We can't waste this performance from Saturday

Last updated : 23 October 2012 By Tony Scholes

McInnes has seen his side drop to 21st in the table after losing a two goal lead against managerless Bolton on Saturday. They've won just two points from their last five games and McInnes admitted: "We are where we are and it is where most people outside of the club expected us to be at the start of the season.

"It is certainly not where the players and I felt we would be but we are here and we have work to do to get ourselves away from it. I have every confidence we will not finish where we are at the minute; I have every confidence we will finish higher than that.

"Privately, the players and myself believe we are better than where we are at the minute, but we have to prove that. A lot of people will be thinking 'here they are again - Bristol City down at the bottom' but I would like to think that it will be different this season.

"We will look forward to trying to prove people wrong and prove ourselves right by showing we are better than we are at the minute."

He added: "There was a lot about the performance on Saturday that I was pleased with, but we've looked at a couple of things we can improve. The most disappointing part was that we didn't go and take part in the game. We spoke about it at half time. We allowed Bolton to have too much possession.

"In the games that we have lost this season I think the team have always been very committed, and I believe that when we are at our best with the crowd behind us we can beat anyone.

"The players are  working hard at the moment and want to be rewarded. Clean sheets and results will come and will install confidence into the team."

McInnes also spoke of the threat posed by Charlie Austin. "I think to stop any striker that is in good form you must try and nullify the service to him," he said. "He isn't overly quick or physical but is someone who can put the ball in the back of the net. Our defence must be concentrated and I expect them to be just that."

Clarets' boss Terry Pashley was delighted with Saturday's performance and result and doesn't want his players to waste it.

“I don’t think they have done anything they aren’t really capable of," he said as he prepared to leave for Bristol. "They have probably fallen below their own standards in a couple of games but I think we know what this group of players is capable of and now we have to reproduce it again tonight. 

“That’s vital. We can’t waste this performance from Saturday. We got a great result and a positive performance and we have to go and back it up with another one. We want to keep looking forward. We have had a good start, a positive start and now our aim is to build on that. 

“The players will really be looking forward to tonight, to go and keep that momentum going, to build on what they’ve done and hopefully come away from Bristol with a positive result.” 

Pashley said nothing drastic had changed, just a few tweaks he'd made after taking training last week. “That’s what they were talking about at the end, especially the defenders and the goalkeeper,” he added. “But to get a clean sheet it has to be a team effort and every one of them was fantastic on Saturday. 

 “We have looked at the whole team. I wouldn’t put the blame at the door of any one unit. When we’ve got the ball we all attack together. When we haven’t got the ball we all defend together. 

“They are the things that I have stressed. We know we score goals and are good with the ball, but I thought on Saturday we were excellent without the ball and we will looking for the same again tonight.”