Tranmere Rovers caretaker manager Ian Dawes knows the importance of preparing well for Saturday’s Sky Bet League Two fixture away at Colchester United.
Dawes, who will be assisted in the dugout by Andy Parkinson, will lead Rovers on their long journey down to Essex to take on Ben Garner’s U’s.
And speaking to the local media during his pre-match press conference, Dawes opened up on a difficult week following Micky Mellon’s departure, and how he is preparing the squad for their next game.
Dawes said: “I think Sunday in particular was tough for myself, the staff and the Football Club. The gaffer has been a massive part of the Club after what he’s done as a player and his success as a manager. The Club and everyone should be grateful for what he’s done, he wasn’t just the gaffer, he was a close friend and he always will continue to be.
“After Sunday, the focus switches to what’s best for the Club, and we have to help prepare the team to go and win some games.
“I got a call from the gaffer and the Chairman respectively just to explain what was happening moving forward, it was a tough day on Sunday, but we’ve moved on and prepared in the right way.
“We’re just going to take it step by step, the chairman has said during the interim, make sure you look after the Club and the team, go and plan for Saturday, prepare the team the best we can and go a win a game of football, so we’ll try to take it step by step.
“Everyone inside and outside the Club has just got to focus on the short-term really, we keep saying about what’s best for the Football Club, and that’s what it’s all about.
“We’ve given everything, and we’ve just got to prepare the best that we can.
“The team have proven that they can perform and get results, and that’s against the top sides, but we have to break teams down, so we have to look at that, we’ve had our inconsistencies so we have got to address that going into Saturday.
“We need to try to lift the players, the fans and the Club and try to get the crucial information into them that we need and what we expect from them in and out of possession on Saturday, so we’ve tried to do that this week.
“We’re at that point in the season where we are in the league, so it’s just trying to go and win the next game, and don’t ever move past that, we’ve just got to look at Saturday moving forward.
“We could have Kane Hemmings back in contention, he’s been back out on the grass and he’ll be monitored to see if he can be involved.”
Dawes has also called upon the travelling SWA to show their support this weekend.
He added: “This Club is run unbelievably well by the chairman, and for the short-term, myself, Parky and the players will give everything that we’ve got, and if our away support can get behind us on Saturday like they always do, then that will be great as we’re going to need them.”
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