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Video nasty

Mike Glendinning
7/11/2007

IAN Brightwell’s choice of Saturday night viewing backed up his worst suspicions - that Macclesfield got what they deserved at Mansfield Town.

Brightwell, his assistant Asa Hartford and physio Paul Lake watched the video of the 5-0 defeat with disgust on their return from Field Mill.

And the 90-minute horror flick confirmed his worst fears.

"We looked at the video on Saturday night because it was playing on my mind," he said.

"I wondered if it was as bad as I thought it was - and the answer is yes, it was. It was abysmal. We’ve got to stop leaking goals, because we were so poor defensively.

"When you go 4-0 down before half-time, you can either go down like a lead balloon or go out and fight your way back, battle and try to get a goal, and try to scrape some pride back.

"We’ve still got to go out and do that in the next games."

The defeat - and a run of nine league games without a clean sheet before Tuesday’s Brentford clash - illustrates the need to reinforce the back line.

"We have to stop leaking goals because individuals weren’t doing their jobs," he said. "We’ve not really had a settled back line for one reason or another, but it’s the same group of players that did so well earlier in the season, so it’s a difficult one to put your finger on."

After two key defensive departures, Brightwell’s search for a tower of strength has proved fruitless.

"I spoke to four managers last week but the players involved either went somewhere else or their clubs wouldn’t let them go out," he said.

"I am speaking to another few and hopefully someone will be coming in later this week.

"It is imperative that I get someone in and it has to be the right player but the reason it hasn’t happened yet isn’t from a lack of trying. But we have to improve, and quickly."