Manager Post Cove Rangers

25/06/22: Link to audio of James McPake’s post match thoughts

James McPake was pleased to see his players getting game time in the pre season friendly at the Balmoral Stadium in what was the Stuart McKenzie Testimonial match, he told this website:-

“That is what pre season is all about. It is very early, the first game was a bounce game but this was a great run out. Good for people like Rhys Breen and Deniz Mehmet to get ninety minutes. There was a lot of good stuff on show and it was a decent enough game in troubling conditions with the wind and the pitch being dry.

“It is the same for both teams but we are going to face tricky conditions in the league and we need to learn to deal with that. I’m really pleased with the boys and the effort they put in.”

Your team showed good levels of fitness and looked quite fast at times?

“We have got that in the team, we know it’s there. We know that we can mix it up and there is an option to be physical up the top end of the pitch but we have some really good footballers as well.

“I think you saw that in some of the build up and we have been working on the press as well. We scored our second goal because of the press with Big Todorov nicking it and Kevin O’Hara running. All in all it was a good afternoon with no injuries, I am pleased with that.”

It was Lewis McCann who opened the scoring in 32 minutes.

“He has worked really hard and been fantastic. It is great for him to get the first goal in the game. I like him, he is a player that I have seen coming up through the youth ranks when I was in the academy. I thought Chris Hamilton was excellent in the game along with Kyle Benedictus coming into a new team.”

Did we see some indication of the style of attacking football that you might like to play?

“There will be high energy, we will try and press teams. Teams will play through us, that will happen. That happened to Cove at times and that is what we need to work on and fill areas of the pitch. Yes you saw a bit of that but they have worked hard all week. They did not come into this game fresh, they will be fresh by the time they play (East Fife) on 9th July. That is the key.“

Next up Tuesday night against Forfar?

“Again it is another game that they will go into tired and we will build on Sunday and Monday to get things right. There could be different tactical things that we could implement. We just cannot come in at once and throw everything at them.

“We have to put wee bits and pieces into it and I was pleased with that particularly in the first half because I think you saw a lot of the work that we have done. It was there so all in all it has been a good early afternoon kick off.

“It was a great occasion for their goalkeeper as well so I’m delighted that we could come up and do that.”

James confirmed that there would be no time off between Saturday and the next pre season friendly at Forfar on Tuesday:-

“It is pre season, we are here to work. We are working hard and the boys know that and they are happy to do it. There is no issue with that and they are willing to work hard.”

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