Every word Gerhard Struber said on QPR loss, substitute impact, Bristol City 'identity' and more | Bristol Live

A full transcript of everything Bristol City boss Gerhard Struber said to the print media after the Robins' Ashton Gate defeat to QPR

The October international break is now upon us, and for Bristol City, it doesn’t feel as though anyone is sure whether it has come at a good or bad time, with the Robins winless in their last four matches, but down to their bare bones in certain areas.

Gerhard Struber's side ended their block of five games between September and October's intervals with a second league defeat of the season, as they let a one-goal lead slip to be beaten 2-1 by Queens Park Rangers at Ashton Gate on Saturday afternoon. After Emil Riis headed the Reds into the lead, City twice conceded in the second half to head into the break sitting 10th in the Championship.

After an open first 30 minutes, the Robins opened the scoring when Riis rose highest to direct a Neto Borges' cross back across the face of goal and into the top left corner. The Dane's fourth of the season proved to be enough to send City into the break ahead, but Richard Kone levelled shortly after the hour mark as he slammed into the roof of the net from close range.

Then, with just six minutes of regulation time remaining, Paul Smyth ensured all three points would be heading back to Loftus Road as he got the jump on Ross McCrorie to loop a header over Radek Vitek and into the back of the net. Try as they might to find a leveller, City couldn't carve out the moment of quality needed to snatch a point.

Understandably, the result and the Robins' recent run of form meant that the full-time whistle was greeted with a sense of frustration, a feeling echoed by the City head coach. Here is a full transcript of everything Struber said to the print media in his post-match press conference...

A frustrating week in many ways. Twice ahead but only a point to show for it, what do you feel went wrong today?

In the end, we were not sharp enough in defending moments. They have some moments with cross-balls where it was too easy how they come with quality cross balls. We were not with the right pressure there and, of course, we were surprised by how they catch-up the in-line and at the same time, to second balls, we were not ready. This was, in the end, the problem defence-wise, and in the end, we have enough chances to win this game.

We were in front of the goal, and two or three times, we have to score. I remember Twiney first half, I can remember Ross McCrorie second-half, also Yu has a good moment, and Anis has a good moment, so I would say, in this direction, we have to score. In both boxes, today the problem was that we were not sharp enough in both boxes and that we give the lead away so cheaply; this is really frustrating.

Two very different games in a way. Tuesday night, you were up against such high-quality opposition; today not so much quality in the game at all.

I would say, of course, Queens Park Rangers are also a really good team and this the typical world of the Championship. Every single opponent has some skills, some special elements where you have to deal and I would say today, we were not so sharp in some moments where we are normally. Of course, I think the amount of games is something that we have to deal with and we have to manage that.

At the same time, we have to be critical with ourselves and how we deal in both boxes. At the same time, two moments where the referee, on a really good level, could help us in the end to create the right decisions. This was a foul on McCrorie and a foul on Neto in the penalty area, so both situations were not on the highest level from the referee, and this is also very, very painful that we have in the end, a result where we influence in a direction, but also the referee was not happy.

The Borges' one, everyone in the ground seemed to see it other than the referee. It was extraordinary that it wasn't given.

We have to deal with that. I think it's not the last one, the referee has maybe the one or other mistake. Today, we have to win this game; we have to use chances, we have to be strong in our defending moments. This was, in the end, the problem, and this is what I speak to my boys. The referee, this is painful. I hope he learns from that.

Overall, it has been a decent start and you've got a break now. How happy are you with your start to the season in general?

I calculate [for] more points, so, of course, this is something where we should have three to five points more on our account but that's the one situation with results. On the other side, performance-wise, I can see from the boys many, many good games and actions exactly the way we want to go. The boys show me, in many games, the picture that I want, at the same time, we can see how important it is in my identity that everyone is super sharp and super ready.

We can not lose one player or two players in a relaxing mode. This crashed our system, this crashed our identity, and in this direction, everyone has to know that when he jumps into the game, he has to be ready and not in the 80 per cent mode.

Gerhard, did you feel that was the case today? That there were a couple who slipped below that standard?

I think, of course. I think when we look about Preston, when we look about Ipswich, the standard and the expectation, of course, from every single one, is really, really high, and the boys invest a lot. In this way, they try today also everything, but [to] be also ready here [the mind] is a little bit of a different topic. Of course, we need every single player from the bench, from the starting position to be sharp for our style of play, and in this way, especially this game, it gives me the one or other good feedback today.

Did you feel your substitutes have quite the impact that you wanted?

Of course, I need, in the end, every single player to give the game something in a positive way. Of course, I think we have to be critical with ourselves, how we start in the game, how we deal with difficult moments, and also, of course, when we come in sub moments, that every single one is sharp and ready. The temperature of the games is about the identity and the intensity, always a little bit higher; you have no time to jump in the game and find an acclimation. You have to come quick in the game and we have to do it and improve that on a better way.

You mentioned the Ross McCrorie decision. Did you feel that was a push?

Yes, this was a clear push. We show it now again. The referee was very close, and this was the big surprise. On the next direction with Neto, when you look at what is going on, on his lip, it’s completely open. This was a clear touch and in this direction, [we’re] very unlucky two times with the referee and his decision.

I saw that you spoke to the fourth official. Do you get any sort of feedback as to why that wasn't given?

Right now, nothing. Only that he wants to watch the moments back, but this is not helpful. In the end, this can happen; it will not be the last time, so we have to deal with that and not let it drive us to be, in the end, the passenger on the plane, emotion-wise. Then we get a yellow card, a yellow card or topics with the referee; this is something where we have to learn, that we stay very clear in our way of football and don't lose energy with refereeing decisions. At the same time, it's not easy when we realise decisions like that.

We spoke to you at the last international break about using this block of games as a marker. The performances, on the whole, have been good, but do you feel you should have more points?

Yes, I think this is exactly so. When I see the performances, and I see the outcomes, the outcome is too less. In the end, we need results. We need results so that we are in the areas that we want in the table. To be only with the performances on a nice level makes in the end not a professional team successful.

We have to be super sharp, and we have to be critical with ourselves to improve in the next few weeks so that we are ready. We need clean sheets, we need, in the end, more goals that we have to score, and today, what's absolutely impossible is that we score more goals and defend our own goal much better.

What do the next couple of weeks look like for you and the team? What's the plan for the break?

We have an in-house game again on Tuesday, and we want to train with the boys, of course. I think this is something where we have to be better and better and better. But at the same time also, the one or other gap that we have, we have to be in this direction better: how we defend our box, how we realise our box defending together, in a better staggering, and also the behaviour must be much stronger.