Roeder: We Must Move On

Glenn Roeder says he will not flinch from the difficult task of putting right the wrongs of the season so far.

After getting the backing of his captain Paolo Di Canio to do just that, he says:

"I obviously appreciate his support and I appreciate that of all the players."

Paolo felt that maximum effort was missing at Ewood Park, and it is a view shared, reluctantly but with great honesty, by Raggy Soma.

Aware of Paolo's thoughts on the matter, Glenn says:

"I will mull over that; straight after the game in the dressing room wasn't the right time for shouting and screaming.

"We have had a meeting behind closed doors with a heart to heart - we were always going to be in on Monday anyway.

"The dressing room after the game was an eerie place and the players felt bad about what had happened."

He does agree with Paolo that Tomas Repka was West Ham's best player, and adds:

"I feel sorry for Tomas; he is an outstanding defender who needs better players around him.

"When he had his back up against the wall he showed his class and was excellent."

Talking of his expulsion, he says:

"He was distraught after the game and it was a harsh sending off just as it was at Middlesbrough.

"Referees are giving out yellow cards much too easily now; it is not as if managers or coaches want to see it."

But he refuses to use that as an excuse for the heavy loss, and adds:

"In the first place the hard work was undone with individual errors, but we gave ourselves a squeak just before half time and they came out fired up at half time.

"Trevor and Fredi had a good chance to reduce it to 3-2; I know it is clutching at straws but who knows what would have happened if they had gone in?

"Then there were key points in the second half with the sending off of Tomas who was holding the defence together nearly on his own.

"At 4-1 we were pressing forward but the game was irretrievable at that stage, though I don't like to say it, and we needed to remain tight and solid."

He agrees with Paolo, too, on the need to change personnel, and adds:

"Without going into great detail the game did confirm my thoughts about a number of players."

But he knows changing them is easier said than done, and adds:

"This is a massive job for anybody, whether experienced or inexperienced.

"There are inherent problems at the football club and the squad, or parts of it, need to be rebuilt.

"It can't be done quickly without throwing vast sums of money at it - and we are not in a position to do that."