Forest Green boss Robbie Savage insisted his players could have given more following a goalless draw at Boston.
A point in Lincolnshire maintained Rovers’ unbeaten start to the season, but Savage was grounded during his post-match synopsis: “I am into psychology and I’m not that much into quotes, but we’ve got a quote in our dressing room. Hard work beats talent and talent doesn’t work hard. And that was the case in the first half. We’ve got all the talented players in the world in this league, but if that talent gets outrun, outsprinted by the opposition, then there’ll be a problem.
GAFFER TAPES: Listen to Robbie Savage’s unabridged post-match synopsis
He highlighted individual defensive performances: “Jordan Moore-Taylor and Ryan Inniss defended unbelievably well. Luke McNicholas has been brilliant since he came in — the saves at the near post, the one where Mendy lost his man, they were massive. That’s why we’ve got a clean sheet.”
Savage was clear about his expectations for attacking play: “I want to see bravery. I want to see creativity. I want to see somebody drop a shoulder, do a Cruyff turn, get one-on-one. We won’t go past people if we don’t take risks. We need dynamism, we need people coming towards the ball, doing one-twos, linking play. Tonight, we saw nothing of that.”
He also reflected on missed opportunities and the importance of turning control into wins: “With all due respect to Boston, a fantastic club, brilliant staff, brilliant fans, if we want to win this league, we have to come here and take three points. Tonight feels like two points dropped. Champions turn performances like that into victories.”
Savage stressed the role of work rate and physical output: “I’ll be looking at the stats on the way home — did we run enough, did we sprint enough? When we outrun teams, we win. We’ve outrun every single team this season. That’s the standard we’ve set.”
He also praised specific players for showing the mindset he wants: “Jili Buyabu came on and played with no fear. Give me the ball, give me the ball, I want to do something. That’s what we need more of — players willing to take risks, allowed to make mistakes, players who play with freedom.”
Savage acknowledged the collective effort of his squad while pushing for higher standards: “I’ll always defend my team because they’ve been magnificent. We’re unbeaten, we’re top of the league. But tonight, collectively, we could have given more. Too many people weren’t taking risks. Too many weren’t being brave. Too many weren’t creative. That’s the standard we demand.”
Savage paid tribute to the travelling supporters: “Incredible. Ninety-six fans, a seven-hour round trip. Same faces, same passion, the cost, the commitment — it means so much.
Savage concluded with a challenge for the upcoming fixtures: “We’ve not lost, we’re unbeaten, but tonight wasn’t us. We have to be better, braver, more creative. These are the standards — mine, my staff’s, the club’s. We’ll pick ourselves up and go again.”
