Bootle Manager Mick McGraa has delivered a damning verdict on Bootle’s home defeat to Widnes, saying the goals they conceded were “embarrassing”.
The Merseysiders were on the receiving end of a 4-2 thrashing by the Northern Premier League West Division title contenders, Widnes, at home.
McGraa, who spent over an hour locked in the dressing room after the defeat said: “The goals we conceded were embarrassing. We gave them three horrendous goals and we were miles off it.”
In their last home game, the Bucks defeated Stalybridge Celtic in another thriller, 5-2, but McGraa didn’t think it reflected the reality of the club’s situation, saying: “The Stalybridge game sort of masked over some of the problems that we’ve got, but we will put it right.”
He added: “There’s pressure every week, especially when you think you’re a team that’s going to be in and around it, and we’re not that at the moment.”
After just 33 minutes, the manager decided to make an early substitution, bringing on the attacking threat of Ben Hodkinson, in place of Jay Cooper, who had arguably been part at fault for the two Widnes goals that had gone in during that first half an hour. The changes made were not down to injury concerns, but match management.
The Manager said: “It was tactical. I had made the decision to go a certain shape against them, and they’ve gone with a different shape to we thought they would, and I’ll take the heat for that.”
McGraa now takes Bootle to Runcorn Linnets in the Liverpool Senior Cup on Tuesday night, a game that takes on added significance in terms of moral, after this defeat: “It’s a massive, massive game- we will be as full strength as we can be.”
The next few games are crucial, as the Bootle boss seeks to prove his worth to the Dodge Kop faithful.
