Cheltenham Town travel north to face Accrington Stanley on Saturday on the back of two defeats in a row, conceding six goals in just 180 minutes of football.
Despite the poor form, the Robins are in a great position to stay in the league this year, sitting in 12th place and currently 17 points clear of the relegation zone.
Their opponents Accrington head into this game on poor form too. The Owd Reds have lost three of their last five, drawing one and winning the other, so they may prove to be the perfect opposition for Cheltenham to face.
Both teams have 50 points in the league, with The Robins just above Saturday’s opponents on goal difference.
And Michael Duff is keen to make sure the players don’t get complacent in training, focusing their attention on getting back to winning ways.
‘’I don’t think we ask the players to do a lot differently,’’ Duff told Park Life Sport. ‘’We ask them to play as they train.
‘’We don’t expect them to have to flick a switch when they turn up on a Saturday because it should just be habit. That’s the way we work, rather than thinking ‘oh it’s a game, we’d better get up for this’. I’d like to think that’s not the way the players work.
Duff also points out that there are a number of reasons for individual players to aim for a positive end to the campaign.
‘’Everyone has an agenda, all the players have an agenda. Some are out of contract, some are wanting new contracts, some people want to move on and Alfie has an opportunity to be the top goalscorer in the league, so there are all sorts of different things.
‘’Ultimately, they can’t do it individually. If they want to achieve their own individual goals, the team needs to win. The XI on the pitch.
‘’Someone might not even get a contract, but if you finish 12th in the league, it’s a hell of a lot better than finishing 19th so there are all sorts of different things and that’s what we’ll try and get out of them. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work, but it won’t be through lack of trying.
It also promises to be an intriguing matchup for ex-Cheltenham midfielder Harry Pell, who will be facing his old teammates once again, this time in the red of Accrington.
The 30-year-old is subject to a lot of stick every time he faces his old club, so he will have the added challenge of dealing with the travelling Robins fans.
Pell made 122 appearances for Cheltenham, scoring 22 goals in a three season tenure, before joining Colchester United in 2018 and then Accrington in 2021. He has scored six goals in the league this season, while also assisting five.
