Source: Northern_Echo
Cooper vents his wrath on players
BEING held to a draw by parttime Eastbourne Borough last week represented the most embarrassing day of Mark Cooper's career as a manager.[LNB] That's the Darlington boss' frank assessment of the dismal 1-1 draw which saw Quakers unable to beat a part-time team who were down to nine men for much of the game and did not have a recognised goalkeeper for an hour.[LNB] Darlington's humiliation received notoriety when during Radio Five Live's 606 phonein, Eastbourne's goalkeeping coach told the nation of his team's achievement, lavishing praise on midfielder Matt Smart, who had donned the gloves.[LNB] Cooper refrained from speaking to the media postmatch seven days ago for fear of saying something out of line, so angry was Quakers' boss, and the players have this week felt the full force of his ire.[LNB] He hopes to see a reaction in today's home game as ninthplaced Darlington look to return to winning ways against 13th-placed Forest Green.[LNB] I've calmed down since last Saturday but I've not got over it and I don't think I ever will.[LNB] It was probably the most embarrassing day in my coaching or managerial career to date, said Cooper, who has taken charge of close to 150 games as a manager.[LNB] It's been a horrible a week and it was a day I don't want to repeat, so I want to do everything we can to make sure it doesn't happen.[LNB] We have shown the players the video of the game numerous times and it's been a long week for them.[LNB] They haven't had a day off, they've been in every morning and afternoon, and that will continue until they start doing things properly.[LNB] Players have been made aware that that cannot happen again. They have watched the video.[LNB] The squad's first viewing of the match video came on the return journey from Eastbourne on the team bus. As did the second and third viewings, because an enraged Cooper made his team watch the game as soon as they boarded the coach.[LNB] They watched it on repeat all the way back home to Darlington,[LNB] he said. I think it was played three times.[LNB] They have seen for themselves who didn't put a shift in and the players who did work hard are now on the back of those that didn't, which is a good thing for me. It puts those that didn't put a shift in under a bit of pressure because they have to run about for their mates.[LNB] Asked what the players felt about watching re-runs of the draw, Cooper said: I don't really care. I wouldn't have thought they will have enjoyed it. It was a very quiet bus, but sometimes you have to show players what's gone wrong.[LNB] Before showing them the video some of them might have been thinking I played alright, I didn't do too badly'.[LNB] But when they see the video there's no hiding place and you can see people in the corner going redder and redder thinking God, I was bad'.[LNB] And now they know that if they do it again they're in trouble.[LNB] Against Forest Green, a club that Cooper played for towards the end of his career, Darlington are unlikely to make wholesale changes, with a handful of injuries restricting the manager's plans.[LNB] If Cooper does alter his first XI it will be up front, an area he is unhappy with.[LNB] Cooper added: In training the response has been good but you don't get any points in training, you get them at 3pm on a Saturday.[LNB] We've been trying to get people wanting to score goals.[LNB] If that means having to get stitches or breaking your nose, then so be it.[LNB] Last Saturday, during the game, we changed the shape, we changed the personnel, we put two wingers on and put loads of crosses in the box but still didn't score against an outfield player in goal.[LNB] I've said since the beginning that I can put up with people making mistakes but there's no way you can justify people not wanting to go and stick their head on the end of one of 21 crosses.[LNB] I'd have preferred a game on Tuesday, but at least I've had chance to take stock, and when you stand back and take a look at it we have only lost one game in seven.[LNB] We're two points off the play-offs so, if you put things in perspective, things could be worse.[LNB] But last Saturday was points dropped and we should be right at the top end of the table because that's where I want to be as a manager.[LNB] Let's see if the players do.[LNB]
