Forest Green Rovers manager, Steve Cotterill, says his side have no “entitlement” in their aim for promotion back to the Football League.
“I’m really pleased with and for the lads today.
“As regards to performance, I think we started much brighter and that was key.
“They’ve been under immense pressure from the start of the season. I don’t think that there is ever that entitlement to, I’ve never once said, ‘we’ll win the league’ or ‘we’ll get promoted’, but it’s what we want to do,” Cotterill said.
Emmanuel Osadebe got the ball rolling on 11 minutes with his first goal of the season, sweeping home a Ryan Inniss pass.
Osadebe has seen a change in position this season under Cotterill moving from his usual position of central midfield to playing as a wing back down the right, which has seen a noticed improvement from boss Cotterill.
“It’s funny that when I came in I mentioned to someone saying, ‘I wonder if Manny can play right back or right wing back?’
“I went along with it and Manny is always better when he has grass to run into because his strength is his running, he’s a very good athlete,” he said.
How our goals looked from down pitchside! 📹#WeAreFGR💚 pic.twitter.com/HHVlAGH88c
— Forest Green Rovers (@FGRFC_Official) March 1, 2025
This comes as Cotterill swayed to changed formation of a 3-4-2-1 in the hope of getting the better of their Berkshire based opposition.
“I’ve played these types of formations throughout my managerial career with great success.
“But we haven’t had great success here. Last season we played with it and didn’t have success with it. We started this season with it, and we didn’t have great success.
We’ve played 34 games, lost three, that isn’t bad is it? When I say about losing three, we lost one of them playing three five two so, horses for courses in this game all the time.
“Yes we surprised them that’s why they came here and tried to play four three three against us because they thought we were going to play like that,” he said.
Harry Cardwell picked up his first goal since October with a thunderous effort into the top right corner securing the victory that saw Rovers keep the pressure of Barnet and York City at the top of the National League.
“Brilliant finish, brilliant finish, absolutely delighted for him and so are the boys in there.
“Harry’s had it hard and he’s had some criticism that’s probably unfair on him, but I like him, he’s a great kid. He needed that today,” Cotterill said.
An important week in the hunt for promotion awaits Cotterill’s side with a trip to play-off seekers FC Halifax Town on Tuesday night before a top of the table clash at York City on Saturday night.
“When we put in performances like that one today and they’re consistent at it, we’ll win more games,” Cotterill said.
