Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Now stand up and be counted – Coughlan
BRISTOL Rovers chief Graham Coughlan says his side must produce a “big performance” at home to Blackpool today in order to put renewed vigour into their fight against relegation.
Rovers put in one of their most disappointing efforts of the season in defeat to high-flying Sunderland last week and need to responded against the Tangerines this afternoon.
Asked at his pre-match press conference if he could turn around the Pirates’ poor home form, the manager said: “Well that’s the idea. We need a big performance and we need our men to stand up and be counted. We need the lads to get together and say ‘Let’s give this a go’.
“I don’t believe, contrary to other people’s views and opinions, that we are that far off the Sunderlands and Portsmouths of this division, which we have proven.
“But I will go back to missing that little bit of detail, that little bit of concentration, switching off, those key moments in the games, because let’s be honest, there wasn’t much between the teams (in recent games versus Portsmouth and Sunderland).
“I believe we have come a long way and I am looking for the players to be a little more expansive.”
Blackpool have been weighed down by difficulties surrounding the ownership of the club, but Coughlan is ignoring that aspect.
He added: “I think when you cross the white line that is your sanctuary, that is when you release the pressures and the stresses, that’s what I will be telling my players to go and give your best.
“I am not sure what is going on in the background at Blackpool will effect or hinder their performance.
“They have been going really well this year. They are a big, tough, strong team, organised and well drilled. We don’t expect it to be pretty, we know what we are getting into. Even Sunderland last week came here looking to slow things down. We don’t expect Blackpool to be any different, it is just one of the things we have to deal with when we are playing at home.”
Rovers triumphed 3-0 at Blackpool earlier in the season, and Coughlan would love a repeat performance.
He said: “It was really positive to be fair. I know they have had some personnel changes since then, they had played Arsenal in midweek and they didn’t get back to Blackpool until quarter to six on the Thursday morning, so possibly we played them at a good time, but we shouldn’t take away from our performance that day and we are looking for more of the same.
“It is up to us, we have got ourselves into a little bit of a sticky situation and it is up to us to get out of it.”