Iñigo Calderón insisted his Bristol Rovers team must ‘keep pushing’ ahead of their final home fixture of the season against Reading in Sky Bet League One.
The Gas’ early kick-off on Saturday gives them a chance to escape the relegation zone if they avoid defeat before Burton Albion host Cambridge United later in the day. Rovers have lost seven of their previous eight matches in the third tier, recently falling to a 1-0 defeat to Stevenage at The Memorial Stadium.
The Pirates are in the bottom four on goal difference heading into their fixture against the Royals before travelling to Blackpool on the final day of the campaign.
Calderón insisted he has had to lift his team after their difficult run of results and previewed their upcoming game against Reading before delivering team news.
LIFTING THE MOOD
“I have to [pick them up]. I have to do it myself first. On Monday after the game, again, we were really down. I was really down, but it’s true that after on Tuesday, you start to watch the game back, you start to watch the opposition, you start to plan the week and how it’s going to look like for the next game, and you always try to see something positive ahead of you.
“In my life, I’m like that. In my career as a footballer, I was like that, and now, obviously, as a head coach, I have to be like that, and I have to try to pick the boys up a little bit because obviously they were a bit down. But that’s normal because, obviously, they care. They know the situation we are [in], they know what we are doing, but listen, we cannot feel sad or sorry for ourselves. We have to keep pushing, and I understand that, but at the same time, I was quite happy with the session today.
“The thing is, I have been saying that for the last couple of weeks, and I am boring myself to say the same things. For me, if we keep training and trying, I will keep believing. As soon as we stop trying and training well and approaching the game the way we have to, I will give up.”
BATTLING AGAINST RELEGATION
“I was conscious about the situation, and I have been saying in the time where people were thinking we were safe already, I said, ‘no we are not, we are going to be there until the end’. We are there, and we are fighting to try and escape from relegation. Football is like that. That’s why you come into bad runs. That can happen. The other day, I was watching Walsall a little bit, and I think they’ve been 12 games without a win or something like that, and they were at the top. Football is like that. When you are in a good run, everything looks easier. When you are in a bad run, it’s like the run doesn’t finish at all, and we are in one of them. But at the same time, I know that you can change that in the next game.
“It’s difficult to try to explain because I know that I am repeating myself too much, but it’s what I see and what I believe. I cannot lie. I cannot tell you that I am not disappointed or frustrated because obviously I am, but at the same time, I know that the only way we have is to keep going.”
LEADERS IN THE SQUAD
“It’s not about leaders. It's about everyone. Everyone has to do a little bit. Maybe the ones with more experience have to do that, but I think they are doing it. Everyone is different, and the way to express your leadership is different. You can do it by leading by example. You can do it by shouting. You can do it by training well when you are not playing. So, each player is different. I have to understand how everybody is, and as I say, I am the first one that has to be the leader, and obviously, at the moment, I’m not doing that good.”
READING PREVIEW
“How many times have we seen that it is a must-win game? That’s why I feel sorry for the boys that they have to listen to me always saying the same things because you can put the interview from probably two weeks ago and I am probably saying the same things. But at the same time, if we keep trying and fighting, I will be proud of the team. Even if we are not performing the way we would like to, I think the effort and the commitment and the way we try to approach the games has been really good. It’s true that as soon as something bad happens, like the goal again quite early, that affects us too much.
“Probably because you care, and that’s why I always try to support them because it’s not that easy, and you probably look like a worse team than you actually are. But that’s the reality. Reading are fighting for the playoff spots. It’s difficult to say, but I don’t mind too much because I think we have been performing better against teams fighting for things. Exeter, Mansfield and Stevenage came here with no pressure, and we couldn’t beat them, but on the other side, against Bolton, Wrexham and Birmingham, I think we performed better. Again, I try to see the positives.
“When both teams have to do something, even approaching the game, I know more or less what to expect. Whereas when you play against teams that are safe already, like Exeter, they were playing long and another time they play here, and they try to play because they have the points already. At least in terms of the game plan, we know more or less what we are going to face. So, for me, it’s a big positive.”
TEAM NEWS
“We know yet [if Ruel Sotiriou will be available]. He’s a big doubt, and we have Isaac [Hutchinson] with a concussion. So, when you are in a bad run, everything is going against you. I haven’t used excuses two months ago, and I won’t use excuses now. The ones that are fit, have to do the best thing for us, and that’s it. No excuses at all.
“We’re trying to find the solution to that [Sotiriou’s absence]. I tried to do different options this morning, tomorrow in the last session, we keep trying to find solutions, and that’s what I have to do. The players have to try to be at their best, and I have to try and pick the best. That’s my role here.”
MESSAGE TO THE FANS
“I cannot question at all the commitment for the players. It’s different after what you see, but trust me, that’s not the reality. I see them every day, and I see the pain they feel. But at the same time, I see the commitment they have, and it’s important, the last game at home, I know the fans are going to be behind us because we need them. They know we need them, and they have been there the whole season. After the final whistle, if they want to shout at me, I will take it, but please, during the 90 minutes, we need them.”
