Steve Evans feels his Bristol Rovers team can compete with anyone in Sky Bet League Two and that his side are more like themselves after a positive week of results.
The Pirates have lost five of their previous six games in the fourth tier, results opposite to how the Gas started the season, but a strong start to November looks to have put them back on course.
A 2-0 triumph over Sky Bet League One side Cambridge United in the Emirates FA Cup was followed by a successful outing against Reading in the Jersey Mike's Trophy, setting the Gas up for success for the rest of the month.
The games continue to come thick and fast. Chesterfield is up next for Rovers, with the Spireites looking to strengthen their promotion hopes with a positive result on the road.
Speaking to the media ahead of the game, Evans previewed the game against Chesterfield and last week's results and performances.
MUCH BETTER WEEK
"Our performance against Cambridge merited the result. It merited the way the lads went about their business. And when we have a performance like that, then we know we're more than capable of winning any game. So that was nice.
"Then obviously we made 11 changes going into Tuesday against Reading, and that was a test for some of our players because they were catching up on minutes and things. But I thought the reaction to being 2–0 down, to getting back in the game and then winning was great. You can imagine, over the last couple of days in here, the players have been bouncing."
INJURY NEWS
"We need everyone. You know, we've been severely depleted. I don't think we can state accurately enough the big players we've missed compared to what other teams have missed. They've missed one or two; we've missed six or seven of them. So, it's been difficult. But we hope we're coming through that spell, and we're hoping for a little injury-free period in the run-up to when we see Santa.
"Ellis Harrison has trained today. So, I think we were always hopeful when we started the week, when he was doing some really hard work with the medical staff. But he's trained today. Obviously, it'll be tomorrow to see if there's any effect from today, but he's done the whole session and trained very well.
"I think the others are the slightly longer-term ones, in terms of Jack and Riley. But yeah, I think you can see from the numbers that we're quickly getting people back and people up to speed. And of course, one or two of the youngsters from the academy stepped up in midweek as well and acquitted themselves brilliantly.
"Jack Aitchison's closer than Riley Harbottle. Jack's on the grass, Jack's doing some running. So, we're probably bang on schedule for where we said they would be, which is both on the grass at the end of this month and then into December. Jack is near us, and Riley probably towards the end of the month. That's where we always thought.
"So, there's no surprise. But the medical staff have done a good job. They were bad injuries. You can tell from the length of time, but they're 80 per cent of the way through that now. So, they're coming back, which is what we need. We've missed a Harbottle, especially when we've not had Tommy available. You miss a Jack Aitchison.
"He never missed a game at Exeter in three years, comes here and gets a nasty little hamstring injury and Riley's such a competitor. He's always going to pick up bangs and bruises. But we've missed them, as we've missed four or five others."
KAZIM SALAHI-ALI
"Well, that's another thing for Saturday. Young Kazim comes into our thoughts. He is a very talented boy. We've asked his school for permission so he can train with us tomorrow. We're waiting for that permission to be granted. If it is, he'll train, and then we'll make a decision. But even if it's only for training tomorrow, it's a real opportunity for that young man to get some real quality experience.
"I think it's amazing. I don't do social media whatsoever, but I've read some bits that have been put in front of me from social media where his family have been talking about how proud they are, and so they should be.
"So they should be. He's a young man that's worked so hard, been at the Gas since Under-7s. I was talking to our club secretary this morning; she was telling me he signed here as a six-and-a-half-year-old. And to see him at 15 representing the first team, the second-youngest player ever to play for the club, and I don't know the facts behind this, he may be the youngest player ever to play in a league game if he plays on Saturday."
THE PERFORMANCE AGAINST CAMBRIDGE
"I think personnel gives you a chance. You're bringing Kofi Balmer back into the group; you're bringing Tommy Leigh back into the group. One or two players started a little fitter, in terms of being 100% fit as opposed to 70 or 80 per cent in previous weeks. Joe Quigley went onto the pitch at Fleetwood at no more than 60 per cent, and he's suddenly as close to 100 per cent as Joe will ever be. So that gives you a chance.
"But I think confidence. The first goal goes in, the belief then comes back because these players, in terms of social media and media, have been battered for the last three, four, five weeks, as we all have. My experience tells me you have to put that behind you and concentrate on the one in front of you.
"But for some men and young men in our dressing room, they needed that confidence from going in front, getting a second goal, and beating a team who were sitting seventh in League One on the day we played them."
BEING A PHYSICAL TEAM
"It makes a difference to us. I think when we're without Ellis and Joe, that makes it extremely difficult because teams are set up, and managers set squads up, in different ways. We've always, as a management team, played with physicality at the top end of the pitch. Some managers set up to be a technical side, and there's a clear difference.
"So, we had to try to become a technical side when we're not. We're a physical side who plays on the front foot, with some talented players that have to play like that to get the best from them.
"So confidence as well for those players to play on the front foot and try passes. You see from last Friday night, the boys were trying things. Midway through the second half, we go one up, and they're trying passes that, believe me, when you're 1–0 down, and the crowd's on your back, you don't try them.
"But we've been very fortunate at The Mem. The support has been absolutely incredible. Through a terrible run over four or five weeks, the support for this football club never ceases to amaze you, and I thank every one of them."
GETTING BACK ON TRACK
"It's more like us. The facts are, when you play as we've played, it was more like us. The game against Swindon was more like us for long periods. The games against Salford and Barnet, we were very good. We didn't win either, but we were very good.
"So when we play like that, we know we can compete with the best. You don't always beat the best. And one of the top three teams in the league, in my opinion, Chesterfield, is coming here on Saturday. They have an array of talent, and they score goals, lots of goals, in tough games."
THOUGHTS ON CHESTERFIELD
"We have to be able to demonstrate on Saturday that we can compete with them over 90 minutes. And if we win the game, that's a blessing. But we have to be able to compete with those teams because there'll be lesser opposition coming to The Mem in the weeks ahead.
"First and foremost, the full focus is on us. We have demonstrated very clearly in the last month that we've got two ways of playing. We're either very good or not good at all. But you're right to quote the Chesterfield scenario with the highest possession. Their side is built on total technicality and technical ability. You look at who Paul Cook signs as players.
"Every one of them can put a ball on a toadstool from 60 yards like Tommy. We have a few of them, but we hope that the strengths we have in our squad can nullify a lot of theirs. But it's going to be tough, and Chesterfield will have the ball at times, and we're going to have to respect that. But we're going to have to defend and get into shape properly. And when we get the ball, we're going to have to do lots with it."
