view as fans and supporters.
Even if Wharton came out and said" I dont want, or cannot afford to refurbish the ground to an all seater" then at least we would know where we and the club stand. But its all smoke and mirrors with a touch of deciet.”
by ToryLording
Thursday, August 18 2011, 10:34AM
“@ oscarmoggy, Thank goodness someone lives on the same planet as me”
by AnonTaxPayer
Thursday, August 18 2011, 10:32AM
“oscarmoggy
You've hit the nail on the head.
What miserable lives these moaners must live; there again, may be being miserable is their version of happy.”
by oscarmoggy
Thursday, August 18 2011, 10:04AM
“Criticism that no happy clappers are commenting at the moment. True, but this is a predominently moaners site. The first three games weren't great (1 win and two draws) but this site was dead, yet look at it after the first defeat. Reason because it's full of moaners, sat listening to Humberside, waiting for the club to fail. Wake up lads, smell the coffee, Scunny are a small club with small fan base, thats not negative thinking or lack of ambition but reality.
Unfortunatly we have to many pretend fans, those that are only interested in the club when they lose. This site sums it up perfectly, it's only busy after a defeat.
Can we also put the Adkins thing to bed. He's an ambitious manager who wants to manage at the top, thats why he left Scunny , because Southampton is a city, with huge fan base and much greater financial muscle than us. If Wharton had mortaged the club and himself, (sorry re-invested) like P.doff and 1500 advocate, and given us a large new, but empty stadium with players like Hayes and McCann, who hold us to ransome over wage demands, we could never compete with what Southampton have.
.”
by ToryLording
Thursday, August 18 2011, 8:45AM
“Always with the negative waves, Moriarty ...”
by ToryLording
Thursday, August 18 2011, 8:38AM
“why don't you buy the club with your money and manage it with your skill then .... DICK”
by PStoff
Thursday, August 18 2011, 8:33AM
“Ah - one appears at last. Spouting nothing but predictable "lets wait and see".
We waited last season and look what we saw. The time to act is now not when it is too late which seems to be the SUFC way. We need new blood at the top and when I say new I mean new and not a Wharton stooge.
Fresh impetus, fresh ideas - let the fans have what they want.”
by ToryLording
Wednesday, August 17 2011, 5:21PM
“I couldn't make the game last night, but maybe it's a bit soon to throw in the towel. Let's be positive and see where we are after 10 games. Wharton is shrewd with money, this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone anymore. Who cares if there are more fans down the road, its a bigger town? Maybe Oldham wanted it more than us. Knill must just work with what he's got and do his best, like all aspects of everyones lives.”