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Next Game: Away At Curzon Ashton On Saturday 19th October at 3.00pm

Monday, May 01, 2023

Klukowski's Last Post Match Interview


Yan Klukowski gave his last post match interview at Blyth on Sunday.

It was a difficult one for Hereford's interim manager given his side had lost the game 5-0.

"I think it's important to apologise first to the travelling fans and to everyone connected with the football club, simply not good enough," said Klukowski.

"Too passive, no enthusiasm for the game, so apologies to the travelling supporters to have to witness that and be on the end of that scoreline.

"I thought we started the first ten minutes okay, we looked like we had the more territory but then poor one on one defending.

"Nobody backing each other up when mistakes were made or players were beaten.

"And then we allow the lad to ghost into our box, no pressure, and he puts it in. 

"Then we are really on the back foot and the body language and the response from that not where it needs to be.

"We were far too open, far too spread. We weren't connected all over the pitch. Anytime somebody got beaten or a ball played over their head, they seemed like they were isolated and Blyth had freedom of the park.

"We spoke about it at half time and tried to find ways to get back in the game but then we give a silly, soft penalty away and then a sending off comes. A really tough afternoon.

"The penalty was a poor challenge and it is a penalty.

"The disappointing thing for me is that the lad has had twelve touches of the football in the wide area. Kevin and I were counting the amount of touches the lad had and he's had twelve touches.

"We allowed him to come inside and it's clumsy challenge in the box and 3-0 is a difficult scoreline to come back from.

"We were professional in our approach in terms of how we prepared throughout the week. The warm up was good, it was sharp, the players seemed at it.

"And we started the first ten to fifteen minutes okay but then we haven't responded to their first goal and that's disappointing.

"We've never capitulated like that since I've been at the club, we've never been beaten that heavily.

"The players have to take responsibility, I'll take responsibility but the sending off (Luke Haines) doesn't help things either, going down to ten men when confidence is low, you are 3-0 down and you feel you have a mountain to climb.

"But we have to show more resillance than that, more mental toughness to be solid and compact and it has to mean more than just allowing players to run off us in the box and get simple goals."

A sad way to finish?

"I don't think I deserve to be leaving on the back of a 5-0 defeat but I leave with pride and joy of representing this football club for the last three years of a player, assistant manager and manager.

"Again I apologise to the fans for the result and performance today but hopefully they see the good that I've been a part of and some of the good work that has been done over the past three years."