Forest Green Rovers are set to use a 10-day break from football for recovery work, team bonding and a rare weekend away from the club, with Jonathan Gould planning to take the players for coffee in Nailsworth.
The proposed outing follows Rovers’ 1-1 draw with Wealdstone at The New Lawn and comes as the club works through a period of managerial uncertainty. Gould has been sharing duties in the dugout with Yan Klukowski and Josh Bowen after Robbie Savage’s pending departure.
Forest Green said on Tuesday that Savage had been offered the job at Peterborough United. The League One club had not confirmed the appointment at the time covered by the report, leaving Rovers’ coaching group to oversee the team during the break.
Players to have recovery day before Nailsworth outing
Gould said he wanted the players to spend some time together away from the pressure of matches. He spoke positively about Nailsworth and suggested that the village would provide a suitable setting for an informal team activity.
“This is a great little place. I go for a cup of tea down in Nailsworth and I think we might do a little bit of connection over the next 10 days and take the boys down for a coffee in the village – this is just a lovely little place to be honest.”
The break was planned to begin with the players returning on Thursday for recovery work. Gould said Friday would be made more enjoyable before the squad were allowed to leave early and have the weekend off.
That time away is unusual for the club, according to Gould, because it is not often that the whole group can take the same weekend away from football. The pause also gives the coaching team time to prepare for a schedule that will become more demanding as the season progresses.
Forest Green still have FA Cup and FA Trophy commitments ahead, as well as matches that need to be rearranged. Gould said those competing demands would have to be considered when the team begins preparing for its next fixture.
Rovers recover after difficult opening against Wealdstone
The point against Wealdstone came after a challenging start for Forest Green. The visitors opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark, when Fejiri Okenabirhie finished at the far post from Joe Newton’s flick-on.
Rovers responded before the interval. Tate Campbell scored seven minutes before half-time, converting Sean Etaluku’s cross for his first goal of the season.
Forest Green then created opportunities to take all three points. Captain Kyle McAllister struck the post, while Nick Haughton was denied in the closing stages. The chances meant both sides had opportunities to win the match before the final whistle, but the contest ended level.
Gould said the team had not settled during the opening 20 to 25 minutes. The coaching staff subsequently changed the set-up, moving McAllister deeper and putting the two original central midfielders back into the formation.
That adjustment helped McAllister get more involved in possession and provide width with his delivery. Gould said Forest Green could have been two goals ahead by half-time after finding their rhythm, and he was pleased with the response from the players.
The coaching group made few changes at the interval, although two players went down during the second half. The substitutes who came on were praised by Gould for helping the team through the remainder of the match.
Gbadehan makes first appearance after Nigeria trip
Ade Gbadehan made his first appearance for Forest Green in the game. Gould said the player was feeling the effects of the match, but had performed strongly alongside Campbell despite arriving from Nigeria the previous day.
“Addie, (Ade Gbadehan) it was his first game and he was blowing a little bit, but when you consider he got off a plane from Nigeria yesterday, he did a fabulous job alongside Tate (Campbell).”
Gould also identified the equaliser as a source of frustration. Forest Green had expected Wealdstone to pose a threat through that type of ball, but did not deal with the bouncing delivery before Okenabirhie’s finish.
He said the players needed to be more assured in those moments and handle a bouncing or bobbling ball better. At the same time, Gould acknowledged that the finish was good and accepted that either side could have won late in the game.
Ross and Haughton make late contributions
Goalkeeper Ethan Ross made a significant reaction save during the match. Gould said Ross had been nervous after the previous game because he had come in and apologised for a mistake, making the save against Wealdstone particularly important.
Gould described the stop as evidence of a goalkeeper who was concentrating and understood the state of the game. He said he was pleased for Ross after the intervention.
Haughton entered as a second-half substitute and immediately made an impact, producing a late effort that was stopped by an excellent save. Gould said the forward had been disappointed before the match, but praised his influence inside the dressing room and his character within the group.
Before joining Forest Green, Haughton had scored 103 goals in 267 games, according to the calculation discussed by Gould. The manager said the challenge was to get him into positions where he could unleash his powerful shot.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the club, Gould believed the performance against Wealdstone showed the character of the squad. He has not committed himself to wanting the managerial position on a permanent basis, but described the match-day experience as intense and said it helped explain why coaches can get drawn into the pressure of the role.
For now, the immediate plan is recovery on Thursday, a more relaxed Friday, a weekend away from football and then preparation for the next fixture, with cup competitions and rearranged matches still to fit into Forest Green’s season.
