David Horseman stated that Bristol Rovers have worked on creating more chances ahead of their Sky Bet League One clash against Wrexham on Saturday.
The Gas are playing at The Memorial Stadium for the final time in 2024 in front of a bumper crowd before ending the year with away trips to Exeter City and Stevenage.
Rovers are in 20th position and will be looking to bounce back to winning ways after scoring one goal in their last six games in all competitions, going goalless in three successive outings in the third tier.
Horseman discussed the week of training, previewed the match against Wrexham and emphasised the importance of the fans.
A GOOD WEEK OF TRAINING
“It’s always tough, and I’ve been through some times where managers change, and unfortunately, that’s part of the game,” said Horseman. “I think what the lads can probably do is either lose their energy or refocus and get ready to impress the next person.
"Lucky enough, probably in the last few days, they’ve probably gone the more positive way in terms of wanting to know who the next person is and be ready for it. They’ve trained really, really well.
“Also, a game against Wrexham is one to look forward to, and it’s an exciting one. Since the weekend, it’s obviously a tough time, but actually, the lads have responded really well, and we’ve had a good week's training so far.”
CREATING CHANCES
“I will be taking the game on Saturday, so we’ve prepared properly, we’ve done a lot of research, we’ve shown some clips, we’ve trained,” he said. "There’s no secret that we’ve worked so far this week on ‘how to we create chances?’
“We’re not creating any chances in volume and quality. I’m going to be really open and honest; we’re going to cross the ball a lot. That’s the aim, that’s, what’s been told, that’s what’s been worked on. Shots from outside the box. At the moment, we might have to create the volume to then start refining and actually find a way of creating really good, xG (expected goals) based chances.
“The boys have really embraced it. They know once they’ve crossed the white line, they’ve got to make good decisions, they’ve got to be technically better than what we’ve been in recent weeks, and if we put that right, there’s good players in our dressing room.
“The players have got to put it right on Saturday. No matter what happens, they’ve got to show a bit of fight and desire for the badge, and we’ve got to create a volume of chances.”
WREXHAM PREVIEW
“Wrexham are really efficient and what they do,” Horseman stated. “They play some nice stuff, but they have a mixture where they can put the ball in the box. They’ve got two really good wing-backs, so stopping crosses will be massive for us.
“Then we’ve got to find a way where we can maybe exploit one or two areas. I won’t say too much on here because someone from Wrexham might be listening to this, but we think there is one or two areas that we can definitely get at them.”
INJURY NEWS
“The squad are looking really good,” he said. “We’ve got 92 per cent availability, which is well above league average. Just for context, I had 72 per cent at Forest Green, so that’s a huge swing.
“Lino Sousa is closer but not ready for this weekend. Everybody else is as it was. Promise has got his first 25 or 30 minutes on Saturday, so 45 to 60 would be something that probably would be realistic to him without wanting to push too quickly and break down.
“The boys are fit and healthy, and there will be three not even in the squad this weekend. So, it’s a nice problem to have.”
SUPPORT FROM THE FANS
“Their support is massive, and they have been brilliant for us at the right times,” said Horseman. “What we do know is at the moment, we need help. Now, we have to bring energy to them, but when we’re really struggling, and we are struggling at the moment, we hope they bring the energy.
“It’s going to be a big crowd. Wherever Wrexham goes, it’s a big crowd. I would just say that these players probably need them more now than probably any stage of the season. I’ve said to the players that we need to give the fans something back.
“There’s got to be tactics and a style of play, but there’s got to be a bit of fight, passion and energy. Too many times, we haven’t brought that, so we need to give that to the fans.”
