Managers Post Rangers
Saturday, 24th Sep 201124/09/11: JM - "There was not enough belief in the team today and that was the most disappointing thing because they are a far better side than what they showed ..
Jim McIntyre felt that his team did not show themselves in a good light against Rangers:-
"The performance was abysmal and obviously the result matched that. We spoke about keeping things tight early doors and when you lose a goal from a set piece - which we had also warned about Rangers threat from that - you can't give players free headers in the box.
"They didn't heed their warning because they had another two or three in the first half from corners as well. That is really disappointing and I felt after the the first goal that too many went into their shell. There was a lack of options for the man on the ball and bravery there to go and take players on. It just went from bad to worse.
"But these are not the games we will be judged on at the end of the season. The games we will be judged on are against the teams at our level Clearly Rangers resources and with the type of player that they have, they are expected to beat us but what I will say is that I expect far more from my team. They must give a bit more on the ball.
"There were far too many misplaced passes and I just felt that they never handled the occasion well. I know that we are a far better team than what we showed today; we just didn't turn up. It is as simple as that. Losing the early goal is key when you are playing the Old Firm. I have played many a game where if you lose that early goal it becomes a backs to the wall affair.
"We just never did enough going forward. There was not enough belief in the team today and that was the most disappointing thing because they are a far better side than what they showed.
"Normally we are a good passing side but for some reason today most of them were going astray. It wasn't even 20 yard passes, most of them were five or ten yard passes - basic - so that was really disappointing.
"It is important that you start matches well especially against the top sides. You must start well and to concede a goal as early as it was put us on the back foot and it just went from bad to worse."
Rangers gaffer, Ally McCoist was pleased to see his side recover from the set back of being knocked out of the Scottish Communities Cup by Falkirk in midweek:-
"It was just what the doctor ordered. The performance was as good as the result. We got a great reaction and I felt that we would get a good reaction. That's not to say that I wasn't worried about the game, you are always worried about the game, but I wasn't worried about getting a reaction. The reaction to Wednesday was very, very pleasing.
"Even late on at 3-0 and 4-0 there were two occasions on our wide right, Dunfermline's left side, where we were hunting in packs. The centre backs were terrific as well today and a lot of the play comes from there positioning and their attitude and determination to play."
The victory at Dunfermline was an ideal tonic for Ally and thoughts of Falkirk were well and truly extinguished:-
"That game is gone now, it's fish and chip paper. It was a real disappointment but it would be a bigger disappointment not to learn a lesson from it. That's all we can ask for because there is nothing we can do about that result now."
Steven Naismith scored twice and Carlos Bocanegra and Maurice Edu also scored and even though he doesn't like singling out players he felt that Steven Davis was their most influential player-.
"You don't like singling out individuals but it would be wrong of me not to say what a performance that was. It was absolutely top class, it was a real captain's performance. I thought he was out of this world today."
Sky tv cameras showed Naismith apparently elbow Austin McCann on the face, but McCoist did not believe there would have been any malice involved.
"I didn't see it. I saw Austin McCann go down. I thought Naisy won the header. He's certainly not that kind of boy. We all know him he's very, very competitive. As I say, I didn't see the incident."
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