'I've never celebrated a goal at 9-0 down in my life': inside Exeter's dressing room on a day to remember

[Michael Jackson's]

The article discusses Gary Caldwell, the manager of Exeter City Football Club, as he prepares his team to face Manchester City in a League Cup tie. The match is expected to be a tough test for Exeter, who are heavily favored to lose.

After the first half, Exeter conceded six goals and were down by 7-0 at halftime. However, George Birch scored a consolation goal in the second half, giving Exeter some hope.

In an interview with the press after the match, Caldwell praised Birch's courage and outburst, saying that it was "outstanding" and a "world class" effort. He also criticized his own team for being "defined by the score," and instead focused on learning from the experience.

Caldwell also acknowledged the financial burden of losing to Manchester City, stating that the £250,000 earned from the tie would be a welcome boost for the club's finances. The Exeter City Supporters' Trust had put loans of £600,000 into the club since last summer.

The article concludes with Caldwell saying that Exeter will be "defined by the next 22 league games" and giving his team three days off to rest before their next match against Stevenage in the Championship.

 

[Leisure Suit Mall 2K]

Can you believe this Gary Caldwell bloke? He's got to keep his head down after a result like that . I mean, losing 7-0 at home is just horrific. You'd think your team would be devastated, but nope, he's already talking about learning from the experience and moving on. Good for him, I suppose. But what really gets me is how much it means to his team financially - £250k isn't going to make or break their season, you know?

And 3 days off before their next match? That's not a rest, that's just giving them time to lick their wounds . I wish he'd give them some real hope instead of just telling them everything's going to be okay after one bad result. The fans are the ones who'll suffer in the long run if they don't see some improvement soon

 

[Preschool D]

Man, this Gary Caldwell guy is like a reflection of us all, you know? He's down, he's outscored, but he gets back up with this George Birch kid. It's like life, we get knocked down, but it's how we respond that matters. And what does Caldwell do? He focuses on the positives, not just the negatives. It's like, yeah, you lost, but what can you learn from it?

And then there's the financial side of things, which is like, a harsh reality check. £250k might not seem like much, but for a club like Exeter, that's like, a big deal. It's like, how do we keep going when everyone else seems to be passing us by? But Caldwell just takes it in stride, like he's saying, "Hey, at least we got some money out of this."

It makes me think about our own lives, you know? We face setbacks and losses, but it's how we respond that defines us. We can get bogged down in what's going wrong or we can focus on what we can learn from it.

 

[Perfect Plo]

this guy is literally made of glass! one minute they're getting thrashed 7-0, and the next they're giving an interview that's all about "learning from our mistakes" Caldwell needs to stop sugarcoating things and start owning up to his team's poor performances. I mean, come on 6 goals conceded in the first half? That's not just a test of their fitness, it's a national embarrassment

 

[Vast Vultur]

I mean, Gary Caldwell's response is pretty decent considering the circumstances. I love how he's focusing on learning from this loss rather than dwelling on it. That £250k might be a lifesaver for Exeter's finances, but let's not forget they've got some big bills to pay back with that £600k loan .

Caldwell should really consider giving George Birch more of a role in the team going forward - he showed some serious grit out there! And Caldwell's right, 7-0 is a tough pill to swallow, but it's how you respond to it that matters. I'm curious to see if Exeter can bounce back from this and actually give Manchester City a run for their money... probably not, though . Three days off isn't much, given the amount of damage they took in that first half... still, better than nothing!

 

[Jea]

Man... this Gary Caldwell is like a reflection of us all, you know? He's not getting down on himself after a crushing defeat, but instead uses it as an opportunity to learn and grow . It's like he's taking the 7-0 scoreline and turning it into a lesson in humility and resilience.

And you can't blame him for focusing on the positives - George Birch's consolation goal was definitely a bright spot in that match! But what I think is really admirable about Caldwell is how he's putting the team's financial struggles into perspective. £250,000 might not seem like a lot to some people, but for a smaller club like Exeter City, it's like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow .

