Initial reaction from Gary Rowett after first home defeat under him

Yahoo

15-02-2025

GARY Rowett was disappointed by the overall performance as his Oxford United side were beaten for the first time on home soil under him.
The U's lost 2-0 against Portsmouth, with goals coming from Andre Dozzell and Mark O'Mahony at either end of the second half.
For large periods, United were clumsy in possession with poor decision-making halting any progress up the pitch.
U's head coach Rowett said: 'I thought our performance was just a little bit too rigid in the first half. We needed to play with a little bit more freedom in certain areas and I thought we got into some really good positions.
'It's been creeping in the last three or four games, that final pass and final action to get someone into a goalscoring position just hasn't quite been there.
'That's been the disappointment because we've got into some great positions. There was one where Ruben [Rodrigues] just needs to dink it over the defender for Shemmy [Placheta], and he plays it too hard and the goalkeeper is there.
'They did what they did, which was kick the left back up and go really long with the goalkeeper to try and create a game of seconds and a little bit of a fight.
'I thought when we showed composure, we got into good areas, and in the second half, you could see it.
'We conceded a very poor goal from a set piece with bodies in the box, and we don't deal with it, and you end up 1-0 down.
'We had three absolutely clear-cut chances where we should score all three of them, let alone one of them, and we don't.
'We chased the game at the end, and we obviously left ourselves open, but again it was a poor goal.
'It was a disappointing performance overall, but I think we still did more than enough to get something out of the game, but you've got to go and finish things off.'
He added: 'I think we've done enough in the games to warrant people keeping their place, but people have to perform.
'I said that at half-time. I could've taken all the front four off in some ways because we didn't create enough.
'It's not just the four. You can't start dissecting the game and saying it's about the defenders keeping clean sheets and the forwards scoring.
'You have to work hard as a team and be accountable as a team, but certainly when you get into those areas, someone has to produce something.
'There was one where Stan [Mills] flashed a ball across the box and the space was there, and everyone was pulling back for a nice goal.
'You don't score nice goals all the time in the Championship. You have to throw yourself in there.
'There were some areas of the pitch where we certainly need to work hard and be a little bit braver, and throw a few more bodies in the box to score the goal.'