Hi Joey, well done tonight. Sum up your first week of training and the game tonight. You must be happy with how it’s gone?
Yeah, a really good week. The lads have come back in good order, summered really well. We had a bit of an extended break because we got the autos as opposed to the play-offs and I think that’s really benefitted the lads. It was a long old season, so I’m really pleased with them.
To come here tonight in the first game, like it was last year when we scrapped a 1-1 draw, as you could see from the result and the performance it was a markedly different group of lads together this season so a good start for us.
We’ve got a tough week ahead of us now in Portugal and I’m looking forward to the rest of pre-season and hopefully starting the season strong.
There were great signs. Aaron Collins was razor-sharp, as was Antony Evans when he came on. Those are great signs that they’ve summered well and come back really hungry.
Yeah, and they are carrying that little bit of confidence with them.
Both teams tonight were littered with a lot of young lads who have joined us on pre-season, so good minutes for them, and obviously for us to see the seniors and first-team players back out in amongst the goals early on in pre-season is good.
I’m just hoping Azza doesn’t take as long to score his league goal after he scored here last time. It’s a happy hunting ground for him although he wouldn’t want to be hunting here every weekend.
There were impressive performances from youngsters. Jerry Lawrence started brightly and had a big hand in the first goal and scored the penalty, and Harvey Greenslade also scored with a ruthless finish.
Yeah, really good. Young Jerry did really well in training this week, caught the eye and showed he could handle the ball in and around the senior players and he’s transferred that into the game.
Really good little movement to create the first opportunity and then he had the confidence to grab the ball for the penalty. I was pleased with that, I like that, but I was surprised that Aaron gave it to him.
He stuck it away with aplomb and then Harvey gets that third goal, took it really well, a really good strike.
I’m pleased with them. No one’s injured, everyone’s got 45 minutes. We’ve still got a few to come back to it. Nick Anderton missed out today, Jordy Rossiter, but I’m really pleased with the work from the boys.
What is the story with those that missed out?
Just a couple of little niggles. Harry Anderson’s the same, he’s got a little bit of a dead calf in the 11 vs 11 we had. We had quite a tough day yesterday and Harry picked up a bit of a dead calf.
Nick had a bit of swelling on his knee, Jordy had a calf issue and, obviously, we can’t risk them as this stage of the pre-season but a really good workout apart from them.
And James Belshaw?
Belly had an injection in his knee. It was routine, he was due to have it and he was always going to start a week after the lads. He’s due to return to the grass out in Portugal next week.
Your transfer business so far, to get James Connolly back, to tie down Antony Evans and the two you have brought in. What is your verdict on the four deals signed off so far?
Evo, everyone knows about him, and anyone who followed us in the second half of last year knows how well Beefy did, so be able to convert those two young, exciting players into permanent assets for the club is big.
You’ve got to have assets developing in the team. Hooley has become our own academy product playing in the first team.
We’ve only brought in a few players so far in terms of new players. James Gibbons coming in from Port Vale tonight, who I thought was excellent tonight and it was nice for him to get a goal. He gives us competition right across the backline.
He can play both sides at full-back and I think he can play centre-half, although he’s on the short side, but he’s played on the right of a back three at Port Vale and I can really see how he does well in that position.
Jordan Rossiter is a player I know really well. I had him up at Fleetwood and played with him up at Glasgow Rangers. I think he’s a real quality player and if we can get him as fit as I believe we can, I think he can be a fantastic player for us in the coming years.
They seem like two examples of you strengthening an area of strength in your squad already, bolstering and getting stronger. Obviously, you’ve lost players in other areas, but you have Luca Hoole and two of the best central midfielders in League Two in Paul Coutts and Sam Finley. Those are areas of strength already and you’ve made them even better.
We intend to strengthen the group again. I think we’re five or six signings away from where we want to be, but there is a long way to go in the window.
When we came here this time last year you saw how threadbare we were. We drew 1-1 and we were abject and we didn’t flow through the pre-season. We were a completely different team coming here this time. The strength and the spine of the team is still there.
We’ve still got work to do in the market but we’ve got a good group and we’re not firefighting like we were last year, we’re building on the momentum of a successful season.
We’ve got a tough week ahead of us out in Portugal next week and a really tough game at the end of it. Hopefully, we might have some movement and bring in a couple of bodies in the next week or two.
You’ve signed a new contract of your own. It’s another statement of how much Wael Al-Qadi believes in you by tying you down to 2026.
He’s given me nothing but support since I’ve come to the football club, even through the choppy, turbulent waters.
With the way we finished last year, I think he can really see the vision for the club.
For me, I wouldn’t have put my future in as along a deal if I didn’t believe in the project myself.
I want to manage at the highest level, I want to see how far I can go as a coach and I feel at this junction this is the perfect club for me.
I’ve had enormous support from the owner but also from the fanbase. That is growing and growing and growing and I’m excited for what the future holds. It’s an exciting time for Rovers.
Finally, Portugal. You must be excited to get some sun on your back but also get out there and work hard and put in a real shift?
It’s an opportunity to get two or three sessions into the boys. The weather gives you that opportunity and having the lads with you for the whole week, they don’t have to go home.
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