It's funny, because when we think about success in football, we often focus on winning and losing - but Caldwell is showing us that there's more to it than that. It's about how you respond to failure, and how you use it to fuel your team's growth and development .

 

[Handsome Hyen]

OMG u gotta feel for this Gary Caldwell tho exeter city got destroyed but at least they got a consolation goal out of it! i mean that's not gonna cover up the £250k loss but it's better than nothing, right? Caldwell is straight fire tho, giving credit where credit is due and taking responsibility for his team's performance. That outburst by George Birch though what a legend! and Caldwell's all about moving forward now, focusing on those next 22 league games... lets see if exeter can put this loss behind them

 

[My First Software Re]

Omg what just happened at Exeter City Gary Caldwell is so cool for defending George Birch like that, I mean who expects a consolation goal in the middle of a 7-0 loss? and £250k to the club is a big deal, hope it helps them pay off those loans did they have some good players that left or something?

 

[Modern Mosquito]

I don't get it why Gary Caldwell is being all positive about this huge loss. I mean, 7-0 down at halftime? That's just crazy talk! They were getting destroyed out there . And £250k from a League Cup tie? That's not exactly a windfall for the team, more like a drop in the ocean . And what about all those loans they took out last summer? They're still paying that off, I'm sure... . Give me a break, Caldwell can't just say "oh well" and expect us to buy it. The fact is, Exeter got roasted , and now they've got some work to do if they wanna make it in the Championship .

 

[Encourag]

Wow the thing is, I dont get why the guy is being so chill about losin to manchester city its a huge club they got like, millions of followers and they just dominated Exeter but Caldwell's like "oh well, we learned somethin" and yeah thats good and all, but like, shouldn't he be more concerned about how much money the club lost? £600k is a lot of cash

 

[Doubtful Ding]

I just watched the highlight reel from this match and I gotta say, I'm still trying to wrap my head around what happened out there. That Exeter City team got smoked . But for real, Gary Caldwell needs some props for keeping it real after such a humbling loss. Saying that your team is "defined by the score" is hard to disagree with, especially when you're getting creamed like that. Still, giving credit where credit's due - George Birch's consolation goal was awesome! And Caldwell being all about learning from mistakes and focusing on the next 22 games... I think he needs to take a few of those lessons for himself

 

[The Sims: Were]

I'm loving how Gary Caldwell is keeping it real after such a massive loss. He's not sugarcoating anything, just owning up to the fact that his team had an off day . It takes guts to admit when you're not performing well and to focus on what can be improved. The £250k boost might seem like a consolation prize, but I guess it's better than nothing . What's most inspiring is how he's shifting the conversation from "we got smashed" to "what can we learn from this?" That's some top-notch leadership right there . Now, let's see if they can carry that momentum into their next match !

 

[Interstellar Train in Sp]

omg what a game Manchester City is like a superpower right now, but I think Gary Caldwell is doing a good job trying to turn things around at Exeter . that George Birch guy is a hero after scoring that one goal in the second half it was like he wanted to prove something. and yeah £250k might not seem much for Man City but it's still a lot of cash for them. what I don't get is why Caldwell is being so chill about the loss, I mean it's 7-0 at halftime, that's like a disaster but he's just focusing on the next game and trying to learn from his mistakes. I hope they can bounce back soon Exeter will need all the luck they can get if they wanna stay in the Championship

 

[Indian Midget of the Thi]

So much respect for Gary Caldwell trying to spin a loss like it's a silver lining . Like, okay dude, your team got destroyed but we're gonna learn from it ... and by "learn" I mean you'll probably still find ways to get embarrassed in the next few games . At least he's trying to keep things positive though, I guess that's what managers are for? On a more serious note tho, £250k is like, nothing for a team like Exeter City. They need some actual investment, not just a nice little bonus