Rovers Boss Paul Trollope On Tomorrow

Last updated : 09 November 2007 By Thetashkentterror
Pirates manager Paul Trollope
Bristol Rovers boss Paul Trollope spoke to the official Pirates website and the Bristol Evening Post about the match against the Blues at Brunton Park tomorrow, Trollope commenting :


"So far it's been a good week. We've had a good few days to work on things, and we've spent time on stuff that we might not have been able to do had we had a midweek match. Sometimes when you lose a game you want to go out there as soon as you can to try and bounce back, but I think after the intense start to the season we've had that this week will have done us good.

"We've taken a step back to look at what we can do better, and we've been preparing thoroughly for this weekend's game. We have to make sure that we make the most of our attacks and that's been the theme in training this week. There's been stuff to work on defensively, but quite a lot of work on our final pass, shots and crosses so we can turn our possession into chances.

"It will be a difficult place to go, but the structure we've followed in away games we'll be following again. We'll be leaving early on the Friday, stopping off in Stoke for some training, and then carrying on up the road. We've travelled well so far this season, and we'll be looking to continue that and build on it against Carlisle.

"You have to defend right, that is obvious in away games, but just as importantly you have to make sure that when you go forward you make the most of your attack. This week we've been trying to improve our final pass or cross, to ensure we're more clinical in the final third.

"Carlisle may have had a slight dip, but they've had a good start to the season overall and we know it's a tough place to go. Carlisle counter-attack a lot and in recent performances have sat quite deep, but it may be that they come out more and try to attack us. They have a good mix of youth and experience amongst their squad with some tough, experienced defenders and some ball-playing midfielders.

"Kevin Gall is a player known to Bristol Rovers, and he's done very well up there. He's got good feet and pace, and he has the ability to cause us problems, but we'll go up there looking to play our own game and to impose ourselves on them.

"It's important we stay in the top half of the table. We've made a decent start - it could have been better, but it could have been worse. This time last year we'd had a difficult start because we hadn't won many matches, but we knew within the camp that some of our performances had been decent and things would improve if we kept believing and doing the right things."




The Gas go into the match with only one injury problem, that being right-back Aaron Lescott who has only just returned to light training after suffering knee ligament damage against Nottingham Forest three weeks ago. Welsh international midfielder David Pipe is pushing for a recall to the Rovers side though after only being on the bench last week in the 3-0 home defeat against Leeds as he was suffering from stomach cramps.


The referee for tomorrow's match is Clive Oliver from Ashington in Northumberland, and he will be assisted down the lines by Billy Khatib from Sunderland and Brian Parry from Peterlee in County Durham. Meanwhile the fourth official will be Ross Joyce from Middlesbrough.