Glenrothes FC player/boss Stuart Cargill: 'I'm not used to current struggle'
As the player/manager of a team without a win in ten league games this season, times are tough just now for Glenrothes gaffer Stuart Cargill.
And the 36-year-old former East Fife and Kelty Hearts striker’s mood wasn’t improved any last weekend, as Glens crashed 3-1 at Ardeer Thistle in the South Challenge Cup third round.
"It's really difficult,” Cargill said. “I spoke to the players at the end of the game and I said, without trying to talk myself up, I've always played for a team that's kind of been at the top of the table, used to winning.
"Being down the bottom is new for me. But I'm resilient and I know the boys are as well and we'll get out of it.
"It’s a catch-22 situation. You need confidence to win games but you need to win games to get confidence.
"We're working so hard in training, on specifics and individual things and ways that we want to play. And when it comes to a Saturday, because we're still fighting for these wins, it's like we're not getting the freedom to try and express these things we're trying to deliver. But I know we'll get there. We've got too much individual quality and we've got boys with great attitudes, but it's just trying to break that barrier now.”
Ardeer were 1-0 up within ten minutes last weekend when Kyro Crawford glanced home a Thomas Miller corner.
Crawford added his second goal on the half hour mark when he scored a penalty awarded for a foul on Stewart Morgan.
And Miller made it 3-0 before half-time when he slotted home after an excellent through ball by Greg Kean.
Glenrothes pulled one back with four minutes remaining when Ian McManus flicked the ball home following a corner.
"Ian’s goal was probably the only plus point,” Cargill said. “We really weren't happy with ourselves. I was left pretty dejected on Saturday night.”
Glenrothes, third bottom of the East of Scotland Football League Premier Division with two points from nine matches, visit Bo’ness Athletic in the league tonight in a 7.45pm kick-off before a home league game against Jeanfield Swifts this Saturday which kicks off at 2.30pm.
"All the games in this league are difficult,” Cargill said. “We up our game against the better teams.”