The great escape from relegation came after Ronnie Moore confessed that he had to stop the players from training before the Bradford game because their mental attitude was not right. He called the players into a meeting and stated, “We had a serious meeting on Thursday because I wasn't at all happy with what I was seeing. The way one or two players were going about their work meant the relegation trapdoor was wide open. Some of them were bickering among themselves, there were long faces and too many sad and depressed people, which was the last thing we needed. I know they were nervous about the game and I'm not saying they should have been smiling, but you've got to enjoy what you do. I stopped training and we talked about a few things, then we went back out and carried on. But it was still absolute rubbish, so I stopped training completely and we had some clear-the-air talks. I've no doubt the meeting we held made a very big difference.”Moore pre and post Bradford
The great escape from relegation came after Ronnie Moore confessed that he had to stop the players from training before the Bradford game because their mental attitude was not right. He called the players into a meeting and stated, “We had a serious meeting on Thursday because I wasn't at all happy with what I was seeing. The way one or two players were going about their work meant the relegation trapdoor was wide open. Some of them were bickering among themselves, there were long faces and too many sad and depressed people, which was the last thing we needed. I know they were nervous about the game and I'm not saying they should have been smiling, but you've got to enjoy what you do. I stopped training and we talked about a few things, then we went back out and carried on. But it was still absolute rubbish, so I stopped training completely and we had some clear-the-air talks. I've no doubt the meeting we held made a very big difference.”“They gave me the response I wanted and went into the game with a good tempo which caused Bradford a lot of problems. The strikers linked up well and the midfield two were very strong. Kilkenny took the pressure off with his use of the ball and Hughes got through a lot of tackles. I changed things around last week and it didn't come off, but that's what being a manager is all about. Sometimes you look brilliant, sometimes you look like an idiot. We had that extra bit of quality this week, which we needed because Bradford were never going to lie down.”
“People have questioned the commitment of the players, but you couldn't fault their attitude from the first kick to the last. I can only thank the lads for giving their all and I'm delighted for the fans who turned up in fantastic numbers and really got behind them. I suppose it was a great way to stay up, but it was a difficult afternoon for everybody and not something I would like to repeat. We got that vital bit of luck at one or two important times, and in the end it's astounding that Torquay have gone down with 51 points. Les Pogliacomi (pictured) made some great saves, although that performance was long overdue and he knows what I think of his form in the last few weeks. That's what he's there to do and Les has shown me something I haven't seen from him before. We also got a magnificent finish from Luke Beckett, and it's a massive relief that things went right for us on such a massive day for the club. Now we've got to learn from this and make sure we end next season at the other end of the table. Next year, let's hope we are having heart attacks for the right reason.” “The fight for the drop was always in the teams hands and they had ample opportunity to get to a safe position but one or two players took their fingers off the pulse too early. Bradford came and didn't make it easy for us, but the players gave 100% and Les Pogliacomi's efforts kept us in the game. One or two players were exceptionable but we need that kind of consistency week in week out which is hard to find at this level of the game. Each and every player performed to the best of their ability and when a team does that you always have a chance. This year we hung on by our fingernails but next season we must come back bigger and stronger. I want the team to be in the top half of the table pushing for a play of spot next season. The last thing I want is to be in a situation where we have to win our last game in order to stay in the division.”