First of all, what will the squad situation be Tuesday. Any chances? Anyone you’re waiting on who may come back? Any fitness tests you’ll have to have for anyone?
We’ll have to check the lads who’ve been suffering with an illness. We’ve got three of four like that. We’ve got a few bumps and bruises. There was a lot of ice after the game on Saturday, as you can imagine with the schedule it’s been unrelenting.
We’ll go with a group who we feel can deliver a high-octane, high-energy performance because we know from playing Barrow earlier on in the season, they’re a good side. They drew 0-0 at home on Saturday against Harrogate and we know we’ll have to be at our best to take maximum points.
What do you remember from that first game?
Them being down to 10 men and being really effective with the 10. I thought they were a real threat on the counter.
We had lots of spells of possession, but they defended resolutely and for us we were frustrated coming away from the game with a point.
So, we know just what a tough fixture it will be and we know that we will need to be at the higher end of our performance-levels to take maximum points out of the game.
We talked about the crowd on Saturday and how much of a difference a full house made. I’m just interested can the players hear it in the dressing room. Can they hear the noise or is it when they come out into the tunnel, they first get the sense of it?
I think it’s the whole build-up. I was in the stadium from about 12:15 and you could feel it building. There were a lot of people milling about and a lot of young people. You could feel the energy building and then obviously the players will feel that as they come to the stadium.
It starts in the warm-up. You can hear the noise and as I say you really feel energised by it. For our lads they’ll probably be a bit of nerves. They’ve not been use to big crowds being in, certainly in recent memories.
This is part of our progress and the journey so we’re going to have to get used to it because as we get more and more successful, the crowds are just going to get bigger and bigger.
I think you’ve picked up something like 22 points from 33. Is that the kind of form you’re going to need for the remaining games to be in the picture, do you think?
Yeah, I think so. We’re going to have to take as close to maximum points as we can, every single opportunity that we get. For us there’s enough points on the board and enough teams round us to play that it’ll be decided on our output.
The destiny of our season is in our hands in many ways. We’ve got 14 to go and everything to play for. You don’t want your season to be over in February or March and ours isn’t. Ours is very much alive.
We’ve got to keep scrapping now in every game to make sure that continues right until the last game of the season.
Mark Cooper is in the midst of a touchline ban, does that have any material effect on the game at all? That he won’t be able to influence it from the dugout.
I’m not sure. I’ve only got my experience and it makes it difficult. Certainly, more frustrating as a manager if you’re watching from the sidelines set back from the touchline, it’s really tricky.
He’s got eight games to serve so they’ll be well use to it by now then if he’s already started that. It won’t be ideal. You’d rather be on the side-line with your team.
I’m not sure it will affect the 11 players too much once the whistle goes on Tuesday.
Harvey Saunders missed out on Saturday. It’s not harsh because that shows the competition for places in the squad, but he’s a player that you’ve pointed out has done a lot for you in particular in difficult moments pushing for that place. Do you see him having an influence in a game like Tuesday that’s going to be rugged and physical where that speedy threat might be important?
Yeah, possibly. We’ll try to utilise the group and the squad for the next game. What that looks like, you’ll find out when the team sheets come out at 6:30, usually.
But I think you know we want to deliver a high-energy performance. We want to be on the front foot and getting after teams right out of the gate.
Harvey Saunders definitely helps you do that. He was unlucky to miss out on the bench as was Pablo Martinez and Sion Spence.
We’ve got more than 11 good players so some are not going to get the minutes they want and they’ll be disappointed for sure because they’re proud men and proud players.
On the other side of that you can only name six outfield and one goalkeeper on the bench, so we’ve got more than that in terms of good players that can fill those roles.
Unfortunately, lads are going to miss out, but they’ve got to be absolutely wired in because at any point they could be called upon. They’ll definitely be a couple of changes for the game against Barrow on Tuesday night.
For me Harvey has been outstanding and I know when called upon he’ll deliver a performance to the best of his abilities.
Jon Nolan was in the squad for the first time on Saturday. Have you had a number on how many minutes he could play from the medical staff or is he ready to go for as long as you need him?
He was ready to go for what I needed him for on Saturday. I just felt with the tightness of the contest it wasn’t a contest where you wanted to try and play your way in and get up to speed.
It was quite hair and scare in the middle of the park. Nolo is a ball-playing midfielder. No doubt about it if I’d have put him on, he’d have had no problem dealing with it. I just felt as an introduction it may well have been a baptism of fire, so I chose not to do that today.
But pleased to have him in contention within our squad, because he’s one hell of a player.
Josh Grant, Alex Rodman, Alfie Kilgour, are you going to positive noises that they could be in and around it for Tuesday?
No, not really. Alf is on the grass he might get better in the next period. But I think they’re all going to struggle for Tuesday’s game.
SIGN UP: For our newsletter to receive more exclusive Bristol Rovers content
