Darrell Clarke says Bristol Rovers are looking to build on improvements in recent games when the Gas travel to take on Grimsby Town on Saturday.
The Pirates head to Blundell Park on a three-game unbeaten run in all competitions, with two clean-sheets and four points claimed in the last two Sky Bet League Two matches.
However, the Mariners may prove to be Rovers’ toughest test yet, sitting fourth in the division after an unbeaten start to the campaign and riding high after an unforgettable Carabao Cup victory over Manchester United on Wednesday evening.
However, speaking to the media on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s long trip across the country, Clarke indicated Grimsby’s midweek cup heroics would have no bearing on his side when 3pm on matchday arrived.
The head coach also offered insight into his team’s dynamic, how his new signings are settling in, and hopes for the remainder of the summer transfer window…
After the last week, how many steps forward are you seeing from the team of players?
“I think if we go back to last week, I thought the Tuesday night against Oldham, we put in a really good performance. I thought Saturday we battled it out. Decent enough first half, grind out second half. Tuesday, nowhere near good enough. Listen, we can talk about how we came back into the game and we win the game on penalties, but for me, the standards that I want to be taking our club to, we were nowhere near it and the feelings were known after the game.
“Yes, there were one or two promising things on Tuesday, so I don’t want all about negative only, but some of that performance was unacceptable. It’s a good job they did respond, and they did respond second half. Fabrizio Cavegn comes on, scores a couple of goals, which would be great for him and there were one or two things that. You know you sometimes see things in those games that you go, okay, that’s miles off it, but there’s one or two where you go, okay, that’s good. I’m pleased that we showed character and came back in it.”
I can imagine as a coach, you don’t want games like that, but in a way, early in the season, can they be quite useful in terms of setting out, ‘that is absolutely not acceptable, this is what we need?’
“We’ve had loads of games and I always want to be a manager that gives people opportunities, some players have had more opportunities than others, but some players need to have more understanding of where I am and where we are going to take this Club to.
“There has to be that understanding, and I’m honest with my players, I’m honest with the individuals that I feel need to be a lot, lot better, and you know you want to see that response. Certainly, what it's shown me is that with those games it’s certainly given me a lot of questions in my head that have been answered.”
You mentioned Fabrizio because when you come into a new country, a new club, everything that is involved with that, I think getting that first goal is huge isn’t it? So hopefully that will play a big part in him getting settled into Rovers.
“For me as well, the new players that come into the club in the summer, there will always be a mixture of certain players taking a little bit more time to adjust. They’re still trying to form connections on the pitch, they always get a little bit more slack from me, I think some of the players coming in from the start, have started well here, some need to be better. I get that, but they get a little bit of leeway from me, the players that have been there for a long period of time, they aren’t getting any leeway from me, they need to show more on a consistent basis, that they’re going to be able to handle me.
“Going back to Fabrizio there, he was great. He’s come on, scored a couple of goals, I mean he’s going to give everything. The fans are loving him for his work rate alone and how he works, and we’ll improve him, so he gets used to the English game, but I’ve been pleased with the impact.”
As a player I think you want to play as many games as you possibly can, but it’s not the same as a coach I get the feeling it’s very different, you’d rather have Saturday-Saturday as much as you can?
“When you’re working with a new group and the changes that have been implemented, you want to work with them as much as possible. I pride myself and my coaches pride themselves by the work that we can do out on the grass but when you’re trying to connect a new group, and it’s quickfire game after game, where we can get some real proper fitness work into the team is tough to find.”
We talked about some of the squad scoring goals but last two league games, two clean sheets and you’ve had that sort of settled back four, back five and including the keeper, that looks a lot more like what you’d want it to be.
“Yeah, we’ve got to continue to do that. It’s going to be a good test against a free scoring team in Grimsby this weekend. They’ve been high up on the expected goals, touches in the box, so we’re going to have to train really well to try and get our third clean sheet.
“I think it’s been two or three years since the club’s had three clean sheets in a league game, so that’s a little bit of a target for the boys to aim at on Saturday, and you know we’re going to have be at our best to keep a clean sheet there.”
Obviously, Grimsby are very much front and centre there after the cup win. Can that impact their players at all
“Listen, I can’t control that, I don’t know the answer to that. All that I know is we want to be at our best to go to a team that’s unbeaten this season to pick up the three points. My focus is solely on that.
“Having a game plan in place to try and go up there and win the game. I’ve always been the same, you know that. So, it will be a good test, that’s one I’m looking forward to.”
It is getting towards the end of the transfer window. Are you expecting a busy few days?
“I expect a busy spell just to strengthen the right areas that we need to strengthen. Reassessing over these last couple of months as well, there might be one or two going out and freshening the squad up. I expect a busy day, so hopefully that doesn’t disappoint.”
You’ve been through a few of these now. Do you get less stressed about it now?
“I do, I do, but you always get to the period where with the games, and then doing the recruitment, you’re looking at other players and meetings with recruitment teams, with Ricky Martin. It’s meetings after meetings after meetings, and you’re still fitting lots of games in. So you’re relieved when the window’s shut.
“I think we’ve made some really good signings in the summer, we’ve had to make massive cuts to what was a really high wage bill last season. We’ve had to make those cuts because of the level that we’re down to, so that’s always a challenge as a manager, to be able to do that and still get a competitive squad out there, which hopefully at the back end of the window we can be happy with.”
