Alexander calls for Ammies to remain focused
GRAHAM Alexander has urged his Salford City players to concentrate on their own game and believe in themselves more, as they host Forest Green Rovers this afternoon.
The Ammies head into the fixture with only one victory in their last nine League Two outings, whilst Rovers – who reached the play-off last season – are unbeaten in their last four and have the best defensive record in the division, conceding only five goals so far.
“I think they’re a few years ahead of us in their journey from non-league to establishing themselves in the Football League,” said Alexander. “They’ve got a good recent history, a very experienced manager and they haven’t given many goals away.
“Each game you do your pre-match analysis, see what your opponents’ threats and qualities are, but we have to concentrate on ourselves rather than our opposition more than ever at the moment.
“It’s vital that we get our own game in our minds clear and the way we want to play. It’s the one thing that you can control, your own performance, and we need to start controlling that better before we think about the opponent.”
Despite an inconsistent start to life in the Football League, Salford can secure a second successive victory at Moor Lane provided they defeat Mark Cooper’s outfit, and Alexander wants his players to be confident ahead of the tie. “League Two can change each season; what we’ve seen so far is a lot of technical players and tactical teams, and we have to bring our own sort of brand of football to this stage. The quality has certainly Graham Alexander gone up and we’re learning all the time.
“It’s about adapting quickly but understanding that we’ve got qualities of our own and that’s what I want the players to concentrate on. I want the players to believe more in themselves; we believe in them massively that we can be successful this season.”
The Ammies will be without forward Luke Armstrong (tonsillitis), who joins Liam Hogan (neck), Chris Neal (finger) and Richie Towell (ligament damage) on the side-lines.