Liam Watson: I got AFC Telford team wrong
AFC Telford United manager Liam Watson has admitted he picked the wrong team line-up and formation in the first-half of the 3-1 defeat to Braintree Town.
The Bucks chief has favoured a 5-3-2 formation for much of this season, but had enjoyed success with 4-4-2 in Tuesday's FA Cup first round replay win over Basingstoke.
That selection was influenced by injuries and unavailability but Watson opted to stick with it for the visit of Braintree and his team then shipped three first half goals on their way to a disappointing defeat.
And he said: "That first-half was, without a doubt, as bad as it has been this season. No excuses. I have got to look at myself, because I think I picked the wrong line-up and the wrong shape.
"It was probably going off the fact that we had a good result against Basingstoke in the week. But it has been proven time and time again that it doesn't work for us when we get pressure put on us.
"And it was the same again here. You could turn round and say that their first goal was miles offside - because it was. But that is making excuses.
"And their third goal kills the game off. It was a cross into the box and we just don't pick it up. The game had gone at half-time.
"We just looked leggy. We looked like we didn't have any energy, didn't have anything in terms of pressing, commitment, work rate, especially in the final third of the pitch.
"We didn't put them under any kind of pressure and, if you just look at their forwards, they worked Andy Parry, they worked Steve Akrigg, they put them under pressure just by working, and we never did."
Telford improved in the second-half after Watson rang the changes at the interval, making three substitutions and switching to 3-5-2.
But he said: "We came out in the second half and showed a little bit of character but that was easy. because the game has gone and I suppose we were playing the second half for a bit of pride."
He added that his team, which is bottom of the Conference Premier, have suffered too many defeats against teams in the bottom half of the table.
He said: "It has been our Achilles heel. We have slipped up in games against your Dartfords, your Dovers, the teams in and around down the bottom.
"Braintree aren't going to be anywhere near the bottom come the end of the season, but we have got make sure we stay in games and work our socks off.
"The more clean sheets we get the more points we get and that is what we haven't been able to do."
