Barry: Cup Exit Hurts Us
Clyde manager Barry Ferguson spoke to the official website this evening, following a very disappointing William Hill Scottish Cup defeat at the hands of Formartine United on Saturday.
He started by giving an open insight into his own feelings and those of the rest of the Clyde camp:-
“It was a horrendous weekend, I can’t describe it any other way than that really. I can start by assuring our supporters that the result hurt myself, the staff and the players just as much as them. The players were really low afterwards and it was certainly a long bus journey home, you could hear a pin drop at times.
“I don’t criticise my players publicly and the good thing is that I don’t have to, because they know themselves that the last two matches haven’t been anywhere near good enough. They are good enough players though, there’s no doubt about that. It’s a strong squad and I wouldn’t change it. They are going through a bit of a mini crisis and it’s my job to get to the bottom of it – as the club’s manager the buck stops with me.
“The players will look to me now and in that respect I need to be a leader more than a manager. I’m fine with that and I know we’ll get through this.”
Barry was keen to counter some media headlines that suggested he was considering his future after the result:-
“After the match I said to the press that we’d be having a long, hard talk about what we will do next – as you would expect – but they made a bit of a mountain out of a molehill from that. The last thing I will do is walk away. If I didn’t think I could bring success to Clyde, I wouldn’t be here.”
The early cup exit was hugely disappointing for supporters of The Bully Wee, not least those who made the journey to Pitmedden.
“There was obviously come criticism from the stands on Saturday,” Barry continued. “Fans pay their money and make long journeys and they have a right to say what they think. They can tell me that a performance like Saturday isn’t good enough all they like, because it wasn’t and I know that. I’m totally fine with that. My only problem was when it became personal from a small group.
“I can accept a battering, I’ve had it from 50,000 people when I played, but when it starts getting personal and my commitment or loyalty to the club is being questioned then I think that’s unfair. That’s when it can also start affecting the players as they can hear what’s being said.
“I have to say though, the majority of fans at the match were great and tried to get the boys going and we appreciate that.
“If a supporter isn’t happy then my offer to meet anyone face to face is still open and the club can arrange it. I’d rather have an honest discussion with someone. I can assure all of our supporters though, that what happens at Clyde affects me a lot. This isn’t just a part-time job that I forget about on a Saturday night, I’m working as hard as I possibly can.”
The Clyde boss concluded by looking to the week ahead, which will conclude with a derby match against Queen’s Park at the National Stadium in Ladbrokes League 2.
“We are concentrating on the league now and there’s still a long way to go,” he said. “We’ve had two bad defeats, don’t get me wrong, but we were flying high a few weeks ago and looking strong. Unfortunately we didn’t take our chances in a couple of those games that we should have won. That’s probably had an effect on the boys and that’s one of the things we’ll be speaking to them about.
“The work started on Saturday night to be honest and I had another meeting with Bob and Mark yesterday as well. We’ve got a plan for the week and we just need to roll up the sleeves now and work even harder again. We need to get onto the training pitch tomorrow and blow away the cobwebs from the last two weeks. We’ll have a chat as a group, go through some things and then move onto preparation for Saturday at Hampden.
“It’s a tough away match, but that’s a good thing.”
Barry also confirmed that members of the first team squad would be given the opportunity to take part in an under-20 match this week, including Scott Durie. The full-back made a long-awaited return to action from the bench on Saturday and continues to work towards match fitness.