Tranmere Rovers manager Micky Mellon says the attitudes of his players has been very pleasing so far this season, as his side host Newport County on Saturday afternoon.
Rovers welcome Michael Flynn’s side to Prenton Park, and will hope to maintain their unbeaten start to the Sky Bet League Two season.
He said: “The attitudes of the players [has impressed me]. We’re only a small group, in terms of ready-made first-team players that are used to playing at the Football League level. We’ve got a lot of promising young players.
“The players have allowed us to rotate, which has been really important. Due to the ability levels and the experience, it’s important to try and keep everyone involved when I can. When I take someone off and bring another one, they’ve continued to do the good work. Or when I’ve brought someone off the bench, they’ve continued their work too.
“It’s been good for the entire dressing room that it’s all all-inclusive involvement. We’ve also been able to change systems, game to game, or even during the game. Or even just subtle changes during the games, which has been very pleasing for me as manager.”
Mellon also added that the visitors know what it takes to make the play-offs, having made the play-off final twice. He also spoke about Newport’s Kevin Ellison, now 42, who could feature for The Exiles.
“They [Newport] are a very experienced team, and they’re in the play-offs year after year. They have a management staff and a playing staff that knows what it takes in a 46-game season in order to get yourselves into the play-offs.
“It’s a game for the golden oldies, but it’s a testament to the fitness that they’re still playing and still have that mentality and desire to keep playing, keep training every day. Great credit to them all.”
The manager also spoke about the players’ desire to attack the challenges in front of them, and that the group are doing very well so far.
“We’re not out to break any records, we’re just trying to do well every day in training and improve as a group. It’s still a very new group, but the players are attacking the challenges we’re putting in front of them.
“We’re still asking them for more, still demanding more from ourselves all the time. There are areas of our game that we know we must get better at. The important thing, from my point of view as manager, is that the players are buying into that. They want to attack and improve all the time.
“That’s what we’re doing all the time. Bit by bit, just trying to get better in all the parts of the game as individuals, as well as units. So, it’s a good place at the minute.”