Tough nut to crack – Forest Green Rovers coach on Port Vale challenge
Forest Green Rovers head coach Rob Edwards believes his team will have a tough test when they face the Valiants on Saturday.
Darrell Clarke’s side have yet to pick up a win this season and have scored just once in the League so far. By contrast, Rovers sit on top of the table after four straights wins. Even so, Edwards believes this will be a challenging game.
They’ve been involved in tight games. They’re going to be a really tough nut to crack…
Speaking to the media ahead of the game Edwards said: “They’ve been involved in tight games. They’re going to be a really tough nut to crack. They’ll be searching for that balance of looking to score but also keeping it tight at the back. They’ve had three or four really competitive games and Saturday will be no different.
“We’re going to need that energy against Port Vale. Whatever shape they play – they’ve played a back four and a back five – they will have a plan and be very well-coached. They’ll have a plan to stop us and we need to provide the answers.”
Edwards added: “It will be a really difficult game and I wouldn’t expect anything else. Darrell (Clarke) will have his team really well-organised and with threats all over. If you were looking at us over the last few games, we’ve been a threat going forwards, but we need to do the other side of the game really well because they have their own threats.”
Despite Vale’s lack of goals, Edwards is concerned about the Vale strikeforce concluding: “Rodney, Proctor, Wilson – they’ve got some great forward players. They get lots of crosses in the box, Jones provides a long-throw threat and they’re well-coached. The league still hasn’t taken shape, so we don’t take much notice of their form. We just take every 45 minutes as it comes.”
Image: Port Vale captain Tom Pett