Rovers Boss Paul Trollope On Tomorrow

Last updated : 13 November 2009 By Thetashkentterror

Paul Trollope
Pirates manager Paul Trollope spoke to his club's official website ahead of his side's home game against Carlisle on Saturday afternoon, Trollope keen to turn round a six match losing run that Rovers have recently endured :


"When you don't win football matches there is always going to be pressure and it is a challenge for me. We have been on bad runs in previous seasons and managed to turn things round with consistent, professional management and coaching and that is the aim this time. We are far from happy with the last six games, there are a lot of defensive issues that have been very, very poor.

"We have worked very hard to address those on a number of levels, and the players have shown a willingness to learn, listen and take those things on board - because they want to succeed as well. The atmosphere and the spirit is very good in the camp, there is a hunger to put things right, and hopefully that will start on Saturday. When things go against you, it is easy to let heads drop, but the spirit is very good.

"Even after seven minutes of madness against Southampton, the reaction of the players and the urgency and commitment they showed to desperately try and get back in the game shows that that spirit is there, because if it wasn't that reaction wouldn't have occurred. Despite the set backs we have had the players have still got a very positive mentality and a strong mentality, which is what you need to turn things round.

"Carlisle have had an up and down season, they have had some decent wins along the way and they come to us on the back of a couple of wins. We know about their threats and we know about some of their weaknesses as well. We are at home, and we are very much concentrating on ourselves, making sure we get those details right that haven't been there in recent games."



"We want to win the next game of football. We appreciate the run of form we have been on is not good enough, Carlisle is the next game, and our aim is to win it. When you don't win football matches there is always going to be pressure. But it's a pressure I quite enjoy because it's a challenge for me. We have been on bad runs before but have turned things around with consistent and professional management and coaching, and that's the aim this time.

"Mikkel (Andersen) and Chris (Dickson) are both available for selection, they have both trained well this week and they are fresh and ready to go after an enforced break. Danny Coles has been back in training since Monday and he has trained to a very good level so he will be available. Darryl Duffy had a shot and tweaked his knee at the end of Tuesday's session, so he is going to be touch and go, but we are hoping he is going to be fit.

"You look at a number of issues, you look at the players you have available, you look at the opposition and look where we are in terms of our performance levels and change things accordingly. We have tweaked the system in recent weeks, some of that was forced upon us and some of that was a choice. We are looking at all the options for Saturday, and with the players coming back it increases those options.

"We do need strength in depth and when we had a couple of people unavailable and a couple out injured for the FA Cup game, we did look a little bit short. We are looking at a number of positions we feel need strengthening and assessing the situation very closely. We hope we can add within a week or two."