Fenlon praises team after Euro exit
Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
Bohemians manager Pat Fenlon cut a dejected figure as he sat down to face journalists after his side's defeat to Red Bull Salzburg last night. Little more than half an hour had elapsed since the final whistle had sounded on Bohs albeit short European adventures for 2009. Having just witnessed his side's hopes of progression in the Champions shattered by a late sucker punch, Fenlon would understandably probably rather have been anywhere else.
It had all looked so good for Bohs up until the final few minutes. Having secured a 1-1 draw in Salzburg in the first leg, a 0-0 draw would have been good enough to see them progress to the third qualifying round. However, after a valiant display and just as everyone inside Dalymount Park began to really believe that Bohs were going through, substitute Patrick Jezek capitalised on some poor defending to head the ball over Bohs goalkeeper Brian Murphy and ensure that it was Salzburg who progressed and not Bohemians.
It was a hard one to take for everyone. Fans, players and manager were all equally shell-shocked at the final whistle. As Fenlon ambled into the players lounge inside the bowels of Dalymount Park's main stand shortly after 10pm, the look of despair and disappointment was still etched on his face.
"Yep, it's difficult to take. I thought we were nearly there, almost through, and I think we deserved to go through," he said. "The players were all very good over the two games and they didn't really cause us many problems. There were a lot of crosses into box but Brian Murphy handed it brilliantly. It's just all very disappointing for the players to be honest.
"I don't think they [Salzburg] had a moment of genius in the game. Our game plan was very good, we kept our shape very well and defended well and it was just a sloppy goal. If he scores from 30 yards you could probably take it, but it's disappointing. It's difficult to criticise anyone though, to be honest."
Fenlon admitted that the atmosphere in the dressing room after the game was one of huge disappointment, but he has predicted that his players will bounce back over the coming weeks. "Everyone is gutted, but to a man they were very good. I wouldn't single any one out for praise, I'd rather heap praise on them all. When you've been through what we've been through as a group and you know the effort they've put in and it's taken away from you like that, it's very hard to take.
"They're a good bunch of lads and they'll get over it. We're always determined to keep winning. That's what we're here for, to win leagues. We've got a great bunch of players and they've been first class since I've come to the club and it's a bad blow for them tonight, but they're going to have to deal with that. That's the way football is, it throws up some horrible things at times. They've dealt with a lot this year and it's another kick in the you-know-whats, but they'll get over it, like us all."
The players will have little time to wallow following the defeat with a top of the table clash against bitter rivals Shamrock Rovers to come this weekend. According to Fenlon: " The lads worked hard tonight, they worked hard on Sunday against Derry City and they'll work hard again on Sunday. That's the type of group of lads they are. If we've to play again tomorrow that's what we have to do."
Fenlon again stuck with the 4-5-1 formation in the second leg, after it had worked to such great effect in Austria. When asked whether he would have done anything differently over the two legs, the Dubliner remained unequivocal: No, not a thing. We didn't create too much, but it worked quite well for us in both legs. We had a game plan over two games and we stuck to it. It worked well apart from that sucker-blow at the end. We know we played a quality team, but it's only because we did so well over two games that we're disappointed. We ran them really close but that's no consolation."
As the teams left the pitch after the game, Fenlon appeared to get involved in an altercation with his opposite number, Huub Stevens. However, Fenlon refused to be drawn on the matter, saying: "I've said what I had to say to him and I'll leave it at that. Do I think he gave us the respect we deserve? No, but I’ll leave it at that."
Fenlon also had little interest in talking about what their elimination from Europe would mean for the future of Bohemians. With the club struggling to meet the FAI's 65% wage protocol, progress in Europe would have given a much needed boost to the coffers. "I'm not interested in that," said Fenlon. "There's enough doom and gloom surrounding this club in the newspapers. I mean, every headline that I read in certain newspapers is in relation to finances, yet this group of players and staff have done a double, we're top of the league, in the semi final of the cup and still in the FAI cup, yet people still want to write about finances. A little bit of credit is due to the lads for what they've achieved but unfortunately with certain newspapers that doesn't happen."
What did please Fenlon, however, was the size of the crowd inside Dalymount for the game. With around 6,000 in attendance Fenlon was quick to thanks the fans for the way they got behind the side. "I was delighted with the crowd. The annoying thing with that is that if we had them back every second week we wouldn't have any [financial] problems. It just seems to be the case that they come to the big European games and so-called friendlies, but they're not interested in normal league games. That's just the way it is. There's a friendly in the pipeline and I'm sure we'll fill the place again for that. But they were first class from start to finish and I'm disappointed for them. I'm sure they're going away as gutted as we are."
