Iñigo Calderón says the trip to face Northampton Town is the perfect opportunity for his Bristol Rovers side to show off the improvements they have made in recent weeks.
The Gas travel to Sixfields Stadium to take on Kevin Nolan’s Cobblers on Saturday, looking to return to winning ways after a 2-0 defeat to Wycombe Wanderers on the road last time out.
Away form has been a challenge for Rovers this season, who last got maximum points on the road at Cambridge United at the start of January, but Head Coach Calderón has seen enough from his players to know they can find their best on their travels just like they have at The Memorial Stadium in recent weeks.
Eighteenth play nineteenth in Sky Bet League One on Saturday and Calderón knows the significance of this weekend’s game, as he spoke to the media in his pre-match press conference about his available players, the progress the team is making, defensive work and much more…
INJURY NEWS
"Jack Hunt is fit. He was fit for Tuesday too but it was just a matter of trying to manage his loading. Grant Ward is in contention, I think. We will have to check. He is improving from Saturday. We’ve played over such a short period but hopefully he can be fit for this weekend.
"I normally don’t like to talk about the players we don’t have available because otherwise I then have to speak about Kamil Conteh, Promise Omochere, Gatlin O’Donkor and Romaine Sawyers too, who are players who won’t be able to feature. I prefer to talk about the players who are available because they are the ones who will be out there trying to win at the weekend."
PROGRESS IS NOT A STRAIGHT LINE
"We need bravery but I don’t think that’s a problem. We have that and I’ve seen that in the team. Sometimes it’s about the opposition and you have to give them credit. Some days you have an off day too and then, obviously, it’s more difficult and then you have to find a way.
"Wycombe was, of course, more difficult and I was not too happy but I cannot be too hard on the boys because the progress is there. Progress is not always a straight line. There are bumps in the road, especially against good teams playing away from home. It’s not easy. We are improving and we are happy with the group."
WE ARE CONCEDING FEWER CHANCES
"When I arrived here we conceded three goals in my first three games. If you concede three goals in every game then it’s impossible to win. When you concede just one then you have a great chance and, if you keep a clean-sheet, you have an amazing chance to pick up the right result.
"Playing against the team sat second in the table away from home, okay we conceded two goals but we conceded far fewer chances than in the games before. That’s credit to the boys. We’ve improved attacking for sure and we’re improving defensively too. We’re conceding less chances which means we’re staying in games. We are improving for sure."
WE HAVE TO BE BETTER AWAY FROM HOME
"We’ve done really well at home against the teams around us, but we have to improve away from home. The record has not been too good. We have to show a better version of ourselves away from home because we’re not doing the same when we’re on the road. Saturday is a good chance to show that we are improving."
I AM VERY COMFORTABLE AT ROVERS
"I’m enjoying it here at Bristol Rovers. I feel very comfortable. I played in men’s football for a long time so I know what’s required in terms of the fans, the expectations, the media and everything around the game. I’ve had a good period of time with that as a player and now I’m experiencing it as a head coach too. I feel comfortable with everything.
"We’re obviously in a difficult situation but I’m enjoying what I’m doing here. It’s been a good experience so far and hopefully we can get a few more good results, which will certainly help me sleep better!"
