Coventry City manager Russell Slade wants a strong performance from his team when they take on Gillingham at the Ricoh Arena tomorrow afternoon.
City were unlucky not to win at AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday night and the City boss wants an equally plucky performance from his side against a Gillingham team which are only four points off the relegation zone and by no means near mdi-table mediocrity.
Slade told Laura Hunter: “Mental scars can’t last for more than 24 hours, that is what you have to get used to as a footballer.
“As a manager, you can’t control what has already happened, but what you can do is affect Saturday. We need a strong performance, a strong reaction and find a way to win.
“We talk to them individually, and collectively over the short period of time between Tuesday and Saturday. I think they felt they were in control, and felt good about that, against a difficult awkward side away from home.
“You are angry, it was an opportunity missed. There was a lot of fortune with their goal, but that is what it is like struggling at the bottom. It is good to be angry, how do you harness that and use that in your preparation. It can be a force.
“There are more characters in the squad, Nathan Clarke has been a man mountain. You can see what type of character he is. A good type, and does it right on the pitch.
“Young players ought to and need to listen to players like that [Yakubu]. We’re building up his fitness levels, he played a valuable 25 minutes Tuesday and we’ll build on that.”
More at http://www.ccfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/press-russell-slade-coventry-city-gillingham-ricoh-league-one-3579624.aspx#
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