City boss calling for players to be more instinctive
Following Exeter City’s 2-0 defeat to Swansea City at St James Park, Paul Tisdale was pleased to see his side come through the game almost completely unscathed in the build-up for the new season, but called on his players to play their natural game a little more.
The Swans scored either side of the interval through clinical finishing by Nathan Dyer and Rory Donnelly, though both sides had opportunities to further add to the scoresheet. It proved to be another good workout for the Grecians, but it also highlighted to Tis where further opportunities lay for the team to improve ahead of the season’s start.
“I’m happy that we’ve gotten through another game, and other than Alan Gow’s split lip we’ve got no injury worries and the players are getting closer to being physically prepared for the start of the season,” began Tis.
“In terms of the way we played, I’ve got a lot to push them to do better in. But the priority is to physically and mentally prepare for the start of the season.
“I don’t think we were quite gutsy enough with our own play. I’m not talking about the final third and attacking the goal, but I mean gutsy enough generally to pass. I think we’re better than we showed.
“The players were a little bit too safe. I thought they should have played more instinctively and bravely. I wouldn’t say they were naïve – occasionally they played poor passes, but that’s always going to be the case. Generally I’d have liked us to show a little more gumption with the ball, but that’s easier said than done against a Premier League side.”
Tis also thanked the sizable contingent that turned out to see the game – a crowd of 2,265 including 468 travelling Swans came to the Park to see some Sunday afternoon football. The Grecians kept the gate receipts in their entirety thanks to a generous gesture from the Premier League outfit.
“It’s a very lovely weekend, and when you look at the weather and being in Devon, there are a lot of choices to be made at weekends,” Tis continued. “So thank you to those people that turned up – every penny is ours, which is a wonderful gesture from Swansea to allow us to keep the gates, so thank you to them.”