It had all looked so good for Bohs up until the final few minutes. Having secured a 1-1 draw in Salzburg in the first leg, a 0-0 draw would have been good enough to see them progress to the third qualifying round. However, after a valiant display and just as everyone inside Dalymount Park began to really believe that Bohs were going through, substitute Patrick Jezek capitalised on some poor defending to head the ball over Bohs goalkeeper Brian Murphy and ensure that it was Salzburg who progressed and not Bohemians.
It was a hard one to take for everyone. Fans, players and manager were all equally shell-shocked at the final whistle. As Fenlon ambled into the players lounge inside the bowels of Dalymount Park's main stand shortly after 10pm, the look of despair and disappointment was still etched on his face.
"Yep, it's difficult to take. I thought we were nearly there, almost through, and I think we deserved to go through," he said. "The players were all very good over the two games and they didn't really cause us many problems. There were a lot of crosses into box but Brian Murphy handed it brilliantly. It's just all very disappointing for the players to be honest.
"I don't think they [Salzburg] had a moment of genius in the game. Our game plan was very good, we kept our shape very well and defended well and it was just a sloppy goal. If he scores from 30 yards you could probably take it, but it's disappointing. It's difficult to criticise anyone though, to be honest."
Fenlon admitted that the atmosphere in the dressing room after the game was one of huge disappointment, but he has predicted that his players will bounce back over the coming weeks. "Everyone is gutted, but to a man they were very good. I wouldn't single any one out for praise, I'd rather heap praise on them all. When you've been through what we've been through as a group and you know the effort they've put in and it's taken away from you like that, it's very hard to take.
"They're a good bunch of lads and they'll get over it. We're always determined to keep winning. That's what we're here for, to win leagues. We've got a great bunch of players and they've been first class since I've come to the club and it's a bad blow for them tonight, but they're going to have to deal with that. That's the way football is, it throws up some horrible things at times. They've dealt with a lot this year and it's another kick in the you-know-whats, but they'll get over it, like us all."
The players will have little time to wallow following the defeat with a top of the table clash against bitter rivals Shamrock Rovers to come this weekend. According to Fenlon: " The lads worked hard tonight, they worked hard on Sunday against Derry City and they'll work hard again on Sunday. That's the type of group of lads they are. If we've to play again tomorrow that's what we have to do."
Fenlon again stuck with the 4-5-1 formation in the second leg, after it had worked to such great effect in Austria. When asked whether he would have done anything differently over the two legs, the Dubliner remained unequivocal: No, not a thing. We didn't create too much, but it worked quite well for us in both legs. We had a game plan over two games and we stuck to it. It worked well apart from that sucker-blow at the end. We know we played a quality team, but it's only because we did so well over two games that we're disappointed. We ran them really close but that's no consolation."
As the teams left the pitch after the game, Fenlon appeared to get involved in an altercation with his opposite number, Huub Stevens. However, Fenlon refused to be drawn on the matter, saying: "I've said what I had to say to him and I'll leave it at that. Do I think he gave us the respect we deserve? No, but I’ll leave it at that."
Fenlon also had little interest in talking about what their elimination from Europe would mean for the future of Bohemians. With the club struggling to meet the FAI's 65% wage protocol, progress in Europe would have given a much needed boost to the coffers. "I'm not interested in that," said Fenlon. "There's enough doom and gloom surrounding this club in the newspapers. I mean, every headline that I read in certain newspapers is in relation to finances, yet this group of players and staff have done a double, we're top of the league, in the semi final of the cup and still in the FAI cup, yet people still want to write about finances. A little bit of credit is due to the lads for what they've achieved but unfortunately with certain newspapers that doesn't happen."
What did please Fenlon, however, was the size of the crowd inside Dalymount for the game. With around 6,000 in attendance Fenlon was quick to thanks the fans for the way they got behind the side. "I was delighted with the crowd. The annoying thing with that is that if we had them back every second week we wouldn't have any [financial] problems. It just seems to be the case that they come to the big European games and so-called friendlies, but they're not interested in normal league games. That's just the way it is. There's a friendly in the pipeline and I'm sure we'll fill the place again for that. But they were first class from start to finish and I'm disappointed for them. I'm sure they're going away as gutted as we are."
