Daniel Wales and Charles Hague-Jones preview Bristol Rovers vs. Stockport County.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Dan, back on to Bristol Rovers and obviously, in terms of their fixtures coming up in League
00:07One, obviously, and we've mentioned before that the gap between the top and the bottom
00:11sides is quite high, probably to do with the likes of the top investment from Birmingham
00:17City, Wrexham, for example, as well. They're up there, you know, Wickham having a fantastic
00:21season, Stockport fourth as well, and they're looking quite favourable for the playoff places
00:26at this sort of stage of the season. That's their next game at home. We know, obviously,
00:33some big fixtures coming up against the likes of Burton Albion, who are right down the bottom
00:37of it. Where do you sort of view this Stockport game? Because Stockport have had some fantastic
00:43results on the road this season. They've only obviously met once before Stockport, obviously
00:48rising up really well through the Football League in the last few years. They're going
00:52to be full of confidence, tails up and really hope they can come away with an away win.
00:58How do Bristol sort of navigate this one? How do Rovers navigate the way that they need
01:02to play at home and ensure that they are there or thereabouts against these top sides? Can
01:08you sort of look at it as a bit of a free hit when you have big games coming up or every
01:13game seems important when you are right down there?
01:15I think it's a lot. I think every game seems important. You can't just assume that you'll
01:19get results against sides around you because they proved that against Wigan when they went
01:23away from home and didn't win there. Obviously Charlton was a bit different, but they still
01:26also didn't win there. I think Bristol Rovers will be happy that it's at home because actually
01:31some of their home form lately hasn't been too bad. They proved that against Peterborough
01:36in the last game leapfrogging a side around them. And they also beat playoff contenders
01:39Barnsley a few weeks back as well. And it's that sort of a performance and that sort of
01:43a result that in this game they need to take confidence from. Barnsley were absolutely
01:51flying at the time and then Bristol Rovers met them at the Memorial Stadium and they
01:56took them to the cleaners. It was a really good result and a really confidence boosting
01:59result. Of course, they didn't then build on it because they then lost the next two.
02:03But if they can somehow garner whatever they had in that game, I think they're in with
02:07a chance. And I think it's, as I say, it's a blessed relief that it is at home because
02:10clearly at Memorial Stadium, at least an eagle called her on side, have something about
02:15them. When they go away, they seem to lose all composure, all maturity, all professionalism.
02:20But when they're at home, it's a different story. And so anything like the way they played
02:25against Barnsley, and if they can replicate that against Stockport, they do have a chance
02:29of picking up three points. You mentioned, yes, they've got other games to come against
02:33sides who are in and around them at the weekend, perhaps against Burton Albion, but it doesn't
02:39mean that you can't then also get three points against Stockport. If you win both of them,
02:42imagine what that could do for their confidence as well as their league position. So you can't
02:46just target the Burton game and think, oh yeah, we'll probably get the three points
02:50there as long as we do okay, put a performance out against Stockport, even if we lose. No,
02:54go and win both of them if you can. There's no reason why you can't.