Head Coach Gabriele Cioffi looks ahead to tonight’s Sky Bet League 2 game against Exeter City.
Another tough opponent…
For sure. In fact, Exeter are probably a tougher opponent than Newport. They have momentum, and not just this season but for the last two years when they got to the play-offs. They have a new Head Coach (Matt Taylor) but this has made little difference to their qualities. They have a strong mentality and a strong squad with lots of good players so a tough game for us.
Maintaining good home form…
It’s absolutely vital to be strong in your own stadium if you want to have a successful season. Our form here has been good since I came to the club and the challenge is to keep it going. Can we have ten, 15 matches at home without losing?
That is the challenge to the players and, of course, the staff. It is possible – other clubs have done it. And, of course, the supporters can play their part. My message to them is to get behind the team, especially in difficult moments for the players. We saw this on Saturday when Newport had a good spell. The players were encouraged by the fans and we got back to playing as we had been and won the game and gave a performance the fans enjoyed.
Being more consistent …
As with good home performances this is important. Win, lose, win, lose so far this season – not too many draws. Can we change this to win, win, draw, win, draw, win? Or something similar? If we can then we will be in a strong position in the table. This is what the sides at the top do, such as Exeter. I am confident my players can do this.
