With 1 point out of 9 and a League Cup defeat, Exeter City manager Paul Tisdale will be under pressure to deliver a positive result on Saturday against the Minstermen. With 1 goal to their name in those 4 games, fans fears of a lack of cutting edge, so far, is proving right.
The biggest worry will be the attendance. With pay on the day prices upped, and less than good performances on the pitch could mean less that 3,000 City fans present to see the game against York City. This will increase pressures on a tight playing budget and will additionally lead to speculation about whether any further PFA loans might be required before the season is out.
It was always going to be a tough start to the season, and York City who reached the play offs last season will be no pushovers, despite not having won a having won a game themselves this season.
Tisdale was clearly unhappy with his side’s response to the Devon Derby defeat in their 1-0 defeat at the Pirelli Stadium on Tuesday. Speaking on the Club website Tisdale explained:-
I’d like to have had more. Saturday was a hard defeat to take, and I asked for a response from the players. It’s old-fashioned but it’s the right thing to think about.
We needed to respond to a clear defeat on Saturday. I asked for a hard start to the game and I wanted them to play forward and be tough and tackle, and we didn’t do it.
We had a very fair performance in the second half but we were a goal down and chasing the game, and it’s too late.
It’s the first couple of weeks of the season, but we’re going to have to toughen up and become more clear with our play. We didn’t challenge their back four enough – the one thing I asked them to do was to put pressure on their back-four and we didn’t.
I’m asking them to challenge the opposition’s defence a little bit more, and they were too long getting to that point. We needed to be a goal down for that to change, which is not what it needs to be.
Looking ahead to Saturday, Paul Tisdale spoke of the challenge of the York City match. On the Club’s website he had this to say:-
They have continuity, and they have refreshed in the summer by making some signings to attempt to improve the team. They had a very good finish to last season – their last third or quarter of the season was exceptional – they were the form side.
They have the same manager, the same staff, the same key players and they have added one or two. They’ll be looking for an improvement on last year, and any side that has continuity and is constantly refreshing and improving the side with some changes will be successful.
The players have been very committed and there’s a really good togetherness about the group, there’s no doubt about it.
We’re enjoying our work – there are always positives to be had when you try and develop a group of players because the job is to spin the positives and work with them, and that’s what we’ll do.
Match Preview, ticket news and match officials, ground guide be found at http://www.exeweb.com/2014/08/21/next-up-york-at-home/