Bristol Rovers and Salford City enter this weekend's fixture at The Memorial Stadium with form on their side, with Darrell Clarke confident his team will be up for the test.
The Gas are unbeaten in their previous six fixtures in Sky Bet League Two, winning four straight fixtures before a 1-1 draw away to Colchester United last Saturday, with Fabrizio Cavegn netting a first-half opener before Micah Mbick equalised for the U's.
The Pirates have plenty of momentum after a tough start to the 2025/26 season and have one of their biggest challenges of the new campaign tomorrow. Salford have impressed and are in second place after collecting 19 points from nine fixtures and scoring 16 goals, with only Swindon Town netting more than the Ammies.
Speaking to the media before the fixture, Clarke reflected on the last week before stressing the importance of the upcoming clash against Salford.
COLCHESTER REFLECTIONS
“Going on Saturday, I think on the performance, probably six or seven changes dipped below the level with the quality on the ball. Not the effort, not the endeavour, we get all of those statistics, such as the runs, the high-speed running and stuff, it had nothing to do with that. It was just the quality at times.
"A few players didn’t perform as well as they have been, and our goalkeeper has had a good game. That’s what he’s in to do. I thought Luke [Southwood] was outstanding on Saturday with his handling. He didn’t have a lot of saves to make, but what he did do, he did very efficiently. If you’re not performing well, make sure you get something out of games, especially away from home, and we did that. So, we’ll move on.
“It’s a results business. You can sit here as a Head Coach or a Manager, but at the end of the day, it’s about getting results. I’ve always said that, I’ve never shied away from that, and sometimes you have to pick up results when you’re not performing at your best. It was good to have that trait on Saturday, but we want to get back to good performances, and that starts again tomorrow with an opportunity to do that and to build on this unbeaten run we’re on at the minute.”
DEADLINE DAY ADDITIONS INTEGRATING
“The spirit is really good, and I wouldn't say it if I didn’t mean it. The spirit in the camp and the togetherness in the group is good. We have to keep growing that. I think the new lads have fitted in great with that. We knew that and understood that when we brought them in. So, now it’s about getting it connected.
“The more minutes they play, the more the group plays and trains together, the more connected the group is. But within the course of that, you pick up a few injuries, and you have players that are away on internationals. So, trying to get thatconsistent flow is always difficult in football, but we believe we’ve got an adaptable squad. We’re going to need that and use that as injuries, suspensions and international call-ups come along the way."
CONNECTIONS BUILDING
“Fabrizio is coming from a different county and coming over here and has settled in really well. He’s got a couple of league goals, a couple of goals in the Vertu Trophy and is looking sharper. The fans have taken to him because of his work rate, not just scoring goals, but his work rate, his endeavour, and I think the slip and slide from Alfie Chang last week was a great ball. So, we’ve got to make sure that we keep getting those different connections, and that helps with the work we do on the training pitch. Our attention to detail has to be good and spot on to make sure those connections show like they did on Saturday with that goal."
TRAINING THIS WEEK
“There are always the basics of the game that you’ve got to get right, your in and out of possession, but every game gives you a different problem. In League Two, there are some possession-based teams, and there are some big and strong aggressive teams that get the ball forward quickly. So, you’ve got to be able to adapt.
“You’ve got to understand what the next team is bringing to you in their strengths and also their weaknesses, and just focus on that. You’ve always got your bits and pieces you want to work on, your intensity in training, your press, your counter-press and a few passes as quickly as you can to get to the goal. There are all different areas you want to work on to try and get better, but then also have the understanding that the next game is not the same as the last one.”
SALFORD CITY PREVIEW
“They are scoring a lot of goals. They have started the season really, really well. Karl Robinson is obviously an experienced manager and has been there for a decent amount of time, and has a more settled group now. So, we know it is going to be a tough game, but with The Mem, we’re back home and looking forward to it. I think the crowd will be well up for the game; we certainly will be. Only one-fifth of the season is gone, but it looks like a big game on paper on Saturday, so let's make it into that.
“I’ll be looking to see how my team answers those questions come Saturday. The team that is coming are in form and we’re in form, so hopefully it sets up to be a decent match.”
