Manager's immediate thoughts after draw with the Tykes
Manager Graham Alexander spoke after the 0-0 home draw with Barnsley at Highbury about his pleasure at the effort the players are showing.Speaking after the game the 42-year-old said: “I thought it was another very good performance from the team. Especially first half I thought we it was some of the best football we’ve played and we created some very good opportunities, we just needed to take one which is a bit of similar story to last Saturday against Crawley.
“Second half, they pressed us a little bit, higher and got back into the game and caused us a few problems for 15-20 minutes. We got through that period and then we came strong again for the second part of the second half.
“We just couldn’t get the final touch on some of the great play we had. I was so pleased with how we played against a big club and a good team.”
He added: “We did enough to win the game, we know that. We know the quality Barnsley have got and the contrast of the clubs over the last 10-15 years is massive.
“I massively believe in these players and what they can do, we are just missing out on that final touch in the box to get the goal our play fully deserves but I was really pleased, I can’t speak highly enough, especially in the first half.
“The lads are in a good place but they are frustrated, frustrated because you always want to win games that’s what we are in the business of doing, players want to win games, I want to win games, the supporters want to win games.
“If we keep playing like that, like I assume we’ll get a lot of points this season, we just have to keep believing in what we are doing.
“It is one of those where you get to 65-70 minutes and you are thinking is there a sting in the tail like there was last Saturday, that would have been very harsh on all the players but we didn’t and we came strong again.
“It wasn’t to be but it wasn’t through a lack of trying. The players put everything into the game and we’ll have to do the same again on Saturday against another big club and another very good team.
“They have been fantastic, they have been appreciative of the jump up in level and of what these boys did last year to get promoted.
“The level of quality of the teams that is coming to Highbury now has gone up and they can see how good our team is and though we are not getting the full results that we are striving for they can see how well we are playing.
“I think supporters will always forgive anything as long as they see players giving everything they have got and that’s what we have got. We have a squad, not just a team, a squad of players who are putting everything into every game and every training session and you can see it in the performances.
“If they keep supporting us like they are then we’ll get the results we are all craving.”